Company: A Musical Comedy

Here at last is Furth's libretto to the convention-shattering 1970 musical (revived on Broadway in 1995) that launched composer Sondheim's most fertile period--and his cult. Originally a series of one-act plays about marriage, the musical adds a linking character, Robert, who is the only one without a spouse. In visiting each of a half dozen couples who are his friends, Robert seeks to learn "what do you get" from being married. The answer is far from Hallmark, but visceral. The text includes Furth's witty, cutting dialogue and Sondheim's brilliant lyrics--especially to "Another Hundred People," "Have I Got a Girl for You" and "Being Alive." A portrait of urban angst that is nonetheless hilarious.