Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along is back on Broadway for its first-ever revival, and the reviews are in. The production celebrated with a red carpet event October 8, but the official opening—when reviews come out—is October 10 at the Hudson Theatre. The limited run is set to continue through March 24, 2024.
Back leading the production after starring in the 2022 Off-Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop are Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn, Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. Max Rackenberg and Brady Wagner are sharing the role of Frank Jr.
The company also includes Sherz Aletaha, Maya Boyd, Leana Rae Concepcion, Corey Mach, Talia Robinson, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Brian Sears, Evan Alexander Smith, Christian Strange, Vishal Vaidya, Natalie Wachen, and Jacob Keith Watson. Rounding out the company as swings are Morgan Kirner, Amanda Rose, and Koray Tarhan. Casting is by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger.
Read the reviews below.
Chicago Tribune (Chris Jones)*
CitiTour NYC (Brian Scott Lipton)
New York Magazine/Vulture (Sara Holdren)*
New York Post (Johnny Oleksinski)
New York Stage Review (Melissa Rose Bernardo, Steven Suskin)
New York Theater (Jonathan Mandell)
New York Theatre Guide (Joe Dziemianowicz)
The New York Times (Jesse Green)*
The Washington Post (Peter Marks)*
*This review requires creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
Photos: Inside the Rehearsal Room for the Upcoming Broadway Revival of Merrily We Roll Along
Maria Friedman is back directing, with choreography by Tim Jackson and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Scenic and costume design are by Soutra Gilmour, with lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, sound design by Kai Harada, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan, music supervision by Catherine Jayes, music direction by Joel Fram, associate music supervision by Alvin Hough, Jr., and music coordination by Kristy Norter.
With a book by Furth—adapted from the George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart play of the same name—and a score by Sondheim, the musical tracks the lives of three friends navigating the entertainment industry over three decades in reverse chronological order. Sondheim's score includes such songs as "Old Friends," "Now You Know," "Franklin Shepard, Inc.," "Good Thing Going," and "Not a Day Goes By."
READ: Lindsay Mendez Returns to Broadway With Merrily We Roll Along
The work was not a success on its first Broadway outing, running just 16 performances and ending the string of genre-defining collaborations between Sondheim and director Hal Prince. Together with the popularity of the show's original Broadway cast album, a revised version of the show has transformed the work into a cult favorite. This current production was originally staged at London's Menier Chocolate Factory in 2012 and later transferred to the West End, where it won an Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. Huntington Theatre in Boston gave the staging its North American premiere in 2017.
Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Patrick Catullo, and Jeff Romley are producing, along with co-producers Debbie Bisno, Lang Entertainment Group, OHenry Productions, Winkler & Smalberg, Stephanie P. McClelland, Timothy Bloom, Creative Partners Productions, Eastern Standard Time, Fakston Productions, Marc David Levine, No Guarantees, Ted & Mary Jo Shen, Gilad Rogowsky, Playing Field, Key to the City Productions, Richard Batchelder / Trunfio Ryan, Finewoman Productions / Henry R. Muñoz III, Thomas Swayne / LaMar Richardson, Abrams Corr / Marry Maggio, Osh Ashruf / Brenner-Ivey, Craig Balsam / PBL Productions, DeRoy DiMaurio Productions / Andrew Diamond, Dodge Hall Productions / Carl Moellenberg, Friedman Simpson / Vernon Stuckelman, William Frisbie / J.J. Powell, Robert Greenblatt / Jonathan Littman, Katler-Solomon Productions / Medley Houlihan, Cleveland O'Neal III / Tom Tuft, Roth-Manella Productions / Seaview, and New York Theatre Workshop.
