“Being Alive” is the final number in the 1970 musical Company, featuring a score by the late Stephen Sondheim. Comprised of a series of vignettes about marriage, Company ushered in the era of the “concept musical,” where the focus is on a theme rather than a narrative-driven plot. Bobby, the central character of the show, is celebrating his 35th birthday, and has invited his married friends over for a party. Over the course of the show, they describe the costs and benefits of being married, and this song represents his response.
The original production was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won 6. In 2018, a major revival was mounted in London, featuring a female Bobbie as well as a same-sex couple for the first time. Sondheim gave his blessing to the changes. “My feeling about the theater is the thing that makes it different from movies and television is that you can do it in different ways from generation to generation,” he said in an interview. “Company has a different flavor than it had before feminism really got a foothold…What keeps theater alive is the chance always to do it differently, with not only fresh casts, but fresh viewpoints.”
The production transferred to Broadway and was originally scheduled to open on Sondheim’s 90th birthday in March 2020, but was delayed due to the pandemic. Sondheim was able to see the show in New York a few days before his death last November, and the cast, musicians and crew subsequently dedicated the entire run to his memory. Company is nominated for Best Revival at the upcoming Tony Awards.
The song begins in A and subtly shifts up a half step to Bb halfway through at 2:29.
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