Stephen Sondheim is one of the most acclaimed composers and lyricists of the twentieth century. He is known for his complex and thought-provoking works such as A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Into the Woods. Company is another of his best-known works, debuting on Broadway in 1970. The book tells the story of Robert, a perpetually single New Yorker, and his various friends and their relationships with each other and with Robert.
Company follows Robert through a week of his life, beginning on his 35th birthday. The play is structured around the people in his life and how they relate to each other, rather than a traditional plot-driven story. Robert is surrounded by five married couples and three friends who are single, all of whom reflect on their own relationship drama and the peculiar state of Robert's continual bachelorhood.
The play offers a look at the complexities of relationships, decisions, and the human condition. Robert's various friends, the five married couples, are all different; each couple has its own issues and challenges. As the play progresses, Robert's conversations with his friends allow him to gain insight into their lives, as well as into his own.
Across its various acts, the musical reflects on Robert's relationships as well as his lack of a relationship. He befriends a flighty woman, April, and attends parties with his buddies, including the charmingly sleazy, alcoholic Harry. The moment when Robert realizes that he is happy waiting to be in love is especially memorable. This realization is of significant importance to Robert, as it has been because of his fear of commitment that he has been previously unable to find a significant other.
The musical is filled with complex emotions, as well as humorous moments. The finale of the show, "Being Alive," is particularly powerful. The song underscores the importance of being connected to a partner, and how that connection is much more fulfilling than being a single person.
Company is one of Sondheim’s best-known works and has been adapted for films and Off-Broadway performances. The play’s honest and resonant portrait of relationships has stood the test of time and remains popular among fans of musical theater today. Company is a complex, layered portrayal of our lives and an exploration of the importance of connection, something that every human can relate to.
