Breaking News: West End's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG to Screen in US Cinemas October 23

[Rob]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 12:01pm

Click Here toRead Breaking News: West End's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG to Screen in US Cinemas October 23

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 12:54pm

Will anyone outside of the die-hard Sondheim fans really go see this?

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 12:54 PM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:02pm

Only those curious to hear Clare Foster deliver the single worst fake American accent in the history of acting.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:04pm

Roscoe just made sure ill be there!!! lol

[lillebjorn]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:06pm

I saw this production in London. The book made much more sense than in the version I saw previously though, for myself, I didn't like the addition of an nightclub in Paris/Cyd Charisse-esque number for Gussie. I'm racking my brain for the film that it reminded me of. There is more story and a clearer reverse (?) through line in the Menier show. The characters are more rounded and the actors in the main roles did a great job. If you're a Merrily fan, I think it's worth seeing.
One caveat, but one that didn't stop me appreciating the production. The accents - with the notable exceptions of Mark Umbers "Frank", Damian Humbley "Charlie" and Ashley Robinson (who is American) - range from OK to pretty awful. Yup, the Brits can do accents badly, too.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:09pm

'Only those curious to hear Clare Foster deliver the single worst fake American accent in the history of acting.'

She would have to compete with the entire cast of the production of Beyond the Horizon I saw at the National Theatre a few years ago. Never before has New England been populated by such a diverse sampling of attempted dialects from the South and Midwest.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 01:09 PM

[sparepart973]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:10pm

I seriously feel like I'm the only one in the world who didn't like this show. I thought it was pretty boring and each character a bigger douche than the other. Dull dull dull.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:12pm

didn't like the addition of an nightclub in Paris/Cyd Charisse-esque number for Gussie.

In the revised edition, Gussie always had a number to open act 2. Last year's Encores! production was the first to turn it into a full length number with dancing, and it appears that the Menier also followed this approach.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 01:12 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:13pm

That number also worked like gangbusters and was arguably the highlight of the whole Encores! production.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 01:13 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:14pm

I agree. Elizabeth Stanley was actually pretty phenomenal throughout.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:17pm

Yeah, that moment was absolutely the show's high point for me, and I thought it was a terrific production overall.

There’s one poster here who’s going to be absolutely ecstatic about this news. I’ll give you a hint. He’s somewhere between After Seven and After Nine.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 01:17 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:21pm

I'm guessing they're expecting one of those "LIve From the Met"-sized audiences for this.

There are no American stars who would sell tickets, and it's for a show that most people, outside of theatre lovers, haven't heard of.

I'll be curious to see how well it fares.

Does this mean a DVD/BD release is possible, as with Company? Probably not, with a "one night only" theatrical broadcast.

[lillebjorn]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:22pm

I haven't seen it since the '80s (!) so the Gussie number must have been added after that.

Clare Foster's accent was one of the 'awful' ones. And as for the actress who played Beth's mother...

The accents were not good but I've heard worse in a major production this year. Merrily didn't list a dialect coach in the credits and it sounded like it.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 01:22 PM

[Owen22]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:23pm

I usually hate the "non-Rich and Happy" version of this show, and the first act still left me cold. But by the second act I was in tears. Really ended up loving this production. Fantastic cast.

[DeNada]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:59pm

Clare Foster's accent really was THAT awful. Well sung, though.

I'm not sure how this production will work on film. It's so... Menier-y. I look forward to having the chance to see the choreography in The Blob again, though, loved that.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 2:17pm

"Only those curious to hear Clare Foster deliver the single worst fake American accent in the history of acting."

You should listen to the original London cast of WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND attempting southeastern Louisiana. They would give Clare Foster a run for her money...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 2:25pm

I thought the whole thing at Encores was perfection, but I must agree with kad and others saying that the number "Musical Husbands" was the highlight of the night, and probably on my top 5 of favorite moments of musical theatre EVER! But as I said, I felt like the whole show was very cohesive and pretty much: excellent.
Elizabeth Stanley was stunning, fabulous, fantastic. I can't say enough good things about her Gussie Carnegie.
I'm disappointed because when I saw that big sing saying "Merrily We Roll Along" I thought it'd open on Broadway

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 9:06pm

Will anyone outside of the die-hard Sondheim fans really go see this?

Probably not, but nobody else went to see COMPANY either and it ran somewhere from 12 to 20 performances in this small resort town full of ex-LA, ex-SF and ex-NY natives.

Of course it had name stars, but I'm sure it would have run a few nights on Sondheim fanatics alone.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 09:06 PM

[beagle]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 6:06am

If it comes to my city, I'll see it, but then, I'm one of those "die-hard Sondheim fans".

[Magalamb]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 11:52am

My best friend saw it earlier this summer, and loved it. It's now one of her favorite Sondheim shows, and she saw the Sweeney, Assassins, Little Night Music, Follies, Into the Woods, Company and Passion revivals because of me, but is not a diehard Sondheim fan.

I'm definitely going to see it. I'm sad I missed the Encores! production.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 12:55pm

So was Gussie's night-club type number this "Musical Husbands" mentioned? Last I saw it, Act two opened with Gussie doing a very Liza-type Good Thing Going which made sense as she says she wants it n her next show when Frank sings it a the party but really kind of sucks as a big number.

[DeNada]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 1:16pm

Musical Husbands is the same thing as the brassy Good Thing Going - or at least incorporates it. In this production it's a silly little French number that goes full-on belt and high kicks from Gussie for the end of it.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 3:08pm

I'm looking forward to seeing Zizi Strallen do the "what a great pool" line again.