Company, 2002-03 Season Archive

About the Composer, Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim was born 22 March 1930, the son of a wealthy New York dress manufacturer. When his parents divorced, his mother moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A neighbor, Oscar Hammerstein II was working on a new musical called Oklahoma. Stephen became intrigued by musical theater. He subsequently studied composition with Milton Babbitt but chose to apply what he learned to the commercial hothouse of Broadway. His initial success came as a lyricist to Leonard Bernstein on West Side Story (1957) and Jule Styne on Gypsy(1959). His first score as composer-lyricist was A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum (1962) followed by Anyone Can Whistle (1964). In the following three decades critics detected a Sondheim style—a fondness for the harmonic language of Ravel and Debussy; a reliance on vamps and skewed harmonies to destabilize the melody; a tendency toward dense and literate lyrics. Sondheim's career hit its stride with Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Pacific Overtures (1976) and Sweeney Todd (1979). A diversity of sources and versatile sensibility are trademarks in Sondheim's canon. The unique partnership formed with producer-director Hal Prince in the Seventies was directly responsible for Sondheim's re-invention of the musical form. Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park With George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1990) and Passion (1994) followed. Sondheim's songs have been incorporated into revues: Side By Side by Sondheim, Putting It Together and Marry Me A Little. His works have been performed in concert and in numerous revivals worldwide. His work and musical prowess were recently honored by a very successful and well-attended four-month Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration where five of his musicals were given glorious revival. Into The Woods won the Tony Award for Best Revival to the 2001-2002 Broadway season.

Acknowledgements:
Company is a joint production of The Helen Hocker Center for the
Performing Arts and the Washburn University Theatre Department.
We wish to thank the staff of Helen Hocker and WU Theatre
Department, students, volunteers and community members for their
participation. We would also like to thank the following for helping make this production: Channel 49, WIBW-13, KMAJ Radio, Topeka Capital-Journal, Pepsi, Russ’s Custom Upholstering, Furniture Mart

The Cast
Robert/Bobby. . . . . Joshua Dixon
Sarah. . . . . Deb Johnson
Harry. . . . . David McIntire
Susan. . . . . Rebekah Zachritz
Peter. . . . . Billy Clark
Jenny. . . . . Sarah Heier
David. . . . . Jason Puff
Amy . . . . . Natalie McComas
Paul. . . . . Jason Jones
Joanne. . . . . Kayla Supon Carter
Larry. . . . . Gary Jonson
April. . . . . Katie Convery
Marta. . . . . Mary Shirazi
Kathy. . . . . Stacy Myers

Production Staff
Director . . . . . Paul Prece
Musical Director/Conductor. . . . .
Nancy Scrinopskie Epoch
Choreographer. . . . . Sally Glassman
Set & Lighting Design . . . . . Tony Naylor
Costume Design . . . . . Sharon Sullivan
Technical Direction. . . . . . Tony Naylor
Scenic Artists/ Supervisors . . . . .
Lynn Wilson, Paul Waggoner
Sound. . . . . Candice Baker
Rehearsal Accompanist. . . . . Pat Gibson, Jodi Boyd
Stage Managers. . . . . Dustin Smith, Monica Gutierrez
Onstage Crew. . . . . Carl Dillman, Tyler Poole
Shop and Show Crew. . . . . Timothy Badger,
Heather Blanton, Aaron Mays, Stephen Pittman,
Jennifer Lee, Michelle Brown, Katerine Baker
Publicity. . . . . Paul Prece
Box Office. . . . . Kim Jones
Box Office and House. . . . . Jo Huseman, Kim Jones
Ushers. . . . . Al & Bev Gunderman, Arlene McEachern, Connie Widdell, Cindy Gatewood, Bobby McGirr,
Linda Marling, Joan Barker, Sandy Schwarz,
Mike & Irma Boyer, Ted & Teresa Eck, Janice Waldo, Bettie Garhart, Mary Hatke

Orchestra
Piano. . . . . Pat Gibson
Flute/Piccolo/Sax. . . . . Detria Anderson
Flute/Clarinet?Sax. . . . . Kirt Saville
Clarinet/Sax. . . . . Heather Brown
Oboe/English Horn. . . . . James Mosher & Erica Bauman
Basson. . . . . Erica Shavez
Trumpet. . . . . Don Dabney & Kerry Lannan
Trombone. . . . . Erik Berggren
French Horn. . . . . Ben Saville
Violin. . . . . Jonathan To, Sondra Roman,
Ben Weichman & Kendra Patzer
Cello. . . . . Karla Love
Bass. . . . . Tim Patterson
Drums/Percussion. . . . . Shawm Evams

Originally, a collection of one-act plays written by librettist George Furth, Company was eventaully shaped into a musical—thanks to the vision of legendary director Harold Prince, who focused on the pros and cons of marriage. Stephen Sondheim provided the music. The character of Robert, a bachelor, brings all of the characters together at the play's opening. The production won the New York Drama Critics' Award & 6 Tonys.