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A Girl for You: Revival and Revision of "Company’s" Bobbie

Join us for a presentation on the iconic role of Bobbie in the musical "Company" and how the gender switch challenges and reframes the story in the 2018 "revisal."

When Sondheim’s Company premiered in 1970, the central character was a confirmed cynical bachelor. In Marianne Elliott’s 2018 “revisal” (as opposed to the more traditional revival), Sondheim’s Bobby becomes Elliott’s Bobbie. In addition to the show’s protagonist, the gender roles of Company’s married couples are reversed.

In “A Girl for You,” we will discuss how themes central to the original concept musical take on new meaning when the gender roles and power dynamics are reversed. How do our reactions change when the gender of the person expressing him- or herself changes? Sondheim’s songs, and Elliott’s reinterpretation of them, offer an ideal window to question our assumptions, consider other points of view and engage with our own deeply held beliefs. 

This program is in partnership with the Playhouse Square production of Company, which runs from April 30 through May 19 at the Connor Palace, and is part of the 2024 Cleveland Humanities Festival. See all the programs in our Company series on our events calendar.

Use the promo code LIBRARY to purchase discount tickets to see Company at Playhouse Square.