You’re Never Really Alone When You Have Company.

by Deitra Oliver

Kelsey Theatre of Mercer County, in conjunction with Off-Centre Stages, presents Company, the classic musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth. Produced by Abigail Acolia  and directed by Jonathan Edmondson, with assistant directors MJ Santry and Alaina Stampe. Company is an exploration of relationships in various forms through the eyes of consummate bachelor Robert- Bobby to his friends. Starting with Robert’s 35^th birthday, surrounded by his bevy of coupled-up friends, we are introduced to the well-meaning and sometimes pushy friends. I felt that each scene could be a stand-alone story, so I was interested to learn that Company is based on eleven one-act plays written by George Furth. The story follows Robert and his friends through one year of their lives, with Robert visiting their various households or vice versa. Company reminded me of Bridget Jones’s Diary, where the titular character said, “The only thing worse than a smug married couple; lots of smug married couples.” It seems that everyone has an opinion about Robert’s state of singleness and wants to save him from being alone. 

As the theater begins to dim, we see Robert, played by Nick Olszewski, in boxers and a T-shirt splayed out on the couch. This perfectly establishes Robert’s current place in life and draws the audience in before the show even starts. Olszewski delivers a confident and often relatable performance as Robert. I enjoyed that I didn’t always enjoy Robert. He makes some highly questionable choices throughout the show; however, Olszewski does a commendable job of playing with the likable and not-so-likable aspects of Robert’s character, delivering a well-rounded performance. “Being Alive” is the final song of the show, and Olszewski brings clear and strong vocals with an impressive emotional resonance that was genuinely moving. 

While Robert’s friends seem to believe he is suffering from the depths of loneliness, he is in reality quite busy, dating Marta, Kathy, and April. Dating is not always a solution to loneliness, but it does provide a reprieve, and Robert seems to revel in it. Rachel Estrada brings big-dreaming, fast-talking Marta to life. Estrada brings playfulness and expressiveness to the role that is fun to watch. “Another Hundred People” is a challenging song, and Estrada displays impressive technique and control in their delivery. 

Kathy, played by Izzy DiCampli, is “the one who got away” for Robert. Robert seems to romanticize his time with her and is shocked when she announces she is getting married to someone else. DiCampli delivers with just the right touch of wit and wry knowingness to make the character relatable. DiCampli also portrays the Choir Girl in “Getting Married Today” and delivers a hilarious performance. 

Robert’s final girlfriend, though he probably wouldn’t use the word, is April. April is a somewhat ditzy but surprisingly wise airline stewardess. Elizabeth Axler brings nuance and humor to the role, making it one of my favorite performances of the night. The awkward moments that occur during intimacy were beautifully done, and the monologue about the butterfly was spot on with both comedic timing and sensitivity. 

The three women come together in the song “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” with beautiful harmonies. This song puts their conflicting feelings into perspective, with throwback sounds reminiscent of groups like the Andrews Sisters. This song is the perfect mix of upbeat sounds laced with sarcasm and frustration. As with many songs in this show, the speed of the number and the tongue-twisting alliterations are impressive feats for any performer, and Estrada, DiCampli, and Axler deliver the goods. 

Samantha Dobson’s choreography shines in this number as well as “Side By Side By Side” and “Tick Tock.”  The choreography emphasizes simple but synchronized movements to build different shapes and structures across the stage, highlighting different moods and themes. “Side By Side By Side” was a powerhouse choreography number with high energy and some really fun moments, like Joanne’s quick swig from her flask and the chorus line moment. “Tick Tock” was also presented in a unique way that I found quite intriguing and led to discussion about the meaning of the boxes being moved around. I believe that they represented the emotional intimacy shared between the different couples, and that is why Robert’s box was empty. 

Much credit goes to music director Madelyn Seltzer and assistant music director Brian Colquist, along with accompanist Ray Nugent and the orchestra, for not only this song but for the music throughout the show. One of my favorite aspects of live theater is live instrumentation, and I was so glad to see that this production opted to go that route. The music throughout was faultless. The sound was layered and vibrant and lived up to the Sondheim hype.  Sound designer and technician Noah Schwartz did an excellent job of building the show’s soundscape while mixing and balancing the vocals and instrumentals. There was a brief technical issue early in the show, but it was quickly corrected. Joining the orchestra are pit singers Monica Alvarado, Kristin Schrier, and Harrison Alexander, helping to bring a fuller sound to the songs. 

Amidst his busy dating schedule, Robert visits each couple introduced in the opening. Costumer Sheron Williams did an excellent job creating visual cohesiveness within each couple. The couples were clearly delineated by the colors they wore. The color coordination created striking imagery on the stage and really played up the sometimes matchy energy that couples bring. Additionally, Belle Salvatore’s hair and makeup design helped to establish the identities of the couples. My favorite looks overall were April and Joanne. From head to toe, their presentation was excellent. 

