Company (musical)
A concept musical about marriage and dating.
Anthonie Palamedesz. · Public domain
Company is a musical by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and George Furth (book). Its original 1970 production earned a record-setting 14 Tony Award nominations and won six. It was one of the first book musicals to explore modern themes of dating, marriage, and divorce, and it stands out as a concept musical without a straightforward plot. Instead, a series of vignettes follows the single Bobby as he interacts with his married friends, who are throwing a party for his 35th birthday.
The project began when George Furth wrote eleven one-act plays intended for Kim Stanley. Anthony Perkins wanted to direct and passed the material to Sondheim, who then sought Harold Prince’s opinion. Prince suggested the plays could become a musical about marriages in New York, centered on a single character observing those relationships.
In the early 1990s, Furth and Sondheim revised the libretto, cutting and updating dated dialogue and rewriting the end of the first act. The following synopsis reflects that revised version.
Act I opens with Robert, a well-liked single man in New York, whose friends are all married or engaged couples: Joanne and Larry, Peter and Susan, Harry and Sarah, David and Jenny, and Paul and Amy. At a surprise party for his 35th birthday, Robert fails to blow out the candles on his cake. The couples assure him his wish will still come true, but Robert has wished for nothing, saying his friends are all he needs (“Company”).
What follows are disconnected vignettes, not in chronological order, each showing Robert visiting one couple or on a date with a girlfriend. First, Robert visits Sarah, a foodie on a diet, and her husband Harry, a recovering alcoholic. They taunt each other about their vices, escalating into karate-like fighting that may or may not be playful. The cynical, often-divorced Joanne sarcastically remarks to the audience that it’s the little things that make a marriage work (“The Little Things You Do Together”). Harry explains, with the other men agreeing, that most people feel both grateful and regretful about marriage, and that it changes everything and nothing (“Sorry – Grateful”).
Next, Robert is with Peter and Susan on their terrace. Peter is an Ivy League graduate, Susan a Southern belle; they seem perfect but surprise Robert by announcing their upcoming divorce. At the home of uptight Jenny and chic David, Robert shares marijuana with the couple. They grill him on why he hasn’t married. Robert says he’s not against it, but his three current girlfriends—Kathy, Marta, and April—appear and, Andrews Sisters-style, scold him for his reluctance to commit (“You Could Drive a Person Crazy”). Jenny asks for another joint, but David discourages her, later privately telling Robert that Jenny doesn’t actually like marijuana but uses it to show her love.
All of Robert’s male friends envy his freedom, and each has found someone they think is perfect for him (“Have I Got a Girl for You”). Robert, however, is waiting for someone who combines the best traits of all his married female friends (“Someone Is Waiting”).
Robert meets his three girlfriends separately in a small park. Marta sings of New York as crowded, dirty, uncaring, yet wonderful (“Another Hundred People”). Robert first gets to know April, a slow-witted flight attendant. Then he spends time with Kathy, an old flame; both admit they once secretly considered marrying each other. They laugh, but Robert suddenly takes the idea seriously. Kathy reveals she is leaving for Cape Cod with a new fiancé. Finally, Robert meets Marta, who loves New York and babbles about highbrow and lowbrow topics, leaving him stunned.
The scene shifts to the wedding day of Amy and Paul, who have lived together for years but are just now marrying. Amy has severe cold feet. As the upbeat Paul harmonizes, a panicking Amy breaks the fourth wall and confesses to the audience that she can’t go through with it (“Getting Married Today”). Robert, the best man, and Paul watch as Amy complains and self-destructs over petty things, finally calling off the wedding. Paul storms out into the rain. Robert tries to comfort Amy but emotionally offers an impromptu proposal himself. This jolts Amy back to reality; she runs after Paul, ready to marry him. Before she leaves, Robert tosses her the bouquet, and she catches it, joyfully shouting, “I’m the next bride!”
The setting returns to the birthday party. Robert gets his cake and tries again to blow out the candles, this time making a wish (“Marry Me a Little”).
Act II resets the birthday party. Robert blows out about half the candles, and the couples help with the rest. They share their views on Robert—both complimentary and unflattering—as he reflects on being the third wheel (“Side by Side by Side”), followed by an upbeat tribute to his role as the perfect friend (“What Would We Do Without You?”). During a dance break, each man does a step answered by his wife; Robert does a step but has no partner to answer it.
Robert brings April to his apartment for a nightcap after a date.
- field
- Musical theatre
- known_for
- Concept musical about marriage and dating
- Tony Awards
- Nominated for 14, won 6
Quick Facts
- Music
- Stephen Sondheim
- Book
- George Furth
- Premiere Date
- 1970-03-24
- Premiere Location
- Shubert Theatre, Boston
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Company originated from eleven one-act plays written by George Furth, initially intended for Kim Stanley. Anthony Perkins was interested in directing and gave the material to Stephen Sondheim, who asked Harold Prince for his opinion. Prince suggested the plays could become a musical about New York marriages, with a central character to examine those marriages. The musical follows bachelor Bobby interacting with his married friends, who throw a party for his 35th birthday. In a series of disconnected vignettes with no chronological order, Bobby visits various couples and dates three women. The show explores themes of commitment, marriage, and single life through its non-linear structure. In the early 1990s, Furth and Sondheim revised the libretto, cutting and altering dialogue that had become dated and rewriting the end of act one. The synopsis in the source article is based on this revised libretto.
