Sondheim¹s Landmark Musical Company Asks Why Marriage?" Broadway's Hugh Panaro
Leads All-Star Cast
Performances: October 17 November 5, 2006
Opening/Press Night: October 19, 2006 8:00 p.m.
Spotlight Night: September 25, 2006 7:00 p.m.
SEATTLE Following on the heels of The 5th Avenue¹s acclaimed 2005 production
of SWEENEY TODD, Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong will next direct
Stephen Sondheim's landmark musical comedy COMPANY. This hip, sexy show about
marriage was a Broadway first "concept musical." The story is told through
vignettes rather than a linear plot and COMPANY's premiere marked the end of the
traditional "book musical." It ushered in the modern musical era, which included
early blockbusters like A CHORUS LINE, and COMPANY was awarded six Tonys in
1971, including Best Musical, for its innovative approach. Thirty-six years
after the Broadway premiere, at a time when society is still passing laws and
re-defining what marriage means, COMPANY remains as relevant and razor-sharp as
ever.
COMPANY is a hilarious and affecting portrayal of five married couples as seen
through the eyes of perpetual bachelor Robert. It features a brilliant,
energetic, quintessentially Sondheim score, including the celebrated songs "Side
By Side By Side," "Ladies Who Lunch" and "Another Hundred People." Broadway's
Hugh Panaro (Lestat, Les Misérables, Martin Guerre) will star as Robert, who
celebrates his 35th birthday with a collection of his single, married and
soon-to-be-divorced friends. Together, the talented cast of 14 Broadway and
Seattle all-stars will examine the difficult questions surrounding love,
commitment and marriage.
In 1970 COMPANY audiences sat in rapt attention. Critics were jubilant and long
lines formed outside the theater (Look Magazine 9/8/70). Among the original
Broadway cast members were Elaine Stritch, (Elaine Stritch: At Liberty) Beth
Howland (Vera from TV's Alice), Barbara Barrie (Film: Private Benjamin, Breaking
Away; TV's Barney Miller, Suddenly Susan) and Dean Jones (Film: The Shaggy D.A.,
That Darn Cat and Herbie the Love Bug).
Today, David Armstrong has cast some of Seattle and Broadway's finest stars to
revive the show for The 5th Avenue stage. The couples include: Sarah (Bobbi
Kotula) and her alcoholic husband Harry (David Quicksall), Paul (Daniel C.
Levine B¹way The Rocky Horror Show, Chicago) and his bride-to-be Amy (Kendra
Kassebaum B¹way Rent, Nat'l Tour Wicked), Peter (Timothy McCuen Piggee) and his
southern belle wife Susan (Susannah Mars), Jenny (Anne Allgood B'way Sound of
Music) and her husband David (David Drummond), and finally Larry (Laurence
Ballard) and his long-time wife Joanne (Shelly Burch B'way Nine). Robert's three
single friends are kooky Marta (Lisa Estridge), the flight attendant April
(Billie Wildrick), and the soon-to-be-married-to-someone-else Kathy (Anna Lauris).
Theater-lovers can learn more about COMPANY before it opens when The 5th Avenue
Theatre and U.S. Bank present SPOTLIGHT NIGHT on Monday, September 25 from 7 -
8:30 p.m at The 5th Avenue. This free event is open to the public.
Director David Armstrong will speak about one of his favorite subjects, Stephen
Sondheim, and much of the cast will be on hand to perform songs from the
extensive Sondheim canon. Visit www.5thavenue.org/spotlight
The creative team includes: Music Director Ian Eisendrath, Lighting Designer Tom
Sturge, Costume Designer Lynda L. Salsbury, Sound Designer Andrew Horka and
Production Stage Manager Anne Kearson.
David Armstrong (Director) is the Producing Artistic Director of The 5th Avenue
Theatre. Throughout his career he has had the privilege of directing and/or
choreographing several shows from the Sondheim canon: Sweeney Todd (three times)
A Little Night Music (twice) and Company (this will be his third production).
