The UW–La Crosse theater department puts on multiple productions throughout the year. The most recent of which being Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Company. Company has stayed relevant nearly 50 years after the original debut on Broadway in 1970 and is a musical with themes of love and relationships that transcend generations.

Mary Leonard, Company director, as well as UW-L theater professor, had this to say about the upcoming production, “The show is some of Steven Sondheim’s best.” Leonard elaborates, “The music is just so riveting, engaging, playful, poignant, moving, it just goes the whole gamut of emotions.”

UW-L Junior and cast member John Divney describes the production, “Company is a show about love.” Divney continues, “Bobby and his married friends begin to realize the love they thought they deserved is not the love they need.”

Besides the entertaining and relevant content of the musical, Leonard says the audience, “will be impressed by the fantastic ensemble of actors… but that is just a bonus.”

Company is just days away from opening to the public, but getting to this point starts with deciding which production to perform, “That is always a puzzle piece,” says Leonard, “There are a lot of aspects to consider—how many students do we have, do we have people that can sing this particular show, can our budget create the sets and costumes we need?”

Members of the theater department were interested in Company from the beginning of the selection process. Leonard describes the early stages of choosing the spring musical, “We always ask the student’s input and a lot of students put down Company. I remember thinking ‘Hmmm, Company, do you think that is dated? Think we could do it? Think we should do it?’”

After much deliberation, Leonard decided, “Our students really like it and want to do it so why don’t we? Once we made that decision people were thrilled.”

With Company marking the start of spring productions, the theater department is reminded of graduation and losing some of their most valuable members. Leonard says, “I miss every class, and I always have this moment of, ‘How will we replace these guys?’ But each year I say that, and each year I see how much every class has grown and that makes me excited.”

Mitch Gray, a UW-L senior, talks about what the theater has meant to him, “Leaving truly is a bittersweet feeling. I have been in nine productions on the Toland stage and 2 more in the Fredrick theater, so a huge portion of my college career has been spent in those two spaces.”

Don’t miss your chance to see Company:

Feb. 24-25 & March 2-4 at 7:30pm

Feb. 26 & March 5 at 2pm

Tickets are on sale now at the Box Office in the Center for the Arts. For reservations or more information call the Toland Theatre 608-785-8522.