Witty, engaging, comedic and dark are just a few words that can be used to describe Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical “Company.”
Theatre Tuscaloosa’s production of “Company” will take place at the Bean-Brown Theatre on Shelton State’s campus March 31 through April 9. The show is directed by Theatre Tuscaloosa Artistic Director Emeritus Paul K. Looney.
“Stephen Sondheim’s shows are musical theater on steroids,” said Bridget Winder, an actress in the production.
Winder plays the character April. She’s a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, naive character who is very happy to be alive, Winder said.
This musical is about a bachelor named Bobby who has two groups of friends: married couples and single girls. Through comedic interactions, the married couples explain the pros and cons of marriage, which causes Bobby to contemplate the idea of matrimony.
“It’s fun, it’s funny and kind of dark,” Winder said.
Looney has directed 72 productions and “Company” will be his last.
“I heard ‘Company’ was his last show he would ever direct, and I just wanted to come be a part of it,” Winder said. “It’s a big show of people who have worked with Paul and love and admire him.”
Winder, an artist from Los Angeles, worked with Looney for her first time in 2012 in Theatre Tuscaloosa’s production of “Gypsy.” She traveled from L.A. to Tuscaloosa to be in Looney’s last production.
“I just love watching him paint the cast and paint the show into existence as if it is his canvas,” Winder said.
Another cast member who has been impacted by Looney is Kathy Wilson, who plays Jenny in the production. Wilson has worked with Looney for over 35 years, and she was a cast member in the 1982 and 1994 productions of “Company.”
“[Looney] has instilled a deep and lasting love of theatre in me, and I will forever be grateful to him for the experiences he’s given me onstage and offstage as part of the theatre family he has created here in Tuscaloosa,” Wilson said.
Performances will take place on Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., on Sundays and Wednesday at 2 p.m., on Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, April 8 at 2 p.m. A dress rehearsal will take place on Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.
The dress rehearsal on Thursday is a pay-what-you-can rehearsal. For performances, tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and military members, and $14 for students. Groups of 10 people or more are eligible for group rates in advance.
For tickets and more information, contact 205-391-2277 or go to www.theatretusc.com.
“Come see it, because I think it is a just good night of musical theatre that a lot of people will relate to, because who can’t relate to a relationship,” Winder said.
