STEPHEN SONDHEIM IS GOING TO MAKE "COMPANY" GAY(ER)

Famed Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim is like the Rambo of musical theatre. All machismo and masculinity. Oh. He's not? Never mind then. BUT here is some exciting news anyway. Sondheim's classic 1970 musical Company will get another revival soon with a big twist; its lead character, the  commitment-phobe Robert, will be gay! A gay character in a musical? NO!! And he's a slut? NO! Broadway is not ready for this. Ha. Perhaps most importantly, the character of Joanne, originally played by the unbeatable Elaine Stritch and who sings one of the most famous songs from the show, Ladies Who Lunch, will flip genders and be played as a gay man by Alan Cumming. Alan Cumming? Gay? ESCANDALO! What is this world coming to if the last bastion of heterosexuality, the musical theatre, is being overrun by the gays. What next? Fashion? Sonheim is working with director John Tiffany on the production which will show for a private audience at The Roundabout on Friday. The decision to move forward with the production will be made after that. Company has had two Broadway revivals, first in 1995 then in 2006. The original production won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.