Sarah, played by Aimée Robidoux, and Harry, played by Jermaine Terry, the red couple, are the first couple Robert visits. Robidoux and Terry were outstanding. They had great chemistry and were highly believable as a couple who love each other deeply, but also sometimes can’t stand each other. Robidoux as the dessert-loving, karate-fighting wife was so engaging and had the audience laughing out loud. Terry as the put-upon, recovering alcoholic was equally hilarious. Together they delivered a crackling performance. Whether through willful temptation or genuine ignorance, Robert brings brownies and bourbon to the dinner, which leads to intense reactions from the couple as they both experience withdrawal.  When Harry challenges Sarah to show what she has been learning in her Karate class and she corrects him to say KA-RA-TAY, I knew we were in for a treat. From the warm-up to the final hold, this fight felt like one many married couples would love to have. Fight coordinator Sean McGarry did a great job working with the actors and building a fight sequence that felt not only realistic but funny.

Set designers Jonathan Edmondson and Angelica Froio created a deceptively simple set with panels that serve as both walls and buildings, a bar, a couch, and a few chairs. The look is clean and effective. With construction by Glenn Dobron and Bryan E. Hill, just a few simple movements and the stage transforms from a living room to a terrace to the streets of New York to a nightclub. Props from properties manager Mary Hill and assistant Elias Snare further bring each scene to life. One of my favorite props is the birthday cake along with the candle that closes the show. Lighting design by Kelly Furman further enhances the stage settings, making each setting more dynamic and textured. Particularly impressive was the use of LED lighting around the square base of the stage to establish borders and scenes

Stage managers Abigail Acolia and James Murray, along with assistant stage managers Joseph Wilson and Alexa Shifton, need to be recognized because no cues were missed, props were where they needed to be, and transitions happened smoothly. 

The production moves us from Sarah and Harry’s living room; we are moved to Susan and Peter’s terrace, the seemingly perfect couple dressed in shades of brown. Laurie Gougher brings Southern charm and sweet tea levels of sweetness to the role of Susan. Joseph McCabe plays Peter, the strait-laced Ivy Leaguer, and is a great counterpart to Gougher. This couple surprises Robert with the announcement of their divorce and continues to defy expectations throughout as they seem to stick together despite their divorce, going so far as to vacation together in Mexico. 

Next up are the very proper Jenny, played by Amanda Dranchak, and David, the husband who likes to push her buttons, played by Matt Keelan. Robert has brought marijuana for them to share, and they are all smoking together. It is Jenny’s first time, and Dranchak is hilarious as a newcomer to the world of marijuana. Every reaction becomes larger and more comedic as the scene progresses, all while retaining Jenny’s propriety as she rises to new levels of highness. Keelan does a wonderful job of expressing both enjoyment of the moment and the more serious side of his character when hidden insecurities are revealed.  There is an awkward moment when Robert crosses a line with Jenny (one of several boundaries he seems prone to crossing.) 

Given the nature of this musical, the actors are required to depict various types of relational intimacy, whether holding hands or kissing or just being in proximity to one another. Director Jonathan Edmondson also served as the production’s intimacy coordinator. I love to see this in community theater, because it is so vital to the safety and comfort of the actors. I also believe it helps to build rapport and allows actors to explore ways of interacting with one another without making assumptions, leading to a better production overall. 

Soon-to-be married couple Amy, played by Jamie Sheffer, and Paul, played by Connor Riley, are the next couple to be introduced. Sheffer’s performance was intense, powerful, funny, and so very relatable.  This was without a doubt one of the strongest performances I have seen in a while.  Amy’s manic moment of indecision as she prepares to marry the perfect man, Paul, is such a strong depiction of the terror many feel about committing to someone forever. “Getting Married Today” is a literal tongue twister of a song, and Sheffer delivers it flawlessly, while clearly bringing humor, frustration, and fear into the performance. Riley matches Sheffer with a very emotional and sensitive performance as the understanding and eventually heartbroken Paul. Olszewski is also excellent in this scene, first as the confused bystander, then as the perpetrator of a crime of opportunity and emotional longing to his eventual realization of his own lack of readiness for the responsibilities that come with commitment. 

Robert’s final visit is with Joanne and Larry. They are a little more seasoned than the other couples and are both previously married. Jim Morris brings a zest and warmth to Larry that make you want to get on the dance floor and dance with him.  Suzanne Ardite is perfect as Joanne, the wealthy, judgmental, and progressively drunker anti-social socialite. “The Ladies Who Lunch” is one of my favorite songs, and I was greatly impressed by Ardite’s performance. Laced with the right amount of edge, weariness, and rage at everyone, but mostly herself, Ardite’s performance was a tour de force. After her rant, Joanne asks Robert to have an affair with her, which leads to a seemingly deep revelation for Robert. The show closes with Robert’s 36^th birthday party, only he doesn’t show up. 

Company is known as a trailblazer for this musical style and contains some of Stephen Sondheim’s best-known songs. Robert’s journey is one that many single people can relate to, as are the stories of the couples surrounding him and the women he dates. Kelsey Theatre delivered a stellar production of the show that left me excited about musical theater. I’m sure I’m not alone in that feeling. I definitely have company.