(Above: Left to right, Clarae Smith, Chad Lowe, and Cody Mendonca in Actors Cabaret of Eugene’s production of the Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical, Company.)
By Randi Bjornstad
Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Company, premiered originally in 1970 and in 1971 was nominated for a whopping 14 Tony Awards, winning six.
A half-century later, the Broadway revival of Company — it opened in 2020 before getting shut down by the pandemic and reopened in November 2021 — was nominated this year for nine Tonys and won five: Best Revival of a Musical; Featured Actress in a Musical (Patti LuPone); Featured Actor in a Musical (Matt Doyle); Scenic Design in a Musical (Bunny Christie); and Best Direction of a Musical (Marianne Elliott).
Those both are obviously tough acts to follow, but Actors Cabaret of Eugene, now in its 43rd season and never afraid of a challenge, is doing its own version of Company, which was considered in the 1970s as revolutionary in the way it examined modern life in a big city, with music and lyrics by Sondheim and story (aka book) by George Furth.
Company focuses on the everyday things in life — relationships, friends, happiness, unhappiness, successes, disappointments — by centering on a character named Robert (or Bobby), who is single and under pressure from friends to do something about it but who isn’t sure it’s something he really wants for his life.
Company is what’s called a “concept play,” meaning that it doesn’t follow a linear plot line but instead consists of several short episodes linked together by a character — in this case Robert, played by Cody Mendonca — and an event, in this case his 35th birthday.
Mendonca is joined in the cast, alphabetically, by Jim Arscott, Matt Arscott, Gene Chin, Sabrina Gross, Jessica Jaszewski, Erica Jean, Lily La Chapelle, Chad Lowe, India Potter, Donovan Seitzinger, Sarah Renee Smaw, Clarae Smith, and Ashlee Winkler.
Michael P. Watkins directs, with Joe Zingo in charge of costumes, sets, and lighting.
Company at Actors Cabaret of Eugene
When: 7:30 p.m. on July 1, 2, 8 and 9; and 2 p.m. on July 3
Where: 996 Willamette St., Eugene
Details: Soup, chips and salsa, dessert, and beverages available for purchase at evening shows (arrive a bit early to order); beverages only available at matinee
Tickets: $25 per person, available by telephone from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, at 541-683-4368, or at the door; doors open an hour before showtime
Covid protocol: Entry only with proof of full covid vaccination and photo ID; masks required at all times except when actively eating or sipping
