Phone rings, door chimes, in comes a national tour! Marianne Elliott's Tony- and Olivier-winning gender-swapped revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company is officially hitting the road. The North American tour is launching in October. Casting is to be announced.
But now we know some of where the production is headed: Detroit's Fisher Theatre, for a run October 17-29; Denver's Buell Theatre, running May 22-June 2, 2024; and Seattle's Paramount Theatre, running July 23-28, 2024. More stops on the tour's more-than-25-city itinerary will be announced in the coming weeks.
"The extraordinary response to this musical masterpiece, both in London and on Broadway, was exhilarating," says Chris Harper, who will continue to pay salaries for all involved with the production on the road. "We are delighted that audiences across North America will finally have the opportunity to experience Marianne Elliott’s Tony Award winning, joyful and laughter-filled production."
With Elliott at the helm, this production of Company reimagines the 1970 musical to newly center around a female protagonist: Bobbie. Unmarried and 35, Bobbie visits her large group of married friends, most of whom are very concerned with why Bobbie hasn't yet settled down. The Sondheim score includes such favorites as "Sorry-Grateful," "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," "Getting Married Today," "Barcelona," and "Being Alive."
Following a 2018 run in London's West End, the production transferred to Broadway just before COVID-19 shut down all of Broadway. More than a year later, the revival finally resumed performances, ultimately opening December 9, 2021—read reviews here. For Sondheim, who died November 26, 2021 during previews, the revival was the final Broadway production of his that he saw before his passing. The revival ran on Broadway for 268 performances and 32 previews, closing July 31, 2022.
The production received 2022 Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Patti LuPone), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Matt Doyle), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Bunny Christie), and Best Director of a Musical for Elliott. Elliott's win was her third Tony Award for directing, making her the most-honored female director in Broadway history. Along with winning three Olivier Awards for the West End run including Best Musical Revival, the production also received four Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the GLAAD Media Award.
Elliott's creative team includes choreographer Liam Steel; musical supervisor Joel Fram (who also supplies additional vocal arrangements); set and costume designer Bunny Christie; lighting designer Neil Austin; sound designer Ian Dickinson; orchestrator David Cullen; dance arranger Sam Davis; illusion designer Chris Fisher; and hair, wig, and makeup designer Campbell Young Associates. The production is cast by Tara Rubin.
Elliott & Harper Productions, Work Light Productions and Catherine Schreiber are producing the tour.
