MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Reviews- Page 7

[denali.fire]

Posted: 11/12/23 at 6:42pm

Not a day goes by that I wish I could afford the tickets.

Since the seat prices are  a bit out of my range, is there a plan for a cast recording.  Hopefully that will be my experience of MWRA.  (unless the cd is $100 bucks too !)

In case no recording any thoughts on the best recording out so far?

Thanks 

DF

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/12/23 at 8:24pm

Nothing's been officially announced, I believe, but in their Late Show interview a few weeks ago, Groff mentioned they spent all day Monday in a recording studio (1:08 ) so it certainly seems likely.

There are great things--and weaknesses--about both the 1994 and 2012 Encores recordings. Both may be worth a listen. There's also a proshot of the original UK production of this version if you can't see this cast.

Updated On: 11/12/23 at 08:24 PM

[Pro-1686404964]

Posted: 11/12/23 at 9:03pm

This is the best show on Broadway right now IMO.  Radcliffe, Groff, and Mendez are all giving Tony worthy performances.  Their chemistry is perfect. The score is unmatched.  Everything else is a quibble. 

[Voter]

Posted: 11/14/23 at 4:24pm

Lindsay Mendez will be out until Sunday starting tonight

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 11/14/23 at 4:58pm

"This is the best show on Broadway right now IMO.  Radcliffe, Groff, and Mendez are all giving Tony worthy performances.  Their chemistry is perfect. The score is unmatched.  Everything else is a quibble. "

Recently returned from short trip to NYC and we saw this and loved it. Basically, seeing this show was the sole reason for the trip. I had mentioned in another post that I have not seen my wife this excited about a show in many years, she was beyond ecstatic after leaving the theater. Like many others have said, it is a wonderful show with a great cast.

[Voter]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 10:38am

Lindsay Mendez was reportedly still out last night :( 

[binau]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 11:22am

It might be because I'm paying more attention and actually enjoy the show now lol, but is it me or is the ensemble extremely strong when they sing both as individuals and in harmony in the title song, transitions etc. I kind of can tell that all of them absolutely feel privileged to be there and are giving their all. (The same can probably be said about any NYC ensemble, but still). 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 12:23pm

Broadway Journal - DYNAMIC 'MERRILY" ROLLS UP TO $899

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 1:36pm

Good article.  Thanks for sharing.  It says that it has a $950.000 breakeven, which seems shocking to me, because I don't think of it as a 'big' show.  Makes me wonder what MR needs...I thought it was doing pretty well, but it may just be scraping by.

[Springtime]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 4:00pm

Lindsay has now been out for the last 10 shows (and 17 overall). Second understudy on for the first time at the matinee today. 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 5:46pm

How long before we see $1,000 tickets for a Broadway show? 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 6:07pm

BETTY22 said: "How long before we see $1,000 tickets for a Broadway show?"

Either Cabaret or Sunset.

[Musigamist]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 6:14pm

BETTY22 said: "How long before we see $1,000 tickets for a Broadway show?"

I mean Hamilton at its peak had premiums over $1,100 during the holidays, so for a limited time it’s already happened.

On a regular basis, possibly Cabaret if it does well in award season and the WOM agrees. Although those tickets include food, so perhaps that shouldn’t count quite the same.

Updated On: 11/22/23 at 06:14 PM

[Springtime]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 6:49pm

A lovely thread by NY Post columnist John Podhoretz about the performance of the Mary understudy Sherz Aletaha (in her Broadway principal debut) and what occurred during the BCEFA auction after the matinee today.

Thread on Twitter/X by John Podhoretz, which started with:

I have a story to tell about what happened today at the matinee of Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway. (The production is spectacular, one of the best I've ever seen, and I've seen two previous horrible versions of it.) An understudy went on for the female lead, Lindsay Mendez. 1/

A video from the bows and auction is on YouTube.