Reader's Guide
Company holds significance as one of the first book musicals to address contemporary dating, marriage, and divorce, and as a notable example of a concept musical lacking a linear plot. Its structure uses vignettes rather than a traditional story, allowing exploration of relationships through Bobby's interactions with his married friends and girlfriends. The revision in the early 1990s updated dated dialogue and altered the end of act one, reflecting the show's adaptability. Company's legacy includes its influence on musical theatre form and its candid treatment of adult relationships, making it a landmark work in the genre.
Did You Know?
- Company was among the first book musicals to deal with contemporary dating, marriage, and divorce.
- The musical is a notable example of a concept musical lacking a linear plot.
- In the early 1990s, Furth and Sondheim revised the libretto, cutting and altering dialogue that had become dated.
Origins and Creative Genesis
Company emerged from an unusual chain of creative handoffs. Playwright George Furth had penned eleven one-act plays originally intended for actress Kim Stanley. Director Anthony Perkins, who had expressed interest in staging the material, passed the scripts along to composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim, in turn, sought the opinion of legendary theater producer Harold Prince, who saw in the collection a potential foundation for a musical centered on New York marriages, anchored by a single character who would observe and examine those relationships. That suggestion crystallized into the show as audiences came to know it.
Structure as Concept Musical
Rather than following a traditional narrative arc, Company is widely recognized as a landmark concept musical built around a series of disconnected vignettes presented in no chronological order. The framing device is deceptively simple: a group of married and engaged couples in New York City gather to throw a surprise 35th birthday party for their well-liked single friend, Bobby. From that party, the show radiates outward into intimate snapshots of each couple's domestic life and Bobby's own encounters with the women in his orbit. This structure allowed Sondheim and Furth to explore the textures of contemporary dating, marriage, and divorce with a freedom that linear storytelling would have constrained. The result was one of the earliest book musicals to treat these subjects with such directness and emotional complexity, inviting the audience to participate in a living examination of adult relationships rather than simply follow a plot.
Characters and Emotional Landscape
At the center of Company stands Robert, a charming bachelor surrounded by five married or engaged couples: Joanne and Larry, Peter and Susan, Harry and Sarah, David and Jenny, and Paul and Amy. Each pairing presents a different facet of domestic life, from Sarah and Harry's volatile taunting over their respective vices to Peter and Susan's seemingly perfect union that conceals an impending divorce. Robert's own romantic life is equally complicated, as he juggles three girlfriends—Kathy, Marta, and April—each with distinct personalities and temperaments. The emotional climax arrives at Amy and Paul's wedding, where Amy's panic and self-destructive behavior force Robert to make an impromptu, ill-advised proposal. The scene's resolution, with Amy catching the tossed bouquet and joyfully declaring herself the next bride, captures the show's bittersweet understanding that commitment is both terrifying and inevitable.
Legacy, Recognition, and Revision
It was nominated for a then-record fourteen Tony Awards, ultimately winning six, a testament to the breadth of excellence across its creative team. Beyond the awards, the show's lasting impact lies in its willingness to stage the messy realities of adult relationships—divorce, jealousy, cold feet, and the quiet envy of the unmarried—on a stage that had traditionally favored more conventional romantic narratives. The work has also proven durable over time: in the early 1990s, Furth and Sondheim returned to the libretto, trimming dialogue that had grown stale and reworking the conclusion of Act One to keep the show resonant for new audiences. This act of revision speaks to the creators' enduring commitment to the material's relevance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Company (musical)?
Stephen Sondheim composed the music and wrote the lyrics, while George Furth crafted the book. It is a collaboration between two of the most distinctive voices in American musical theatre.
What makes Company (musical) different from a typical book musical?
It is structured as a concept musical rather than following a straightforward linear plot. Instead of one protagonist's arc, the show rotates perspectives among a group of friends and a recently married couple, exploring themes from multiple angles.
What is Company (musical) actually about?
The show examines the messy realities of contemporary dating, marriage, and divorce through the eyes of a newlywed couple and their circle of friends. Each character's song offers a different, often contradictory, take on commitment and love.
How did Company (musical) do at the Tony Awards?
The production received 14 Tony nominations and took home 6 awards. It was recognized across both performance and technical categories, reflecting the show's broad impact on the stage.
Why is Company (musical) considered important in musical theatre history?
It was among the first major book musicals to treat modern relationships—dating, marriage, divorce—as its central subject matter rather than a backdrop. Its fragmented, non-linear structure also helped legitimize the concept-musical form for subsequent creators.
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