First-year student Ryan Chiles receives advice from all sides about his love life as Bobby, the lead in “Company.”

Costa, Culpepper and Lawing

On Friday night, Davidson College’s departments of theater and music open Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Company,” their first full-scale collaboration in 20 years. For local theater-goers, it’s a rare opportunity to see a fully-staged Broadway favorite with full orchestra in the Duke Family Performance Hall pit. DavidsonNews.net’s David Boraks spent a few minutes last weekend getting the back story from three people who helped make it happen: director and theater department chair Ann Marie Costa, conductor and music professor Bill Lawing, and musical director and artist associate in voice Jacquelyn Culpepper. Listen and get a preview of some of the music.

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(MP3 format, 4 min. 59 sec.)
Background music by the “Company” cast.
Read on for more about “Company,” and how to get tickets.

The story concerns Bobby, a single man unable to commit to a steady relationship, his three increasingly frustrated girlfriends, and the five married couples who comprise his close group of friends. Through short vignettes linked by the celebration of his 35th birthday, Bobby weighs the pros and cons of his friends’ relationships and wonders if a life-long commitment lies in his future.

WANT TO GO?

General admission tickets are $15, and $11 for seniors. Show times are 8 p.m. on March 27-28, 2 p.m. on March 29, 7:30 p.m. on April 2, and 8 p.m. on April 3-4, all in Duke Family Performance Hall. For ticket information, call 704-894-2135 or visit www.davidson.edu/tickets. “Company” contains adult language and content; recommended for ages 14 and up.

“All three of us see things very differently, which I think is a great strength of this production,” said Lawing. “What catches Jacque’s ear is very different than what I’m aware of, and Ann Marie sees something different still as the director and a theatre person. Our differing visions of the show are very complementary.”