The atmosphere at opening night of “Company,” the new production that kicked off the fall season of the Portland Players Theater in South Portland on Friday night, was as lively and welcoming as a reunion of old friends.
The building hummed as about 75 local theater lovers flowed in to take their seats before the 8p.m. opening curtain. The lights dimmed and director Jamie Lupien stepped on stage for some opening announcements. Before she could finish, however, her boyfriend came out and asked for her hand in marriage in front of the entire Portland Players audience. She agreed. It was a perfect beginning to a musical about finding love.
“Company” follows Bobby (Gregory Charette), a single guy with a circle of married friends, each of whom are trying to teach him something about marriage and relationships. Bobby insists that he is not avoiding marriage; he just has not found the right woman yet. He dates a series of women, finding flaws in all of them, and is not sure he even wants to be with someone all the time. But, as the play progresses, Bobby realizes that he does indeed want someone to share his life with and accepts that perhaps he must try a little harder to make things work.
Charette does a marvelous job as the traditional bachelor and keeps the audience laughing, especially during the scenes he performs with April (Hillary Simpson), one of the women Bobby dates. The amusingly raw way that Marta (Deirdre Fulton) describes daily life in New York City is just one of the play’s many other comedic highlights.
The cast performs the play’s classic songs beautifully. Joanne (Marilyn Melton) and Jenny (Danielle Vayenas) harmonize elegantly in the chorus, and the rich voice of Harry (Thomas J. Smallwood) stands out in the first act in the number “Sorry-Grateful.”
While the play ultimately upholds the institution of marriage as desirable, many of the relationships that it presents are complex. Susan (Kristina Boissonneault) and Peter (David Aaron Van Duyne), a divorced couple that Bobby is friends with, do a good job of conveying that complexity to the audience with sincerity.
“Company” will be at the Portland Players Theater through Sept. 27. Upcoming shows at the theater include, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which opens on Oct. 30, and “Cheaper By the Dozen,” which opens Jan. 15.
Discounted student tickets are available at the box office for $15. For more information, go to: www.PortlandPlayers.org.