“Company” stole the hearts of the Broadway critics after its latest revival. It was rewarded with five Tony awards in 2022 and given superlatives such as, “sophisticated, silly, intimate, and funny as hell.” That love affair was magnified by the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. The show bleeds NYC and all the idiosyncracies that New Yorkers have come to love and hate about that city.

Single New York City apartment-dweller, Bobbie (Beth Stafford Laird), has just turned 35 and her company of friends surprise her with a birthday party after work. Her friends come in all shapes and sizes, but mostly they are married. They can’t understand why Bobbie is still single and they relentlessly tell her so. Bobbie, however, knows that she has prioritized her life by attending to her education first and then beginning her career. At age 35, she now thinks she is ready to get married if she could only find someone who would “Marry Me a Little.”

     The birthday party scene is revisited two more times during the show, but in between times, Bobbie makes the rounds to visit her friends in their own habitats through a series of vignettes. Each time she pops in on a couple, she gets a different perspective of married life. There are the next-door neighbors who, unbenowst to Bobbie, are actively working on refraining from alcohol and getting in shape through diet and exercise. So what does Bobbie bring them? A bottle of bourbon and a plate of brownies! Bobbie also visits the couple with kids, the couple about to divorce, and the gay couple. Bobbie is dressed to be maid of honor at a same-sex marriage, but Jamie (Matt Rodin) is getting cold feet and breaks out in song with, “Getting Married Today.”

Bobbie’s wealthiest friend, Joanne (Judy McLane) has been married three times and does not seem to be in love with the idea of matrimony. She gives her unsolicited advice to Bobbie, though, and then slides off her bar stool with her big fur on and sings, “The Ladies Who Lunch.”

     There is one rather sexy scene in “Company” in which Bobbie invites a male flight attendant to her apartment, gives him the nickel tour, and shows him her bed. One thing leads to another and you can guess the rest. There is little hope that this relationship will develop into anything permanent, because the flight attendant has his head in the clouds.

The scene changes are simple and subtle, but very clever. Each scene is in a wooden frame and is attached to the others. The rooms, apartments or stoop slide back and forth across the stage. One scene is miniaturized to allow Bobbie to take on an Alice in Wonderland appearance. Credit for scenic design and lighting goes to Bunny Christie and Neil Austin.

     Everyone in the company of “Company” can sing and dance. There is no shortage of talent. My favorite song, “Being Alive,” is sung by Bobbie near the end of the show.

“Company” is considered to be a “concept musical,” one without a linear plot. It’s a string of scenes held together by a common theme–relationships and marriage. It will definitely appeal to a younger audience of single or recently married people, but I have real concerns about its appeal to those who have been in relationships for several decades. Also, Midwesterners might have difficulty identifying with the New York lifestyle. Mixed in with the comedy was a feeling of sadness and loneliness that took away some of the fun for me. For that reason, 2-1/2 hours was ltoo long for me.

   “Company” is now playing at The Fabulous Fox through Mar. 10. Tickets are available through Metrotix at 314-534-1111 or visit The Fox box office.