MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
#1MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/18/23 at 12:00am
They’re opening doors, singing “here we are.”
The 1981 Stephen Sondheim flop Merrily We Roll Along hopes for a reversal of fortune in its first Broadway revival, which starts previews tomorrow evening (September 19) at the Hudson Theatre, before an October 10 opening. The cast is led by Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, Krystal Joy Brown, Katie Rose Clarke, and Reg Rogers. Merrily We Roll Along — which will run through March 24 — features a book by George Furth, choreography by Tim Jackson, and direction by Maria Friedman.
“The story of how a composer’s idealism and friendships were corrupted by success is told backwards, starting with the disillusioned present and ending with their optimistic college years, in Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical.”
Who’s going?
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#2MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/18/23 at 7:05am
Going Saturday! VERY excited for this one.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
#3MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/18/23 at 8:06am
Going next Saturday! So incredibly excited! I’m so happy to see Central PA native, Jonathan Groff back on stage!
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
MezzA101
Broadway Star Joined: 3/29/23
#4MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/18/23 at 8:24am
The tickets ordered back in March for tomorrow night's first preview arrived in my email inbox last night. So excited. And then the first preview of "Here We Are" next week. Worth noting that there was so much negative feedback after the first "Sweeney" preview. Including me. I would never attend a first preview for anything but a Sondheim. We go because it's his shows. To be there at the beginning. Never just to bash. Even if the show isn't what we hope for, we never regret being there.
BMcGregor
Understudy Joined: 10/15/21
#5MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/18/23 at 9:14am
Will be there Friday. Absolutely cannot wait.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#6MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/18/23 at 9:26am
MezzA101 said: "The tickets ordered back in March for tomorrow night's first preview arrived in my email inbox last night. So excited. And then the first preview of "Here We Are" next week. Worth noting that there was so much negative feedback after the first "Sweeney" preview. Including me. I would never attend a first preview for anything but a Sondheim. We go because it's his shows. To be there at the beginning. Never just to bash. Even if the show isn't what we hope for, we never regret being there."
To be fair, this is a first preview of a known production. So I doubt much will change in way of production from first preview to opening. And I'd imagine it's just an identical staging to its previous versions.
#7MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/18/23 at 11:51pm
Went to invited dress tonight. I will never learn that Sondheim is just not for me. I am exhausted.
But the cast is very talented.
BroadwaysBroad
Understudy Joined: 8/17/23
#8MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 8:41am
I went downtown
cool set great costumes AMAZING lighting
the original creative team is also doing broadway
Can’t wait
#9MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 10:35am
BroadwaysBroad said: "I went downtown
cool set great costumes AMAZING lighting
the original creative team is also doing broadway
Can’t wait"
Interestingly, I thought it had the worst lighting I've ever seen for a Broadway show last night - it was quite literally a mess. I know it was still effectively a rehearsal, but woof.
halfhourcheckwithmerman
Stand-by Joined: 9/25/22
#10MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 10:47am
The one thing I'd like to change most between off-Bway and Bway is quite superficial -- I thought the whole show was revelatory and the performers brilliant. The show finally made sense to me... I think the sheer likability of Groff helps it quite a deal.
That being said, the scene in the nightclub in Act II -- where "Bobby and Jackie and Jack" and the reprise of "Not a Day Goes By" are sung -- was put in front of a shiny sparkly curtain that was quite literally the most distracting thing I have ever seen on a professional stage. I couldn't believe it! It could have been something about my angle in relation to the lights or the curtain, but I doubt it... "Not a Day Goes By" was hurt by it... a quiet, tender, beautiful moment, and you're blinded by a sea of sequins.
Please, God, someone inform me tonight that it's gone. This is such a good production.
"I feel safe with you, and complete with you / I'm always finding money in the street with you."
-Sheldon Harnick
RAR85558
Swing Joined: 10/3/22
#11MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 12:55pm
I completely agree with you. That curtain was so distracting, even in a near perfect production. I am going tonight, so I will have an answer tomorrow. I cannot wait to see it, even though I was lucky enough to see the NY Theatre Workshop version three times.
chrishuyen
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/12/14
#12MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 2:00pm
BroadwaysBroad said: "cool set great costumes AMAZING lighting"
Legitimately curious as someone who also saw it downtown, what did you like about the lighting? I thought it was adequate but not necessarily worth a shout out
hearthemsing22
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/14/20
#13MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 2:08pm
veronicamae said: "Went to invited dress tonight. I will never learn that Sondheim is just not for me. I am exhausted.
But the cast is very talented."
I thought I was interested, and had tickets. But I feel the same. I think I just wanted to go because it was so big in the theater community, but Sondheim just isn't for me. Happy for the cast though!
#14MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 3:47pm
There is no other show besides "Merrily",that completely flopped, that people are determined to fix. I guess this production is that good that all the flaws of the piece suddenly make sense???
JasonC3
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/21
#15MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 6:13pm
I don't know that I would say all the flaws make sense I(and of course, it depends on which flaws you see) but I think it has found an emotional core and resonance that makes some of the flaws less troublesome.
hollebolle
Featured Actor Joined: 6/13/18
#16MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 7:28pm
Apparently there are no real playbills tonight. They just handed us a stapled packet of paper.
kennin
Understudy Joined: 6/23/09
#17MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 7:58pm
And I was hoping for a first preview sticker. What’s up with this packet?
#18MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 9:19pm
kennin said: "And I was hoping for a first preview sticker. What’s up with this packet?"
First preview stickers aren't very common - Opening Night gets the sticker treatment.
I wonder if they were late in submitting their materials to Playbill - there are deadlines to get things printed and delivered on time.
Oh - and sorry to say the very distracting silver curtain was still in play last night.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#19MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 10:56pm
What made the set so good? From what I’ve seen it’s pretty basic. And I don’t get what makes this production work more so than the Encores production.
#20MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 11:33pm
Hold on? They handed out stapled playbills? Is this some sort of gimmick?
PegasusOasis
Understudy Joined: 7/9/22
#21MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/19/23 at 11:50pm
The Playbills were a disappointment. Director Friedman introduced the show. I thought it expanded seamlessly and I enjoyed the louder audience. The OVERTURE is longer.
the lighting is nice on frank holding the applause recording at the end of “it’s a hit!”
inception
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/13
#22MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/20/23 at 12:45am
RippedMan said: "What made the set so good? From what I’ve seen it’s pretty basic. And I don’t get what makes this production work more so than the Encores production."
Well in the Encores production LMM wasn't super famous yet. This one has Harry Potter.
...
#23MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/20/23 at 1:36am
veronicamae said: "Went to invited dress tonight. I will never learn that Sondheim is just not for me. I am exhausted.
But the cast is very talented."
Exhausted is a good description. They're trying so hard to not try hard. I just wasn't impressed. Except for Lindsay Mendez. My fave production was the Sondheim Celebration/Chris Ashley production. with Michael Hayden (a perfect Frank), Raul Esparza and Miriam Shor (also perfect). (and Emily Skinner as Gussie!!)
#24MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/20/23 at 1:42am
The overture was not longer. It is still abbreviated and should’ve been restored to original length.
#25MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Previews
Posted: 9/20/23 at 3:18am
Anyone know if SRO is planning to be offered for this show? Have never been to the Hudson before and am unfamiliar if the theater has SRO capabilities. Assuming rush won’t be an option and digital lottery will be impossible to win 😅 Would love to see this show on an affordable budget!
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