I thought "Company with The New York Philharmonic" was very well done. Acting-wise, it was cast very well. And singing-wise, well... I could tell they had done some "sweetening" here and there to fix some "problems" for one person in particular, but, otherwise, it was nice to hear the score again backed up by a full(!) orchestra. There was also a nice not-so-obvious use of the "Ensemble" - a.k.a. The Couch Movers - to help fill out the sound.
I was really touched by the scene between Kathy (Chryssie Whitehead) and Bobby. First of all, it was nice to see Chyrssie act - she was the "Christine" in the revival of A Chorus Line - and I thought they both brought out the sweetness and heartbreak in the scene. -And since I'm about to leave New York City for a bit, well...
Of course, since it was one of those "Directed for the Stage and Screen" deals, I would have preferred a bit less editing. -During the opening "Company", each couple is brought up in a shot during their solo lines. But it was nice to see the close-ups from time to time. The sound design was also a little strange - the "sense" of the hall was different between the dialogue sections and the songs. The fade-outs of the applause after a song into a dialogue section were a bit too obvious to my ears - it was like you could hear the guy at the soundboard changing which mics were on. -But that really is a very minor quibble in the larger scheme of things.
