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Company: A Musical Comedy
“A landmark musical, one of those few shows that enter the permanent lore of the theatre by altering the vocabulary of dramatic possibilities.� � Time “There’s never been a franker, more sophisticated work written for the musical stage.� � San Francisco Examiner “With a deliberately episodic, painfully accurate book by George Furth and an unforgettable score by Stephen Sondheim, Company is a total reversal of the usual musical comedy format. It is rigorously unsentimental. It has the courage to be both bitter and honest about love and marriage.� –Kevin Kelly, Boston Globe A breakthrough Broadway musical in 1970, Company remains fresh, acerbic and original today. The musical’s themes—marriage and commitment, friendship and loneliness—and its innovations in form mark it as a landmark of modern American musical theatre. Company ’s 25 th anniversary was commemorated by two major in New York at the Roundabout Theatre Company and in London at the Donmar Warehouse. This edition incorporates all revisions and additions made for these productions.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
Stephen Sondheim
342Ìýbooks259ÌýfollowersStephen Joshua Sondheim was an American musical and film composer and lyricist, winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven, more than any other composer), multiple Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize. He has been described as the Titan of the American Musical.
His most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy. He was president of the Dramatists Guild from 1973 to 1981.
His most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy. He was president of the Dramatists Guild from 1973 to 1981.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
September 1, 2022
Company is near-universally acknowledged to be the show where Sondheim hit his stride--after doing the lyrics for three shows and the music and lyrics for one success and one flop, Company took on a more experimental vibe than the others had and, according to some, dealt the death blow to the Golden Age of Broadway. Three cheers for Company, amiright?
Okay, fine, I don't dislike every Golden Age show, but I much prefer this style of show and music to them. The closest comparisons I can find for Company are that from a music standpoint, it's scored like a non-sung-through Falsettos and from a structure standpoint, like Assassins with a base location where all of the characters start out that then switches to other locations for backstory but ultimately still comes together at the end.
Despite it being one of my most listened to soundtracks, I've never actually seen Company live, though I do want to see it and have seen the proshot with Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby, as well as be in it and direct it someday. Bobby is up there with like half the characters in Assassins as my dream role, and Joanne falls somewhere in the Max Bialystock-Pseudolous range of "she'd be so fun to play!". Hell, my profile picture is a reference to the posters for Company 2022, which I have mixed feelings on but still enjoy.
Bobby, however...Bobby is one of my favorite characters in theatre, if not my absolute favorite. His story arc captures so many of my emotions and fears perfectly and Being Alive and Marry Me a Little just reach into my heart and tear it out. Listening to them makes me feel like I've been plucked like a chicken (or in that case I guess a man--hey Diogenes, how ya doing?); I feel like my heart has been exposed. The fear of becoming distant from your friends because they all find people who they love in a different way from you, of internal and external pressure from all sides to get married, the idea that you are only a piece and you need "your other half" to become whole, the desire to have someone "marry [you] a little, love [you] just enough" and "want [you] more than others--not exclusively" is something that I think is just as relevant today as it was in 1970 when the show debuted--it hits home for me, anyways.
The issue with Company is that its book is…not the best. The score is among my favorites, but the script and vignettes that make it up never had that same spark for me to the point where I almost feel like it would’ve been better completely sung-though.
