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When Bo Thorp decided to pull an all-star lineup together for the final show of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s 2007-2008 season, she knew what she was doing. The ensemble cast in "Company" is stellar. The production is a fitting end to a successful season.
"Company," on stage at the CFRT through July, is a sophisticated, witty tale of relationships. The good, the bad and the ugly. The cast tells those tales through a series of vignettes and songs — all from the perspective of Bobby, a single 30-something guy with commitment issues. Don’t we all know a Bobby?{mosimage}
In this instance, Bobby is brought to life by Greg King. King’s portrayal of Bobby was both comical and thought provoking. On the night we saw the play, he was in fine voice, his comedic timing was on the money and his connection with the character and the rest of the cast flowed easily from laughter, to despair to hope without missing a beat.
I have to say it was odd watching a play that didn’t move from one sequence to another. The whole story is told from Bobby’s perspective, all during the few moments before he blows out the candles on his birthday cake. After each vignette, we wind up in his living room waiting for the candles to be blown out. For some the idea might be hard to follow, but just remembers — it’s non-linear. You aren’t going from A to B. Keep that in mind and you won’t get lost.
While there is a chance that Bobby could have come off smug and egotistical, King brought his humanity to lifesize. We saw, through King’s eyes, Bobby’s desire to belong to someone. We saw his loyalty to his friends, his need for their acceptance. We saw a tenderness that keeps Bobby just this side of being a jerk. And King nailed it.
His friends, a group of married couples whose one overarching theme is their desire to see Bobby happy, are played beautifully by another group of veterans of the CFRT. This cast is a veritable who’s who of local theatre, and it was a delight to see them all on stage at one time.
One performer who literally grew up on the CFRT stage, Jenny Beaver, has a special place in our hearts at "Up and Coming Weekly." Beaver spent a summer at the paper as an intern. We were delighted to see her put another of her many talents to use in this play. Her comedic timing was flawless, and her connection with her on stage spouse was priceless.
The audience was delighted with her portrayal of the wife who is obsessed with food, but who won’t eat it; who spends her days in the gym — and later demonstrates her skills in an impromptu wrestling match with her husband. Physical comedy can be bit difficult, but she managed it in fine style.
Cassandra Vallery, has brought a special light to the stage in several shows this season: "Oliver!," "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and "Good ‘Ol Girls," were among some of her finest work. In "Company," Vallery plays a self-described "square," and when the square decides to let her hair down by smoking a little wacky weed — you can’t help but laugh.
Of all of the performances in the show, and this is a hard call to make, I have to say that Libby Seymour’s performance as Bobby’s boozy, multi-divorced, wise-cracking friend stole the show. Seymour is a force of nature in this production. Her performance of "The Ladies Who Lunch" was dramatic and poignant. If you go to the play for no other reason than this, it is well worth the price of your ticket. She brought the house down.
Company has an all-star cast, and in this case all the stars shone bright.
Company Delivers At The CFRT
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