No. 7. “The Ladies Who Lunch” (Company, 1970)

By Stephen Sondheim (Music & Lyrics) and George Furth (Book).

By now, we’ve seen the creations of “Musical Comedy” (Little Johnny Jones) and the Musical Play or “Golden Age” musical (Oklahoma). Now we have come to “The Concept Musical” which uses theatrical conventions to explore facets of complex themes rather than a linear narrative. While there are some previous examples of what could be considered “concept musicals,” they weren’t embraced and emulated in the way Company was and continues to be. Company’s collaborative spirit set it apart. Hal Prince read some short plays by George Furth and decided they should be a musical, bringing on Stephen Sondheim, choreographer Michael Bennett, and set designer Boris Aronson early in the process, and every department worked in sync to bring the ideas to life1. Sondheim’s score redefined how music written for theater could speak to the complexities and anxieties of the modern age. Although this is technically the third Broadway score for which he wrote music and lyrics, it’s the show that established him as an industry-changing force. “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company is a favorite of divas and cabaret artists, and no Sondheim tribute or review is complete until it’s performed. The Sondheim-Prince collaboration (often with Bennett and/or Aronson) would continue to break ground throughout the 1970s.

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1. For example, at the end of the opening number, the company—which is scattered across the set as if in separate apartments—converges in an elevator center stage that descends to meet Bobby as they hold a single note (“we looooooooooooooooooove you”). That note is timed perfectly with the music, as if every single creator on the show was working in unison. ↩︎