Stephen Sondheim's Company

This star-studded 2011 concert version of Stephen Sondheim's 1970 Broadway musical features Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby—a 35-year-old New Yorker pondering whether he should finally commit to one of his three girlfriends—who looks at the troubled marriages of four friend couples, as well as a fifth on the verge of getting hitched. Since Company is more psychological study than conventional narrative, it suffers less than most shows from the stripped-down staging here, which nonetheless boasts enough detail to suggest changes in location. The New York Philharmonic, under Paul Gemignani's knowing baton, renders Sondheim's witty, inventive score with polish and vibrancy (as usual in revivals, the “Marry Me a Little” number cut from the original is included here). Surrounding Harris—who gets a big laugh with a double-take when another character asks him if he's gay—is a cast featuring Broadway veterans (Patti LuPone), TV stars (Jon Cryer, Stephen Colbert), and movie actors (Martha Plimpton). With the exception of LuPone's “Ladies Who Lunch”—a true showstopper—the singing here isn't always the concert's strong suit, but there are no clunkers, and the extended dialogue scenes are especially well done. The result is a solid performance of a Sondheim show whose icy brilliance makes it difficult to love but impossible not to admire. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 on Blu-ray, extras include liner notes. Recommended. (F. Swietek)