As for recordings of the show, while I maintain that Patti LuPone is the best Joanne, nothing beats the upbeat energy of the original 1970 recording for me, even if Raul Esparza is probably the best Bobby—the way he sings “make me confused, mock me with praise!� gives me chills every time. While I like the aesthetic of genderbent Company (again, I had a Company-themed graduation party and my invites were mock-ups of the 2022 revival poster), I do think that it fails as a revival that stresses the genderbent element by not really discussing the difference in stigma around being a 35 year old bachelorette with 3 boyfriends in modern day as opposed to being a 35 year old bachelor with 3 girlfriends (and yes, they smoke weed)(not really, but I couldn’t resist. And also Bobby canonically smokes weed so) in 1970. I hate how there’s less prominent women in a show ostensibly meant to be feminist, I don’t like that they made one of the boyfriends an outright misogynist (I assume it’s supposed to be the Kathy of them since Kathy’s whole thing is that she wants to settle down and be married but like. how do you leapt from that to one of the boyfriends disdainfully calling Bobbie a feminist in You Could Drive a Person Crazy?), I don’t like that they made the only canonical queer couple Jamie and Paul while eliminating the subtext between Bobbie and Joanne (and also since it undercuts the tension of Marry Me a Little—Jamie is gay, of course he’s not going to marry Bobbie, while in the original there’s the vibe that Bobby and Amy could be together, which makes Amy gently turning him down more impactful. Personally I think that they should do a revival examining Bobby from an aromantic perspective since that’s absolutely how I read him (although I read Bobbie as a lesbian) or do a sort of combination of the scripts where Bobby/ie is bisexual and the partners are a mix of genders (personally I want to direct a version that’s all women, I think that could be cool). I just think the genderbend has a lot of missed potential. Although I do love Bobby/ie in any form.
Okay, fine, I don't dislike every Golden Age show, but I much prefer this style of show and music to them. The closest comparisons I can find for Company are that from a music standpoint, it's scored like a non-sung-through Falsettos and from a structure standpoint, like Assassins with a base location where all of the characters start out that then switches to other locations for backstory but ultimately still comes together at the end.
Despite it being one of my most listened to soundtracks, I've never actually seen Company live, though I do want to see it and have seen the proshot with Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby, as well as be in it and direct it someday. Bobby is up there with like half the characters in Assassins as my dream role, and Joanne falls somewhere in the Max Bialystock-Pseudolous range of "she'd be so fun to play!". Hell, my profile picture is a reference to the posters for Company 2022, which I have mixed feelings on but still enjoy.
Bobby, however...Bobby is one of my favorite characters in theatre, if not my absolute favorite. His story arc captures so many of my emotions and fears perfectly and Being Alive and Marry Me a Little just reach into my heart and tear it out. Listening to them makes me feel like I've been plucked like a chicken (or in that case I guess a man--hey Diogenes, how ya doing?); I feel like my heart has been exposed. The fear of becoming distant from your friends because they all find people who they love in a different way from you, of internal and external pressure from all sides to get married, the idea that you are only a piece and you need "your other half" to become whole, the desire to have someone "marry [you] a little, love [you] just enough" and "want [you] more than others--not exclusively" is something that I think is just as relevant today as it was in 1970 when the show debuted--it hits home for me, anyways.
The issue with Company is that its book is…not the best. The score is among my favorites, but the script and vignettes that make it up never had that same spark for me to the point where I almost feel like it would’ve been better completely sung-though.
As for recordings of the show, while I maintain that Patti LuPone is the best Joanne, nothing beats the upbeat energy of the original 1970 recording for me, even if Raul Esparza is probably the best Bobby—the way he sings “make me confused, mock me with praise!� gives me chills every time. While I like the aesthetic of genderbent Company (again, I had a Company-themed graduation party and my invites were mock-ups of the 2022 revival poster), I do think that it fails as a revival that stresses the genderbent element by not really discussing the difference in stigma around being a 35 year old bachelorette with 3 boyfriends in modern day as opposed to being a 35 year old bachelor with 3 girlfriends (and yes, they smoke weed)(not really, but I couldn’t resist. And also Bobby canonically smokes weed so) in 1970. I hate how there’s less prominent women in a show ostensibly meant to be feminist, I don’t like that they made one of the boyfriends an outright misogynist (I assume it’s supposed to be the Kathy of them since Kathy’s whole thing is that she wants to settle down and be married but like. how do you leapt from that to one of the boyfriends disdainfully calling Bobbie a feminist in You Could Drive a Person Crazy?), I don’t like that they made the only canonical queer couple Jamie and Paul while eliminating the subtext between Bobbie and Joanne (and also since it undercuts the tension of Marry Me a Little—Jamie is gay, of course he’s not going to marry Bobbie, while in the original there’s the vibe that Bobby and Amy could be together, which makes Amy gently turning him down more impactful. Personally I think that they should do a revival examining Bobby from an aromantic perspective since that’s absolutely how I read him (although I read Bobbie as a lesbian) or do a sort of combination of the scripts where Bobby/ie is bisexual and the partners are a mix of genders (personally I want to direct a version that’s all women, I think that could be cool). I just think the genderbend has a lot of missed potential. Although I do love Bobby/ie in any form.
