MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at the Hudson Theater
It was a certified flop when it originally premiered but now after 40 years, it has been revived in more ways than one.
Spanning over the course of 20 years but told backwards, Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of Frank Shepard, an extremely famous Hollywood filmmaker who once upon a time had two best friends, Mary and Charlie. Although through the trials and tribulations that can befall friendships, they have parted ways and although Frank seems like he is on cloud nine, it is soon revealed that you don’t get to the top alone and if you have, you may not be the hero of your own story. Merrily takes the audience on a journey through time, back through the major events that brought Frank, Mary, and Charlie to the end of the road in their friendship, and perhaps offers a glimpse at the future.
The strength of the book, written by the extraordinary George Furth, and the music and lyrics written by the incomparable Stephen Sondheim have been questioned in the past. As was previously mentioned, Merrily We Roll Along had widely been regarded as a historic misstep in both of these talented men’s careers. So the question remains, why does this particular production work so well? After all, it has been revived before off broadway but it never seemed to get it’s hooks into the audience.
There is no question that the answer is: Maria Friedman. She may be the sole reason that this revival is successful. Her brilliant direction and dedication to the piece is evident in every element of the show. From her choice in orchestrator, Jonathan Tunick (winner of the Tony Award for this production), who brought new life to the score, to her selection of the cast. She really has created the perfect storm of talent to bring this show to a new generation of audiences.
Friedman has cast three paramount talents: Jonathan Groff (winner of the Tony Award for playing Frank), Lindsey Mendez (who was out at our performance), and Daniel Radcliffe (winner of the Tony Award for playing Charlie), who are not only best friends on stage each night but also the best of the friends off stage.
No doubt adding to the extreme success of the show, they all feel so believable as “old friends” because they have become old friends throughout the course of the show’s journey from off broadway to the Hudson Theater stage. Their chemistry radiates with genuine appreciation for each other that when they are at odds, it is even more devastating for the audience to endure as they are forced to witness they horrible events that befall them, which in turn tears them apart.
Jonathan Groff leads this historic company as the “doomed to fail” Frank Shepard with such ferocity. He easily navigates between the pompous film director he has become and the charming and lovable Frank he used to be, decades before. Groff knows when to lay on the charm, just as easily as he knows when to deliver tear inducing betrayal at the fated television interview that obliterates his and Radcliffe’s Charlie Kringus’s decades long friendship.
Speaking of Charlie, Daniel Radcliffe gives one of the most profound performances of his career. His playful personality is allowed to shine through on many occasions but it is when he is forced to play the role seriously that he breaks through the most. His show stopping performance of Franklin Shepard Inc is certainly one of the moments that solidified his Tony win because it is delivered with such poison and vigor that it is almost like watching a train derail in real time with no way to stop it, as Charlie completely dismantles his friendship with Frank in mere minutes, live on television.
Ms. Mendez was out at the performance but her understudy Sherz Aletaha was transcendent as Mary Flynn, the third wheel of the group. Aletaha gave Mary true depth. Whether she was playing Mary at her lowest (a raging alcoholic who just wants her friendships back to how they were before everything went south) or was playing on her highest elation when she was young and had dreams of taking over the world as a best selling author. Aletaha was undeniably born to play the role of Mary, she never missed a beat and when she was given the spotlight, she took it and held nothing back.
In what is sure to be remembered as one of the greatest comebacks a show has ever had, this production of Merrily We Roll Along will forever be cemented in history. Not only has the show had a record run both on and off Broadway, but it has been redeemed from being forever known as a flop, as was evidenced when it took home the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical this year.
Maria Friedman and her sensational team of artists have created a show so beautiful and vibrant, that there is no doubt that future producers will only be able to dream of recreating it’s “lightning in a bottle” success.
