“For Many Years, Hal Prince...”

[STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken]
For many years, Hal Prince was a producer on Broadway before he became a director. And in fact he co-produced West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. But the first time we worked together with him as a director was on Company. That was in 1969.

[COMPANY]
Bobby
Bobby
Bobby baby
Bobby bubi
Robby
Robert darling
Bobby, we've been trying to call you
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby baby, Bobby bubi
Angel, I've got something to tell you
Bob, Rob-o, Robby love, Bobby honey
Bobby, we've been trying to reach you all day
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby baby, angel, darling
The kids were asking, Bobby
Bobby, Robert, Bobby, Bob-o
Bobby, therе was something we wanted to say
Bobby, Bobby bubi, sweethеart, sugar
Your line was busy
Bobby

[STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken]
Company is a show about marriage. And I had never been married, either officially or unofficially, when I wrote Company. I thought, how am I gonna write about something I know nothing about? I've observed marriages, and I have feelings and opinions and insights, but I don't know anything about it.

So I called my good friend Mary Rodgers, who was on her second marriage. And she spent an evening with me and she told me about her marriages, and about her observations on marriage. And I took a yellow pad out, and I took notes, exactly as if it were a lecture. And Company is a result of that evening.