February 12, 2020
Reading this while listening to the accompanying music helps me to relive my experience of seeing this incredible show live.
My only criticism is that the stage directions “The priest reappears� and “The priest disappears� downplay how hilarious those moments were.
My only criticism is that the stage directions “The priest reappears� and “The priest disappears� downplay how hilarious those moments were.
March 26, 2019
Another chance to disapprove
Another brilliant zinger
Another reason not to move
Another vodka stinger
Ahh
I'll drink to that
Another brilliant zinger
Another reason not to move
Another vodka stinger
Ahh
I'll drink to that
March 14, 2019
Loved the changes made to make this a modern take on an old classic. Bobbie is now a woman, the wedding is a gay one, and the updates make sense and it's thrilling, but keeps the spirit of the original piece alive. Would LOVE to direct this version!
June 19, 2015
Company is a musical written by George Furth. George Furth is both a playwright and an actor, and has written plays such as Blazing Saddles, Merrily We Roll Along, and Twigs. As for his television work, he wrote for Love, American Style, I Dream of Jeannie, Green Acres, Happy Days, and many other iconic shows. The show takes place in New York, and is centered on a thirty-five year old bachelor named Bobby. Bobby’s purpose in the show is to have a central character who observes the marriages of his friends, as well as to reflect on his own status as a middle-aged single man. The story does not follow a streamline plot. Being a concept musical, it revolves around the themes of relationships, love, and isolation without involving a traditional story sequence. I believe that the title of this piece represents Bobby having his loved ones constantly with him, and because of this, he is never technically alone whether or not he’s single.
This script explores many themes, all of which adults can relate to. It deals with marriage, dating, drugs, homosexuality, divorce, sex, true love, and community. Because of this, I would recommend this piece to adults, but it is certainly a great read for a mature high school audience. I got the chance to see this show performed live a few years ago, but I decided to read the entire script for myself because I enjoyed the content so much. The show is chalked full of humor and wit as well as very heartfelt, down-to-earth moments. Stephen Sondheim’s music only enhances all of the content in Furth’s libretto. This is a script that I don’t have any particular issues with, because you learn something new every time you read this script - I re-read each scene at least twice. This is a fantastic read for anyone interested in a realistic kind of musical script to read. I would rate this script a solid 5 out out 5!
This script explores many themes, all of which adults can relate to. It deals with marriage, dating, drugs, homosexuality, divorce, sex, true love, and community. Because of this, I would recommend this piece to adults, but it is certainly a great read for a mature high school audience. I got the chance to see this show performed live a few years ago, but I decided to read the entire script for myself because I enjoyed the content so much. The show is chalked full of humor and wit as well as very heartfelt, down-to-earth moments. Stephen Sondheim’s music only enhances all of the content in Furth’s libretto. This is a script that I don’t have any particular issues with, because you learn something new every time you read this script - I re-read each scene at least twice. This is a fantastic read for anyone interested in a realistic kind of musical script to read. I would rate this script a solid 5 out out 5!
January 17, 2019
Love the music and lyrics. I think this is an updated edition from 1996?
Some solid humorous moments, and some touching ones, too. Strong characterization in Bobby. Wish some of the other characters were a little more developed, but then, it is Bobby's story.
