Company - A Musical Comedy (1996 London Revival Cast) [Cast Recording]

Stephen Sondheim, Adrian Lester, Company: A Musical Comedy (Related Recordings), Sheila Gish | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 30, 1996)
• Original Release Date: July 23, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003G54
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,927 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Company

2. The Little Things You Do Together

3. Sorry-Grateful

4. You Could Drive a Person Crazy

5. Have I Got a Girl for You

6. Someone Is Waiting

7. Another Hundred People

8. Getting Married Today

9. Marry Me a Little

10. Side by Side / What Would We Do without You?

11. Poor Baby

12. Barcelona

13. The Ladies Who Lunch

14. Being Alive

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comparable to the first., April 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Company - A Musical Comedy (1996 London Revival Cast) (Audio CD)

While many say not to go near a "Company" album after the original, I must give my input. Both albums are spectacular, and honestly, they compete with each other. Adrian Lester is a much better Bobby than Dean Jones ever could have been, and Sophie Thompson's rendition of "Getting Married Today" is much more tongue twisting and insane than that of Beth Howland's. And what to say about the ruling question: "Elaine Stritch or Sheila Gish?" Well, Stritch sounds like she's having the amount of fun she should be having on "The Little Things You Do Together," but Gish gets much more cynisim and hearlessness in "The Ladies of Lunch." Although, I should admit that her's will never go down in history like Stritch. This recording's "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" ties with the original, but Pamela Myers is at the top of the list with "Another Hundred People." And finally, to one of my favorite songs, "Poor Baby," each is different: London's version is as spooky as the song should be, but I am partial for the desperate, neurotic voices of Barbara Barrie and Terri Ralston. Basically, no matter which of the two you pick (although I highly suggest getting both), you won't go wrong. Oh, and just for the record, the opening number, Company, will never match the original.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite Different, January 20, 2001

By 

Andrew Fox (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Company - A Musical Comedy (1996 London Revival Cast) (Audio CD)

Well, when I got the Original Broadway Recording of Company, I very nearly ate, drank, and breathed it for about a month. However, a week ago I got a hold of this recording. The play is done as it was originally concieved by Furth and Sondheim: thoughts in Bobby's head, or dreams. This makes the album far harder to listen to then the OBC; if you get too involved with this recording, it can be very scary or heartbreaking, though ultimately more rewarding. Many numbers which I had never thought of as nightmarish are done as nightmares - "What Would We Do Without You" is especially creepy. "Marry Me A Little" is a very nice addition to the score, and adds more insight into this Bobby, also different - in this version, he is played as someone who never really grew up, and still has illusions about love and relationships. "The Ladies Who Lunch" - well, it doesn't beat Stritch (noone ever will), but it comes damn near close. For anyone who has ever wondered what would happen if it was directed like "Sweeney Todd" or "Assassins", this is the definitive recording.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars There's a reason this recording is out of print, May 15, 2009

By 

Jay Adeff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Company - A Musical Comedy (1996 London Revival Cast) (Audio CD)

There's a reason this recording is out of print. It is, without a doubt, the worst recording of Company ever. Adrian Lester is so bad as Bobby; lifeless and monotonous. For the life of me I can't understand what anyone sees in him. The rest of the cast is pretty bad too, and the recording sounds like it was made in a stadium with odd acoustics that go in and out. The original Broadway cast is still the best, followed by the 1995 Broadway revival (Boyd Gaines is great), and then the bizarre 2006 Broadway revival (am I the only one who detests John Doyle's minimalist approach with the cast members playing the instruments???).