Webster Conservatory's "Company" The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University By Mark Bretz KDHX 88.1 FM Radio, St. Louis Published on: 10/11/2009 Stephen Sondheim has regaled audiences with his singular brand of musical complexity since he first hit the winner’s circle with the lyrics for West Side Story. After several years of collaboration with numerous artists, he won several Tony Awards in 1970 on his own for his witty musical, Company. In collaboration with George Furth, who wrote the book, Sondheim’s music and lyrics tell the story of Bobby, a bachelor who is feted on his 35th birthday by his friends, five couples who are puzzled that he still hasn’t married. Instead, he divides his time between three strikingly different girlfriends. Company plays out in a series of vignettes over its two acts and is rich in musical sophistication that can delight an audience if handled properly. Such is the case with the Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts’ first presentation of its 2009-10 season. Under the imaginative direction and musical staging of David Caldwell, 14 extremely talented students at the Conservatory shine in numerous ensemble efforts, if not faring so well in individual moments. Galen Crawley As Marta   Sondheim’s music, after all, is quite difficult to master for even the most experienced singer. Caldwell’s production serves as a sobering reminder to his students that they have a way to go before they’re adept at shaping the master’s demanding tunes. Galen Crawley is a notable exception as Marta, Bobby’s free-spirited lover, who brashly conquers the exuberant Sondheim ballad, Another Hundred People, with bravado and considerable charm. Terrific acting abounds in the production. Michael Curtin is both vulnerable and pensive as Robert (or Bobby, or any of a number of other nicknames), as he waffles between what he thinks is love and what he knows is the single nature of his heart. Lindsay Warren and Borris York are delightful as Sarah and Harry, whose battles against food and alcohol, respectively, are undermined by their own competitive natures. Allison Newman and Lincoln Ward play Susan and Peter, a couple happy about their approaching divorce, and each with an unsettling secret or two. Alexis Kinney is riotously funny as Jenny, a Laura Petrie wannabe with her bouncy hairstyle and square nature. Her reaction to smoking marijuana is the comic highlight of the show. Chance Kilgour plays a noble straight man as David, her husband resigned to her staid ways. Maggie Wetzel and John Kinney portray Amy and Paul, an oddly matched pair who show Robert two strikingly different approaches to their upcoming marriage, while Katie Bland and Aaron Strick portray the sarcastic, snobbish Joanne and her devoted third husband Larry. Audrey Rae McHale plays Robert’s flighty girlfriend April, while Katie Hart essays the role of the sensible Kathy, perhaps Robert’s one ‘true love’ who gets away. Company is replete with entertaining numbers such as the humorous You Could Drive a Person Crazy, the poignant paean to marriage, Sorry-Grateful, the frenetic Getting Married Today and the upbeat title tune. All benefit from Kristen Nordstrom’s clever and engaging choreography and the enthusiasm of the dedicated players. Aryna Petrashenko’s costumes capture the look and feel of the Mad Men era of ‘60s New York, complemented by Heather Stanley’s spot-on hair and makeup design. The set by Alex Snodgrass is simple and sleek, hinting of Manhattan sophistication that is matched by Amanda Werre’s sound design. The entire show benefits from the tight musical support of Neil Richardson’s band, comprised of percussionist Adam Kopff, Terry Kippenberger on bass and pianist Richardson. Company continues October 7 through 11 in the Emerson Studio theater at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. For ticket information you may call 314-968-7128. You like Stephen Sondheim? Webster Conservatory challenges it's students students By Tom Finkel The St Louis River Front Times Published on: 10/08/2009 This weekend you can see his less-frequently staged 1970 groundbreaker "Company", which is wraping up a two-week run at the Webster Conservatory. With a book by George Furth that has grown funnier rather than dustier with the passing decades, this meditation on the trials and tribulations of married life marked the beginning of the Stephen Sondheim-Hal Prince collaborations. Prince had previously produced Sondheim shows, but this was the first one he directed. Company marks the start of a glorious decade-long union that would soon lead to Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures and Sweeney Todd, ending with the problematic yet intriguing Merrily We Roll Along. Michael Curtin , as Bobby and Audrey Rae McHale as April   The original Company was staged on an elaborate chrome-and-glass Boris Aronson set that that featured elevators and photo projections. If anything, this simpler staging puts even more emphasis on Sondheim's songs. They don't sound like a composer at the beginning of anything; this is Sondheim at full throttle. And although none of these songs found wide popularity apart from the show, for a Sondheim buff there's not a note here that doesn't ring familiar -- with perhaps the sole exception of the Act One closer, "Marry Me a Little," which was Company's original Act Two closer during the 1970 out-of-town tryout. Eventually it was replaced by the more upbeat "Being Alive." Now, all these decades later, "Marry Me a Little" has found its way back into Company at the end of Act One. The acoustics in the Emerson Studio Theatre are especially conducive to ensemble songs. When this student cast blends together on "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," "Have I Got a Girl for You" and the title song, the effect is electrifying. There's also good solo work here. I was especially touched by the vivacity with which Galen Crawley attacked "Another Hundred People." It takes courage to be so bold in a theater so small.