A wonderful and intimate look at the 15-hour vocal recording, Original Cast Album: Company shows you what the actors, orchestra, and creators of the show faced behind-the-scenes.
Having been raised on musicals and later becoming a Chicago theatre critic, I have long been a Broadway nerd. I have favorite musicals that I listen to on repeat, and I’ve been known to find YouTube performances of my favorite songs by different vocalists and listen for hours to find my favorite. I don’t subject everyone I love to my research rabbit holes of happiness, but I will share the results. It’s important information!
Original Cast Album: Company covers the 15-hour cast recording of the 1970 soundtrack of Company. This is the cast of the original Broadway production holed up in a studio with an orchestra and creators Stephen Sondheim, Harold Prince, and others. Trying to get through one song at a time, as people and voices get tired, this is an inside look.
It turns out that Danny Melnick had an idea for a television show. What if they recorded the cast albums of different musicals and aired them as a series? This was meant to be the pilot, but when it didn’t turn into a network show, it was released as a standalone documentary.
Watching professionals work in the studio is a wonderful experience, and you get tons of it here. Singers standing around the microphones, musicians entering the score as their turn arrives, and producers listening to the minute details that most people don’t know the difference between. There is one scene where Sondheim talks to a singer about a single note (one he wrote) that needs to be brought back into tune. The attention to detail (like any painter or sculptor) is magnificent to witness.
As a side note, I know the music to Company, but I have never done a deep dive on the Broadway cast. It was a pleasant surprise to see Donna McKechnie appear before the microphone, as I had no idea she was in this show (she played Kathy). If you are familiar with A Chorus Line, the part of Cassie was written for and inspired by Donna McKechnie and her dance abilities. That was in 1975. This woman is such a professional that she is still performing, having last played Madame Morrible in Wicked in 2025. Talk about a queen of Broadway.
There is also a fantastic section in this documentary that centers around Elaine Stritch and the recording of “Ladies Who Lunch.” It was after 3am, around 14 hours into performing, and her voice was tired. Sondheim was not hearing what he wanted for the recording. Everyone was on edge, but doing their best to be gentle with each other. It is the climax of this film, and, as a viewer, it’s a fun way to watch everything come together.
Original Cast Album: Company has wonderful footage, and I loved every second of it. I only wish that it was longer, had more song performances included, and more interviews with the creators, but understanding that this was meant to be a television show, I’m just grateful for what they captured.
Runtime: 53 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Available: Free on Hulu or Max, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
Having been raised on musicals and later becoming a Chicago theatre critic, I have long been a Broadway nerd. I have favorite musicals that I listen to on repeat, and I’ve been known to find YouTube performances of my favorite songs by different vocalists and listen for hours to find my favorite. I don’t subject everyone I love to my research rabbit holes of happiness, but I will share the results. It’s important information!