For The 5th Avenue stage he has directed acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd,
Hair, A Little Night Music, The Secret Garden, The Rocky Horror Show, Pippin,
Yankee Doodle Dandy! and Anything Goes. He also directed the Off-Broadway
musicals Tallulah and The Wonder Years, which he co-authored and which also
enjoyed a long-running Los Angeles production that received seven Drama-Logue
Awards including Best Musical and Best Director. His work has been seen at many
leading regional theaters including The Kennedy Center, The Ordway Center,
Cincinnati Playhouse, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, St. Louis Rep, Sacramento
Music Circus, Ford's Theater and Paper Mill Playhouse. As a playwright, Mr.
Armstrong created the book for The 5th's world premiere musical Yankee Doodle
Dandy, and was commissioned by Theatreworks/USA to create the books for two
musicals Gold Rush! which premiered at New York's Kaye Playhouse and has been
touring for eight years‹and a new version of A Christmas Carol that has toured
for nine seasons and played Off-Broadway at New York's Lucille Lortel Theatre
this past December. The Cole Porter revue, Hot N' Cole, which he devised and
directed, has been produced by dozens of theaters (including The Actor's Theatre
of Louisville) and was published by Samuel French, Inc. Mr. Armstrong is a
member of the Board of Trustees of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.
Stephen Sondheim (Music & Lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for Passion (1994),
Assassins (1991), Into the Woods (1987), Sunday in the Park With George (1984),
Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sweeney Todd (1979), Pacific Overtures (1976), The
Frogs (1974), A Little Night Music (1973), Follies (1971; revised in London in
1987, Broadway revival in 2001), Company (1970), Anyone Can Whistle (1964) and A
Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), as well as the lyrics for
West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) and additional
lyrics for Candide (1973). Side by Side by Sondheim (1976), Marry Me a Little
(1981), You¹re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983) and Putting It Together (1993/99) are
anthologies of his work. He composed the film scores of Stavisky's (1974) and
Reds (1981) and songs for Dick Tracy (Academy Award, 1990). He also wrote songs
for the television production Evening Primrose (1966), co-authored with Anthony
Perkins the film The Last Days of Sheila (1973), and with George Furth, the play
Getting Away With Murder (1996). He won Tony Awards for Best Score for a Musical
for Passion, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Follies and
Company. All of these shows won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, as did
Pacific Overtures and Sunday in the Park With George, the latter also receiving
the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Saturday Night (1954), his first professional
musical, finally had its New York premiere in 1999 at Second Stage Theatre.
Tickets to COMPANY are priced from $20 to $73. Tickets are available over the
phone by calling (206) 625-1900 / toll-free (888) 5TH-4TIX, online at
5thavenue.org or in person at the box office in downtown Seattle. There is no
service charge when purchasing tickets in person at The 5th Avenue Theatre Box
Office.
The 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle's premier musical theater. In 1980, the
non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre began producing and presenting top-quality live
musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the Northwest community.
The 5th Avenue Theatre maintains a subscription audience of 23,000 and an annual
attendance of more than 200,000. It ranks among the nation's largest and most
respected musical theater companies. The theater is committed to encouraging the
next generation of theatergoers through its Educational Outreach Program which
includes: The Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, The 5th Avenue High
School Musical Theatre Awards, the Student Matinee Program and Spotlight Nights.
Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, the exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a
venue for vaudeville and film.
Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Marilynn Sheldon and Producing
Artistic Director David Armstrong, The 5th Avenue Theatre continues to achieve
the highest standards in all aspects of artistic endeavors and facility
operations, while preserving its artistic, architectural and historic legacy.
Visit www.5thavenue.org.
COMPANY SHOWTIMES
Tuesday Evening 7:30 pm
Wednesday Evening 7:30 pm
Thursday Evening 8:00 pm
Friday Evening 8:00 pm
Saturday Matinee 2:00 pm
Saturday Evening 8:00 pm
Sunday Matinee 1:30 pm
Sunday Evening 7:00 pm
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