It’s Bobby’s 35th birthday and he is celebrating with all of his friends. All of his friends that are in relationships, except him. Bobby knows that he needs to figure out what he wants and get his life together. He has been struggling in the dating world with making a commitment, as he is seeing three girls at once.
Throughout Company, you will follow Bobby as he questions himself and learns from his friends about the ins and outs of marriage. He knows he wants to get married, but is it worth it?
Company is a beautifully written show, showcasing love, heartbreak and honesty, The cast of Korda Artistic Productions 2018 season opener were truly remarkable. From the acting, singing and staging, I was drawn into the show from beginning to end. The set was a beautifully hand painted New York City Skyline done by Matthew Burgess. The live five piece band was led by young talented musician Sam Poole. The jazzy vibe of the music for Company very much felt like you were at a high class party where everyone is dressed to the nines with a martini glass in one hand and fancy hor d’oeuvres making their way to all of the guests.
I had the opportunity to chat with Sam Poole about the music of Company. The music was written and composed by Stephen Sondheim who doesn’t necessarily have the easiest score to work with.
“Stephen Sondheim is the man!” Sam said; “Everything he wrote is incredibly difficult from West Side Story (lyrics), Sunday in the Park with George, even Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum. It was difficult to get everything right with the actors at first but everyone has done an amazing job and the band has killed it as they have tricky stuff in the score as well. Everyone has been really great to work with.”
All of the actors did a fabulous job showcasing their character and mannerisms. I enjoyed seeing what each of the couples relationships were like in the show, as they were all very different and unique.
One of the actresses I want to give a huge round of applause to is Heather Hausmann who played Amy. Amy, is supposed to be getting married but has decided she doesn’t want to after all and goes into an extreme mental breakdown, terrorizing the stage in her wedding dress throwing a fit. On top of her wild behavior, her song “Not Getting Married Today” was fast and a mouth full! While her soon to be hopeful husband Paul played by Drew Beaudoin stayed sweet and reserved the whole time, making the scene even funnier as he attempts to calm the crazy bride.
Martin Ouellette who played leading man, Bobby, was incredible. I have seen Martin in a number of shows and have had the privilege to work with him before. Martin is an incredibly strong performer, from his acting too strong vocal ability. He really showed how his character was feeling by his expressions and how he sang.
Another performer who was cute as a button was Hope Forman who played April, one of Bobby’s girlfriends. She is a flight attendant who is super, super sweet but a little on the “flighty” side. I adored Hope’s portrayal of the character.
As a whole, all of the actors were phenomenal and you could tell they all loved being on stage together. The show was cast perfectly and I have no doubt they will have a fantastic run.
Company continues at Korda on March 29,30,31 and April 5,7,8 – at The KordaZone Theatre, 2520 Seminole Street. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 8pm, while Sunday Matinees are at 2pm. A special Saturday matinee has been added for April 7.
Tickets are $20 and are available online or by calling 519-562-3394. Tickets can also be purchased at Nancy Johns Gallery & Framing or Juniper Books.
The Cast:
Martin Ouellette as Bobby
Sara Fontaine as Sarah
Brian Yeomens as Harry
Lindsay Norris as Susan
David Burrows as Peter
Samantha Edwards as Jenny
Greg Girty as David
Heather Hausmann as Amy
Drew Beaudoin as Paul
Kirsten McMillan as Joanne
Mark Worsley as Larry
Carla Gyemi as Kathy
Kaitlyn Karns as Marta
Hope Forman as April
Directed by David Burrows
Musical Direction by Sam Poole
Choreography by Hope Forman and Kaitlyn Karns
The Band:
Sam Poole – Music Director / Piano
Colin Zorzit – Bass
Nicholas Baddeley – Drums/Percussion
Sebastian Bachmeier – Reeds
Austin Di Pietro – Trumpets
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