Reviewed by Tom Provenzano
LA Weekly, 9/6/2007

Since Sondheim is impossibly intricate and long — long-form improvisation almost always falls flat — the ImproTheatre folk set themselves an exceedingly difficult task attempting to create a new, Sondheim-style musical every show — one in which they very nearly succeed on opening night. This suggests that refining their skills each week will make it even more compelling than this first outing. An outstanding cast clearly understand the form they are spoofing and have the vocal power to sustain it. Directors Dan O’Connor and Michele Spears prepped the cast extremely well in the kind of relationships required — in this case, three couples and a single man. One hopes in the future that one of the suggestions they ask for is a time period, lest every evening turn into a redux of Company, one of the composer’s few contemporary musicals. The night began brightly with a story of competition within an ad agency to please a very odd new client. Most impressive were Brian Jones and Spears, who invented wonderfully amusing duets as charming young colleagues discovering their love. The story began quickly but bogged down — indicating a need for some driving directorial influence. Also, they lack, of course, the ability to instantly invent the kind of elaborate rhyme schemes that define so much of Sondheim’s brilliance. Fortunately, however, they have a powerful ally in musical director-accompanist Allen Simpson, whose virtuosity in improv keyboard reminds us of the joyful music he composed for Fellowship! a few years ago.

Impro Theatre at THEATRE/THEATER, 5041 W. Pico Blvd., L.A.; Thurs., 8 p.m.; thru Oct. 11. (323) 401-6162 or www.improtheatre.com.