Merrily We Roll Along
Spending a lot of time these days away from New York City, I was not around for the off-Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along last spring. The show was a smash hit with stellar reviews. The uptown move to Broadway followed this fall. I purchased tickets near the holidays so I did not miss this production. Great fortune most often happens with advanced planning.
This version is my fourth viewing of Merrily (see link below). In a nutshell, I have always liked the show despite the pile on mentality of its problems. The tale is about three friends who arrive in NYC with big dreams. Time passes and these so-called besties fall out of love, if not completely able to unshackle their emotional bonds with each other.
George Furth’s book tells this story backwards. While some find this conceit awkward, I fully embrace its intent. Perhaps this is because I’ve encountered this show as an older person. The trials and tribulations of life and these friendships are vividly real. Getting to the end of the show with the fresh faced bloom of youthful possibilities is the tragedy yet to unfold.
Director Maria Friedman has mounted an extraordinary staging of this Stephen Sondheim show. The production places the Franklin Shepard character front and center with the two friends circling in an unsteady orbit. Imagining the reverse chronology as a autobiographical memory play enables the audience to connect with and repel from Mr. Shepard as do his friends.
Jonathan Groff portrays him with all of the narcissism required. His flaw, if it were, could be that he doesn’t completely abandon his early ideals while he pursues Hollywood success and excess. Songwriter and creative partner Charlie Kringas is his lyricist and playwright. The tension between the two erupts in a television interview. Mr. Kringas reads his old friend for filth in the bitter revenge song “Franklin Shepard, Inc.”.
Daniel Radcliffe, a kinetic ball of exuberant energy unable to contain a tightly wound fury, excels in this high point of Act I. The tension on Mr. Groff’s face while ingesting the public humiliation is intense. Throughout the course of the show, both actors inhabit a character arc that feels utterly believable and disconcertingly sad.
The third wheel in this trio is Mary Flynn. She meets the two on a NYC rooftop in 1957 also full of her own dreams. At the show’s beginning Mary is a splenetic alcoholic. She also has issues with Franklin Shepard which haunt her through the decades. The always excellent Lindsay Mendez joins the reprise of “Not A Day Goes By” towards the end of Act II. The moment will break your heart. Guaranteed.
The creative team has assembled a bountiful assortment of great individual and collective moments. First and foremost is the ensemble. Every person on the stage is always a character no matter how small. The group performs the “Merrily We Roll Along” transitions which feel, perhaps for the first time, critical to retelling this musical memoir.
Supporting character performers are also spot on. Reg Rogers’ Joe Josephson steals his scenes as the producer. Understudy Talia Simone Robinson delivered an effectively plaintive characterization of Frank’s first wife Beth. Krystal Joy Brown knocked the ladder climbing Hollywood diva bombshell Gussie Carnegie out of the park.
Critics seemed not to love the scenic design by Soutra Gilmour. I disagree. I thought the simple and timeless (and getting dated over time) mid-century vibe was ideal. The set speaks to a moment in memory’s time while still being able to evolve timewise without excessive and distracting changes.
Ms. Gilmour was also responsible for the costumes. They are excellent. Mr. Sondheim ridiculed the cultural elitists in a number of his shows and Merrily is one of them. The de rigueur black and white costumes are stunning in “The Blob,” a minor song in this show presented with exquisitely artful fangs calling out the snobbery of the pompous ass class.
All of these superlatives should be enough to convince musical theater fans to rush and see this exceptional production. One more incentive. Stephen Sondheim’s score is truly outstanding with great songs blending seamlessly with the people and their stories. I’ve merrily seen a lot of Sondheim over the years (only a few outliers remain!). This one is a must.
Merrily We Roll Along is running at the Hudson Theatre and has recently extended performances through July 7, 2024.
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