Stephen Sondheim's 'Company' returns to Toronto with an uneven staging, despite bits of brilliance

You can experience tantalizing samples of this brilliance in Toronto’s latest revival of “Company,” Sondheim and George Furth’s genre-breaking musical study of companionship and the institution of marriage. In group numbers like “Side by Side by Side” and the show’s title song, featuring the collective voices of this Canadian ensemble, accompanied by music director Stephan Ermel on piano and Sarah Fraser Raff on violin (alternating with Aaron Schwebel at certain performances), the result is simply divine, and as close as one can get to musical theatre heaven. 

But what may sound good in theory doesn’t always translate in reality. Such is the case with Talk is Free Theatre’s production, now running at the Theatre Centre. Despite several inspired flourishes in Dylan Trowbridge’s pared-down, mic-free staging, this revival more often feels like a workshop presentation of “Company” rather than a cogent and fully realized production of it.

The issue of sound is just one symptom of this revival’s misguided vision. In the musical’s many solos, duets and trios, some of the performers strain their voices in order to be heard. They’re fighting not only the volume of the instrumental accompaniment, but also Rohan Dhupar’s overly busy and loud choreography, along with a cavernous, echoey space whose acoustics resemble that of an empty warehouse. 

As Bobby, the 35-year-old bachelor who contemplates the idea of marriage through the eyes of his wedded friends, Aidan deSalaiz struggles the most, especially in numbers like “Marry Me a Little” and the 11 o’clock solo “Being Alive.”

DeSalaiz, a Stratford Festival stalwart who was excellent as the Baker in Talk is Free’s production of “Into the Woods,” is one of those Sondheim performers who is an actor first and foremost. In the pantheon of Bobbys who’ve come before, deSalaiz’s voice more closely recalls that of Neil Patrick Harris, rather than the booming baritone of Raúl Esparza. 

This isn’t an issue per se. (Sondheim, in fact, famously preferred actor-singers over singer-actors.) But deSalaiz’s dramatic performance in this role does little to make up for what’s left wanting in the vocal department. His Bobby is uncharismatic, cold and constantly wearing a blank expression on his face. 

To be fair, this portrayal is probably most honest to who Bobby would be if he were a real person. After all, he’s described by his friends as someone who “always looks like he’s keeping score,” “always outside looking in the window, while everyone (is) inside dancing at the party.” 

He’s not only a middle-aged man in the midst of a mid-life crisis. He’s a perpetual outsider looking to be loved (but not too much), a free floater seeking connection (but not wanting to be held too close). In short, Bobby is a bit of a drag. 

But therein lies the problem with this central character: As crafted by Sondheim and Furth, Bobby makes for a less compelling protagonist. And for any actor in the role to succeed, he must possess a level of charisma that may not be completely truthful to the character, but allows the audience to root for him. 

It’s this charisma that renders Bobby the linchpin of “Company,” connecting the show’s disparate vignettes. But deSalaiz’s Bobby possesses none of it, leaving him constantly swept to the periphery of Trowbridge’s production. 

The supporting performances are something of a mixed bag, as well. As Bobby’s acerbic older friend Joanne, who picks up husbands like a rich woman on a shopping spree along Fifth Avenue, Gabi Epstein hisses out her consonants with an air of derision.

But her interpretation of the iconic solo “The Ladies Who Lunch,” a scorching admonishment of the materialistic lifestyles of wealthy women, feels off. Epstein performs it as if she were singing “Rose’s Turn” from “Gypsy,” with her Joanne descending into a complete mental breakdown by the conclusion of the number.

But this betrays the intent of the song. Joanne should be completely self-aware throughout — because she’s not only criticizing the lives of other rich women, but also herself. In Epstein’s overacted performance, this all gets lost. 

Sierra Holder has a sweet, pleasant voice as Marta, one of Bobby’s ex-girlfriends. Unfortunately, her performance never quite captures the sense of urgency and existential dread in her solo, “Another Hundred People.” But neither is she really aided by Trowbridge’s unnecessary busy blocking, which has Holder hopping across the stage, and up and into the aisles. 

Elsewhere, however, there are strong performances to relish. Sydney Cochrane is a knockout as Amy, who gets cold feet on her wedding day and sings the wickedly difficult patter song “(Not) Getting Married Today.” Opposite her, Noah Beemer is warm and sympathetic as Amy’s soon-be-husband, Paul. 

As the squabbling couple Sarah and Harry, respectively, Krystin Pellerin and Shane Carty get to flex their mighty comedic chops. Also excellent are Richard Lam and Kirstyn Russelle as David and Jenny, who get stoned and proceed to grill Bobby on his relationships. 

But these performances are largely overshadowed by Trowbridge’s uneven staging. Jeff Pybus’s slushy lighting designs rarely do enough to frame the action, while Varvara Evchuk’s costumes and sets, featuring a raised platform at the back of the stage, lightly suggest a 1970s setting, but never fully commits to a specific time period.  

Trowbridge’s most perplexing directorial choice, however, is one that comes in the second act. In some previous productions of “Company,” there’s a scene between Bobby and his friend Peter (Jeff Irving), in which Bobby shares that he’s had homosexual experiences with other men, but isn’t gay. It’s a moment in the show that clarifies that Bobby’s insecurities and relationship issues aren’t because he is gay. 

For some reason, this exchange is not included in the licensed version of the musical that Talk is Free Theatre has staged. Trowbridge, however, manufactures a new scene, without dialogue, between Bobby and Peter, meant to replace that excised exchange. But it feels completely misplaced in the show, and only further muddles the proceedings.

“Company” is staged so infrequently these days, particularly in Canada, that I’m sure Sondheim fans will still relish the opportunity to see this production. I, for one, am glad that I did — if anything, to hear Sondheim’s score brought to life once again.

But Trowbridge’s thoroughly middling staging never truly hits the mark. And the feelings it evokes, particularly in this Sondheim fan, couldn’t be better summed up than from this line from the show itself: “You’re sorry-grateful / regretful-happy.”