Some solid humorous moments, and some touching ones, too. Strong characterization in Bobby. Wish some of the other characters were a little more developed, but then, it is Bobby's story.
March 20, 2023
Without a doubt, this is one of the best plays of the 20th century. Tight, excellently paced, hilarious and life-changing, George Furth's and Stephen Sondheim's exploration of marriage and love belongs in history as an experimental masterpiece
July 25, 2023
i forgot how much i love company. company is one of my favorite musicals ever. i love sondheim. company is heartbreaking. the message is heartbreaking. me and company have a love hate relationship. i love company. 5 stars
April 12, 2019
Updated for the 2018 London production starring Rosalie Craig as Bobbie, this script involves minor tweaks to book and lyrics that incorporate both the gender-flip of the protagonist and the modern day setting, e.g. in 'Poor Baby' the line becomes "Nothing much to do except to check her phone".
Includes an all-new introduction by David Benedict and full colour photographs of the London cast.
Includes an all-new introduction by David Benedict and full colour photographs of the London cast.
April 23, 2024
got drunk and read with friends. highly recommend. sondheim’s best musical and if u disagree u can fight me.
August 22, 2018
"Everything's different, / Nothing's changed, / Only maybe slightly / Rearranged." (33)
December 29, 2021
Look, we all knew I’d never rate Company as anything other than 5 stars, even with this revamped version. And I don’t mean “despite,� because I think so many things in this rewrite help the show a lot. I think it’s got better momentum and some clearer connections across the ensemble. I like the flipping of dialogue between David/Jenny and Peter/Susan. I understand that they didn’t want to make huge changes to the book without drawing from previous drafts due to the death of George Furth, but I think if the decision was going to be made to cut a good portion of the second Peter/Susan scene, I think more changes could have been made in the Jamie/Paul scene. Im not sure if with the couple remaining instances of Jamie joking that the wedding could indicate pregnancy and that he’s “the next bride� when he catches the bouquet at the end of the scene that the scenes truly feel written for these new gender identities (which, in the foreword Marianne Elliott is quoted for saying that was her one request—if she was changing the gender identities of these characters, it wasn’t for the bit, it’s to explore how the show could have been written for them in the first place). Again, overall it is still great and absolutely captures the spirit of Company and reworks it in a contemporary lens. I cannot wait to see it one day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2022
I've been trying to check my anti-New York city bias as I try to assess the script of the acclaimed Stephen Sondheim musical comedy "Company," but my other biases are clouding my effort.
I've imagined myself watching "Company" in a theater.
I'm squirming because there are all these married couple who don't like their spouses, wives who make fun of their husbands, husbands who put down their wives in the company of others, offers of cheating on spouses, both heterosexual and homosexual attempts at affairs � you get the picture.
Real life?
Hmm.
The only time I laughed out loud was when the main character, waking up from his hook-up with the stewardess named April, begged "June" to stay.
Didn't laugh when one of the other characters didn't know where Chicago was. My first thought was, yep, this is real life � New York snobbery.
I've imagined myself watching "Company" in a theater.
I'm squirming because there are all these married couple who don't like their spouses, wives who make fun of their husbands, husbands who put down their wives in the company of others, offers of cheating on spouses, both heterosexual and homosexual attempts at affairs � you get the picture.
Real life?
Hmm.
The only time I laughed out loud was when the main character, waking up from his hook-up with the stewardess named April, begged "June" to stay.
Didn't laugh when one of the other characters didn't know where Chicago was. My first thought was, yep, this is real life � New York snobbery.
January 21, 2025
"Company" is an iconic musical. While its score is undeniably phenomenal, the libretto is lacking. The script and vignettes lack the spark and cohesion to make the music powerful.
I realized that reading the script without listening to the accompanying music was a mistake. The songs truly elevate the narrative and breathe life into the characters. If you plan to read "Company," I strongly recommend playing the music alongside it for a fuller and more impactful experience.
