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 enlarge | Director: John Doyle
Actor: Raul Esparza
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Category: DVD
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $15.50
You Save: $9.49 (38%)
New (36) Used (8) from $14.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 3963
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Enhanced, Ntsc, Widescreen
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 132
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: IMED4480D
UPC: 014381448023
EAN: 0014381448023
ASIN: B0014IC31G
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: May 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Five Star Seller!!! New, factory sealed US Region 1 DVD. Item is 100% guaranteed not to be a bootleg or import. Item is shipped directly from our warehouse. Easy exchange if item defective or damaged in shipped.
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| Customer Reviews:
Sondheim's finest September 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Sondheim's finest musical has finally been recorded for posterity and this production by PBS is excellent. A number of camera angles provide a brilliant capture of the performance and give a feeling that almost surpasses sitting in the Ethel Barrymore theatre itself. The sound and picture quality are spot on and the only disappointing element (causing the loss of a star) is the lack of Extras. They amount to two poorly filmed interviews with confident star Raul Esparza and director John Doyle; and the surprising inclusion of an interview conducted with Sondheim by Jonathan Biggins for Foxtel and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation when he attended the opening of Kookaburra musical theatre's 2007 production of Company - which was far inferior to the main feature of this DVD and performed in the standard manner (i.e. without the actors also playing the instruments). Where are the 'backstage' extras - e.g. filming the cast in preparation in their dressing rooms, or any rehearsal footage? The path to putting this version on stage would have involved some interesting rehearsal processes to get the staging right with the inclusion of the instruments - a feature on this aspect would have been eagerly welcomed.
But never mind that, the performances captured here are magical and might I even say that this is the definitive version of Company? If it's not, it's darn close. You won't regret purchasing this title.
Must-have for musical theatre buffs September 15, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
John Doyle's unusual staging of this Sondheim-Furth-Prince classic won critical acclaim. While the cast give excellent performances and are true to the characters, Doyle also has them playing the musical instruments. Perhaps musical lovers will miss the original orchestrations of Jonathan Tunick, however, this staging is for the most part, an intriguing version of this classic piece and was a 2007 Tony Award winner. The DVD comes from the PBS telecast that has been beautifully photographed at a live performance at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in NYC. Multiple camera angles are used and are seamlessly edited, in high definition widescreen and Dolby Digital for first-rate visual interpretation of this staging. Bonus features include interviews with Doyle and leading actor Raul Esparza and more importantly, a 40-minute edited 'Audience with Stephen Sondheim' (filmed live in Sydney, Australia, in July 07, on the set of an Aussie revival of COMPANY). This excellent DVD is a must-have for musical theatre buffs.
 A decent version of COMPANY, but far from its greatest September 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This new version of COMPANY is the first widely-available recording of the show, and that in and of itself holds a certain level of appeal. I always appreciate the opportunity to snatch up recordings of some of my favorite shows.
Sadly, this isn't my favorite version of COMPANY. While the staging is inventive in concept (to an extent... this was also done with the revival of SWEENEY TODD), this isn't the lively, fun version that I grew to love. The set is sparse and cold, and a lot of the portrayals carry the same aura.
And despite all the acclaim, I just don't like Raul Esparza. For a guy who's supposed to be nice and fun, but emotionally shut off, he's far too internalized and far too intense. It's an oddly misguided performance, and it feels quite inappropriate given all the things we hear about his character.
Still, it's well worth a look.
 Stupendous. Watching it makes you "Sorry-Grateful." September 11, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
When I was younger I saw this show and shrugged it off as a fun but two-dimensional spoof of marital relations. Now that I am the age of the characters and a bit more seasoned in the ways of the world, however, I see things differnetly. This show is an emotional knock-out. Company is a gentle whirlwind of humor, desperation, hurt, love and alienation, delivered through great songs and quirky performances. The production and the material are amazing, wringing out thoughts and fears that I was not even aware were simmering below the surface.
Raul Esparza has a Bob Newhart-type delivery that works well in playing Bobby, and the character is all too familiar to anyone who has been the lonely but loved buddy-brother-father confessor to an extended group of friends. The other actors are equally good. While I don't have all of their names handy, I offer extensive applause to the women who played Amy, Marta, and JoAnn. I also applaud Bruce Sabbath, who plays Larry with a sense of kindness and patience even though he knows he is underappreciated and mistreated by his wife.
The staging and costuming evoke an upscale, Bobby Short-type piano lounge, communicating simultaneously a sense of Upper East Side glamour and urban world worriness. Given the setting and millieu of the show,this visual effect is brilliant.
I saw the version of Sweeney Todd that had the cast accompanying themselves on musical instruments. In that production, the approach seemed to be a pointless gimmick. In Company, however, the approach works. The cast members are a "company," in a musical, acting and social sense.
Watching this production will hurt a little but will also be rewarding.
Company Better than the original September 11, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This Company is way and beyond the original staging and way beyond the talent of Dean Jones as Bobby. The songs are eternal. The staging wicked and wonderful.
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