"Company" is a show about relationships, said Gregory DeCandia, artistic director of DreamWrights Center for Community Arts. Written by Stephen Sondheim, it is set in 1970s New York City.
"Bobby is the lead character, and he's turning 35," DeCandia said. "All of his friends are married, and they are either giving him (a hard time) or giving him applause for being 35 and unmarried."
"Company" will be performed at DreamWrights at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 20 and 21, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22. It features a cast of 14 and a 14-piece orchestra.
"There are songs that are going to make you belly laugh, songs that are going to make you cry," DeCandia noted. "Relationships aren't all jokes and happiness all the time, and they are not an all-depressing existence, either. The show is really a true depiction of relationships. Sondheim finds the humanity of the story and the characters. I like to call him 'the Shakespeare of musical theater.'"
Performances will be enhanced by a special event at the theater, DeCandia said, including happy hour before each performance, with '70s music and local mixologists serving signature cocktails based on the characters. "Not only will we have records playing and drinks being stirred, but we'll have Cherie and Michael Brothers, two local artists who are a married couple, who will be showing their work," DeCandia remarked, noting that Cherie specializes in stained glass and Michael is a watercolor artist. "It will be really interesting to have an art show from a couple before a performance of a show that's about couples and relationships."
Despite being written more than 50 years ago, "Company" is still relevant today, DeCandia noted. "The lyrics and what's being said about relationships is timeless," he explained. "We wanted to lean into the nostalgia of the 1970s to remember a different time. We wanted to look back 50 years later to see, what were people saying about marriage then? What is the same now? What is different now? You'll find not much has changed."
He said the show will appeal to a everyone because of its universal themes. "It could also be a really fun date night to come with your parents or people from a different generation who maybe lived through the time period of the show, and then you can watch the show and swap notes about it afterwards," he stated.
DreamWrights is located at 100 Carlisle Ave., York. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit https://dreamwrights.org.
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