The themes explored in "Company"—marriage, dating, sex, drugs, homosexuality, divorce, true love, and community—are universal and deeply relatable. Bobby, the central character, is an iconic figure in musical theatre, embodying a wide range of emotions and fears that resonate profoundly. Songs like "Being Alive" and "Marry Me a Little" are deeply moving and capture the essence of his story arc, evoking emotions in ways that the dialogue does not always achieve.
Overall, this book feels uneven, which prevents it from reaching its full potential. For that reason, I would rate it a solid three stars—good, but not extraordinary without the music to fill in the gaps.
I realized that reading the script without listening to the accompanying music was a mistake. The songs truly elevate the narrative and breathe life into the characters. If you plan to read "Company," I strongly recommend playing the music alongside it for a fuller and more impactful experience.
The themes explored in "Company"—marriage, dating, sex, drugs, homosexuality, divorce, true love, and community—are universal and deeply relatable. Bobby, the central character, is an iconic figure in musical theatre, embodying a wide range of emotions and fears that resonate profoundly. Songs like "Being Alive" and "Marry Me a Little" are deeply moving and capture the essence of his story arc, evoking emotions in ways that the dialogue does not always achieve.
Overall, this book feels uneven, which prevents it from reaching its full potential. For that reason, I would rate it a solid three stars—good, but not extraordinary without the music to fill in the gaps.
September 16, 2019
1) i am obviously rating the 2018 production/staging because the playtext doesn't translate the emotions properly, nor does it include the brilliant transitions between scenes.
2) it's almost been 6 months since this closed and i'm happy to note that i still know all of this by heart and could still hear the actors' intonations when i read their characters' lines.
3) this will say "read once" but hahahahahahahah the actual amount of times i've seen this - you don't even wanna know.
4) larry calling bobbie "pumpkin"!!!
5) anyway i don't know what else to say, so again, this isn't about the playtext - the production had its flaws (strikingly white for something set in nyc - hopefully they fix that for the broadway transfer) but i miss it so and i cannot wait to see it on broadway.
2) it's almost been 6 months since this closed and i'm happy to note that i still know all of this by heart and could still hear the actors' intonations when i read their characters' lines.
3) this will say "read once" but hahahahahahahah the actual amount of times i've seen this - you don't even wanna know.
4) larry calling bobbie "pumpkin"!!!
5) anyway i don't know what else to say, so again, this isn't about the playtext - the production had its flaws (strikingly white for something set in nyc - hopefully they fix that for the broadway transfer) but i miss it so and i cannot wait to see it on broadway.
March 31, 2022
The 2018 version is interesting. It obviously introduces a different story when the lead is a woman, and I didn't mind that, but I did mind some of the other small line changes. Maybe I'm being pedantic. I still loved the play but yeah the music and script just isn't as good (in my opinion) to the Original Cast Recording and playscript. Also one thing that was so minor but did irritate me were just a couple tiny differences between the script in my hands and the words spoken/sung in the recording of this production that's available on Spotify. But again that's me being pedantic. The play itself is wonderful
June 22, 2022
I saw this revival on Broadway a few months ago and I needed to revisit the script because the show hit on so many themes relevant to my current life state. Finding love is such a tricky thing, especially in this current world. This script reminds the reader that finding perfection is impossible but it’s better to love somebody than nobody. (I loved this version and can’t imagine the original production with a male Bobby.)
After reading, I noticed a lot of the humor and joy I experienced watching the production was based on the direction, scene design, and acting. This is still a wonderful script, but it is elevated by the in-person experience.
After reading, I noticed a lot of the humor and joy I experienced watching the production was based on the direction, scene design, and acting. This is still a wonderful script, but it is elevated by the in-person experience.
