Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...But “Company” is, at the end of the night, the story of Bobby's own journey from defiant isolation to his recognition of our need, as a species, to have someone who'll sit in our chair, hold us too deep, ruin our sleep and all the rest of it. And you can't track that voyage in Sprunger's overly inscrutable performance."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...With this galvanic production as the opener of its 22nd season -- and with two national touring shows ("Letters Home," about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a children's show) -- there can be no doubt that Griffin's five-year quest for a permanent home of its own should get the full support of the powers that be in this city in November. As one of Sondheim's ladies might say: "I'll drink to that!""
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...With help from Lee Keenan's noir-esque lighting, director Jonathan Berry emphasizes the sense of urban alienation at the core of Furth's brittle script centered on Robert, a 35-year-old bachelor drawn into his married friends' troubled relationships. Led by Benjamin Sprunger as Robert, the cast bring insight to their characters' conflicting desires for independence and commitment. Sondheim's complex vocals generally come over well, although Allison Kane's band lacks the subtle dynamics the score demands."
Windy City Times
- Recommended
"...Dana Tretta stops the show with the fevered "Another Hundred People," as does Darci Nalepa on the tongue-twisting "Getting Married Today" ( despite the audial distortion engendered by the exposed-brick walls in Stage 773's north room ) , while Samantha Dubina nails the timing perfectly in the anecdote leading up to the wistful "Barcelona." Erin Kilmurray's dance and Ryan Borque's martial-arts choreography lend visual dazzle to what is essentially a collection of soliloquies, while Benjamin Sprunger as the ambivalent Bobby and a mostly youthful, but uniformly attractive, ensemble overcome the quaint sentimentality of their material with a conviction capable of coaxing heaps of weeps from all but the most stubborn loners."
Copley News Service
- Recommended
"... The Griffin Theatre gives “Company” a good effort, with some lofty peaks. But the acting and singing are uneven, understandable with the Griffin’s understandably limited resources. The production also has to deal with a less than ideal performance space. But for audiences who, like me, consider “Company” Sondheim’s most pleasurable musical, there are still plentiful rewards."
Talkin Broadway
- Recommended
"...The music direction by Allison Kane (a different person from the Allison Cain who plays Joanne) provides strong singing from the company, with the exception of one chord, repeated three times in the show where the full company sings "Bobby" and somebody or two is clearly singing a wrong note. Also, those who know the score from recordings will miss the sound of a fuller orchestra. The trumpet parts are sorely missed. The miking sounded tinny in the first act, but this seemed to be resolved by the second act."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...
Yet Sondheim and Furth tapped into some truths about the detachment of urban life that have yet to be proven non-universal, and Berry and his outstanding ensemble find some new comic notes in the alternately cynical and hopeful material. Berry’s three-quarter-round staging, with set designer Jessica Kuehnau providing a bi-level backdrop, makes remarkably efficient use of 14 actors on a small stage, and the group numbers all sound fantastic."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...This tough to mount show is a rare gem that needs to be seen as it contains a multilevel assortment of comments on marriage verses being single, commitment, freedom, and being alone. Musically and lyrically, Sondheim’s tunes are challenging yet this cast easily sang them. You’d be hard pressed to find a finer production of Company. Kudos to Jonathan Berry and Griffin Theatre Company for selecting this landmark musical."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Recommended
"...Berry's direction forges very little new ground here, a cell phone being the single notable bridge from the 1970's of the original time period to our own. His pacing often lags though, and some more imaginative movement could have been employed. Choreographer Erin Kilmurray seems to have stepped in for a cute "Side by Side by Side" and promptly left the building. And while the two-level set is simple and functional, Alison Siple's costume designs are a pretty unflattering lot. Except of course for Sprunger, who can and has looked spectacular wearing nothing but a grin. All in all, this is not a bad "Company" to spend some time with, although at close to three hours it could and should have taken a few more risks, as surely as its creators did forty years ago."
Around The Town Chicago
- Recommended
"...This is a strong production directed by Jonathan Berry on a set designed by Jessica Kuehnau, that was designed to be a multi level, upper class Manhattan apartment as well as other locales. The set is not the glitz and glamour that one would see in a major production, but Griffin Theatre Company does what it can with the budget it must work with, and considering they are only charging $32 for this show, they won’t be able to do the glitz for awhile. But they make up for the lack of glitz with a great deal of talent!"
Chicago Theater Beat
- Recommended
"...Company may seem dated in its view of the Big Apple as a couples’ mecca where anonymity and intimacy constantly vie for dominance. (References to the “generation gap” and phones that lack even an answering machine don’t help this updated production.) But the interpersonal dynamics so cleverly lampooned and confirmed by these songs remain in full force: The show keeps the crowds it earned."
