Picture a Venn diagram. One one side is Jenn Colella (a Jenn diagram, if you will), a Tony nominee best known for originating the role of Beverly Bass in Come From Away and whose particular vocal rasp once inspired me to spend far too much time talking about being horny during the Canadian 9/11 musical on a podcast hosted by my colleagues at the Cut. On the other side is Katrina Lenk, a Tony Award winner whom I should probably stop referring to as my wife on Twitter. And in the middle of those two overlapping circles, if you can imagine it, COULD HAVE BEEN Company on Broadway.
Lenk is currently supposed to be starring as Bobbie in the gender-swapped Company, which is on hiatus along with the rest of Broadway due to coronavirus. The show, transferring from London, also stars Patti LuPone. Who is currently, probably, filming videos in her basement. In this new iteration of the show, all three of Bobbie’s love interests are male. In the traditional version, the love interests are all women and are, frankly, far and away the most interesting parts of the show. However, during an Instagram Live interview with journalist Frank DiLella on Wednesday, Collela mentioned she was actually up for a role in this new production. “Bobbie?†DiLella asks Collela when she mentions she went in for Company. “No, for PJ. They were considering, last minute, having one of the boyfriends be a girlfriend. Which I thought was so, so sweet. I was really happy to go in for it.†(PJ is Marta, if you’re familiar with the show.)
The part ultimately went to Bobby Conte Thornton, whom Colella describes as one of her “best friends in the world†and praises his performance. Which is fine and great and it’s good that everybody loves each other and is friends but, honestly, that is cold comfort to me. Personally. A lesbian who is bored in quarantine with an internet platform and now forced to live with the knowledge that we almost got the queer Company of my dreams. This, as they say, could drive a person crazy.