Stephen Sondheim’s 1970s comedic musical “Company” gets a modern upgrade in the Broadway tour production in Boston this month. The show follows a single just-turned-35-year-old who navigates the dating scene while learning about marriage and divorce from a robust friend group. With a newly diversified cast, the production has been brought into 2024 with all the hilarity and exuberance of the original Tony Award-winning show.
The biggest change in the updated “Company” is that the protagonist, previously a white man named Robert, has been replaced with Bobbie, a vibrant Black woman played by Britney Coleman. The cast overall represents a much more diverse friend group than the original production.
Britney Coleman plays the role of Bobbie in the touring production of “Company.” PHOTO: COURTESY BROADWAY IN BOSTON
“There have not been a lot of women of color in Sondheim shows traditionally cast,” says Coleman. “So I’m really excited to be the face of this production.”
At Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, her friends wonder why she’s hasn’t settled down and gotten married and why she’s having trouble finding the right man. While learning about all her friends’ marriages, Bobbie reflects on the wider possibilities of relationships and personal fulfillment.
Gender swaps represent other significant changes in the show. One previously straight couple has now become a gay relationship with two men; in another instance the female and male characters have been reversed, shaking up previously entrenched gender roles. In addition to the casting changes, Coleman says the set and costumes have been updated to place the audience in 2024 as well. Small details reflect the time change, like characters smoking a vape pen versus a joint.
The production features the original music and lyrics by Sondheim and the original book by George Furth. Theatergoers will find the heart of the show completely unchanged; it just looks more like our contemporary society. Coleman says the show was ahead of its time in terms of having a broader perspective on what relationships can look like. That advanced thinking explains why the show adapted so easily to a modern perspective with just a few tweaks.
Coleman has been involved in the musical on and off for years, including performances pre-COVID. But as a new 35-year-old herself, she relates to the content in a new way now.
“Regardless of the time period, people have a lot of opinions on marriage and settling down and commitment,” says Coleman. “There’s still this expectation, especially for a lot of women, to settle down by a certain age. And especially for a woman turning 35, there’s this biological factor.”
Produced by Broadway in Boston, “Company” runs at the Citizens Opera House April 2-14.
Above all, the show is about good humor, friendships and finding your way in the complexity of life. Audience members can revel in the classic songs like “Being Alive” and “The Ladies Who Lunch” and enjoy a hearty laugh at the comedic production.
“I think people get surprised at how funny it is, or how all of these really iconic songs fit together in this kind of unconventional show,” says Coleman. “I think people should expect to be taken on a journey and laugh and cry with us on the way.”