February 20, 2025
sondheim is the greatest to ever do it. just absolutely astounding.
this show is so special � such an intimate quality to it and still so profound! it is hilarious and heartbreaking all at once. the musical numbers are seamlessly woven throughout the brilliant book by george forth, creating a story that feels so complete despite uncertainty being at the forefront.
bobby is an expertly crafted character and this show feels so honest because of it. hearing being alive in the context of the show was nothing short of magical.
this show is genius and i could go on about it forever. sondheim will never fail!
this show is so special � such an intimate quality to it and still so profound! it is hilarious and heartbreaking all at once. the musical numbers are seamlessly woven throughout the brilliant book by george forth, creating a story that feels so complete despite uncertainty being at the forefront.
bobby is an expertly crafted character and this show feels so honest because of it. hearing being alive in the context of the show was nothing short of magical.
this show is genius and i could go on about it forever. sondheim will never fail!
October 11, 2019
This book was really helpful because believe it or not, there are a lot of dialogue happening in this show! With this book, I was able to understand what the characters were saying and the lyrics of what they were singing. This book is extremely recommended for those who: 1.) Watched the show but didn't understand the dialogue/lyrics fully; 2.) Watched the show and wanted to remember what the characters said; and 3.) Didn't watch the show but wants to know more about this musical/curious what the musical is all about.
January 15, 2024
Absolutely incredible. I saw this one and just could NOT resist picking it up. I then proceeded to read it in about an hour right outside the store I bought it. I then read it once again right after while listening to the soundtrack (highly recommend) for the full immersive experience.
Funny and heartfelt; my absolute (2nd) favourite Sondheim work. Absolutely in my top 5 musicals EVER and deservedly so. Recommend the read for sure!!
Funny and heartfelt; my absolute (2nd) favourite Sondheim work. Absolutely in my top 5 musicals EVER and deservedly so. Recommend the read for sure!!
July 10, 2024
4.5/5
This might be my first review ever!
Also, Sondheim was an eph, and it shows. Really cool play.
I like the way “Company� grapples with loneliness. It’s never clear which one is stronger, Robert’s desire to love and be cared for, or his fear of the very same thing. Reading/watching this play is all the more heart wrenching if you know even a little bit about Sondheim’s life. Recommended to anyone who likes musical theatre!
This might be my first review ever!
Also, Sondheim was an eph, and it shows. Really cool play.
I like the way “Company� grapples with loneliness. It’s never clear which one is stronger, Robert’s desire to love and be cared for, or his fear of the very same thing. Reading/watching this play is all the more heart wrenching if you know even a little bit about Sondheim’s life. Recommended to anyone who likes musical theatre!
February 23, 2022
I went to see this last week performed at my uni and I just really wanted to read it and honestly this was such a good time. Listening alongside the music was just such a fun experience. I hadn't even heard of this musical before I went to see it but it feels like it's going to become a firm favourite of mine.
January 10, 2020
Am I a 35-year-old trapped in the body of a 20-something? Saw this twice in the West End last year and have never connected with a musical (or character) as much as this one. I flipping love this revival.
April 3, 2021
I've always loved this show and was curious to read it (see it when theaters open again) to see how it was revamped. I LOVE it! I was supposed to see it last summer, but Broadway was shut down. I hope this one comes back and with Patti Lupone and Katrina Lenk. Enjoy!
July 9, 2021
i got this from a used bookshop in occoe. super thrilled to have the libretto for one of my favorite musicals. it’s truly brilliant and i found myself singing along inside of my head as i was reading. thank you sondheim!
July 5, 2022
I did a 28 page comparative study between the original text of this book against the 2018 gender swapped adaptation of Company, which is available on my blog.
July 6, 2019
This show will always have a special place in my heart because of song I chose for my first audition came from it. I still need to see it performed onstage!
June 8, 2020
Hmmmm, this probably deserves multiple readings, but my first impression is that it's not the most fun show. (I've never seen it live.)
July 21, 2020
Critical Score: 4.5
Personal Score: 4.5
Total Score: 9
Personal Score: 4.5
Total Score: 9
October 25, 2020
Really neat, fantastic music, although now I'm even more convinced I need to see it live.
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