Updated On: 11/22/23 at 06:49 PM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 7:58pm

Unfortunately I think Elon made threads unviewable unless you're logged in to (that stupid new name for the site). For those smart enough not to be on there, because it is lovely:





 

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 11:33pm

I went tonight, and Mendez is still out. Jamila Sabares-Klemm went on and I thought she sounded great and had great chemistry with the boys. I especially enjoyed her earlier scenes where Mary is at her messiest.

The fire alarm unexpectedly went off just before “It’s A Hit”, and the cast was asked to leave the stage after an awkward pause. Nobody know what triggered the alarm (the theatre or the hotel) but the show started again after 15 mins.

Maybe it was the abrupt stopdown that shadows my opinion, but put me in the camp that wasn’t overly enamored with this show. To me, with the show being focused more on Franklin, the show boiled down to basically a musical root-cause analysis of a douchey sellout. You have the three top-billed “old friends”, but it’s really Groff's show. Radcliffe brings down the house with “Franklin Shepard, Inc) and “Good Thing Going”. Krystal Joy Brown was fantastic as Gussie, but I feel like there was way too much of her that drew the show away from the friends’ dynamic.

Unfortunately, by Act II, the show seemed to become a casualty of its own wandering mind and it became harder to care about the characters because the point of view was unclear. I also never understood why Mary went into a drinking spiral over this perceived loss of Franklin as a potential lover, and the ending did nothing to even hint that they might’ve had a thing once upon a time.

I left thinking “that was nice”, but I wasn’t over the moon and landing along the stars like everyone else. I’m going again in January because I took advantage of the presale, so maybe a second look (and hopefully with Mendez), I be able to see what the hubbub is all about

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/22/23 at 11:54pm

If I could change one thing, I would reduce the size of Gussie’s role: but I still loved it.

[binau]

Posted: 11/23/23 at 6:06am

quizking101 your views somewhat reflect how I felt about this show before I saw this production and leads. Not sure if Mendez would fix some of the problems for you but I do think she is part of the fix of this show for me - and that when she was in it did feel like there were 3 leads rather than it just being Groff (although he does stand out and ultimately he probably is the main character). So I hope you have a chance to catch her (assuming you haven't already). 

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/23/23 at 7:16am

This is Frank's story. Without his conflict, straying from the group's ideals/goals/relationships, there is no conflict.

I took the whole things to be a reflective journey for Frank - figuring out why he has everything and is empty.  By the end, he has a glimmer of hope to do better.  

[inception]

Posted: 11/23/23 at 8:20am

quizking101 said:  I also never understood why Mary went into a drinking spiral over this perceived loss of Franklin as a potential lover, and the ending did nothing to even hint that they might’ve had a thing once upon a time.
 

I think there are a lot of holes, or at least unexplained pieces, to the plot.  I sort of got that the drinking comes from more than just Franklin - she's the author of one book that did well, but then hasn't followed it up. 

There is so much bs in this show about being disappointed in people who don't keep their artistic integrity.  But maybe that's just something beyond we mere mortals who have to be concerned about putting food on the table.

 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/23/23 at 10:20am

I've never felt the show browbeats us about artistic integrity despite it being one of its running themes.  By running backwards in time, I think it effectively shows snapshots of careers and their ups and downs, spotlighting moments of both idealism and money-making and how the tension between the two can affect relationships with others, as well as self-perception and fulfillment.

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 11/23/23 at 1:07pm

Jarethan said: "If I could change one thing, I would reduce the size of Gussie’s role: but I still loved it."

I saw the show in October only being familiar with the conceit and a few of the songs but I have to agree. 

The entire ensemble is fantastic with the main trio standing out but the size of Gussie's role did feel like it detracted from the center of the show being the three friends. 

I think her character worked more in Act 2 as her backstory is revealed. 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/23/23 at 4:09pm

Jarethan said: "If I could change one thing, I would reduce the size of Gussie’s role: but I still loved it."

I was just speaking to a friend who saw the revival this past weekend--I haven't seen it but know the filmed London production well, and have spent way too much of my life comparing the 1981 script with the various revisions...

Anyway, we both agreed that one place where the revision doesn't work for us is how they bumped up Gussie's role.  Also making her much more of a manipulative femme fatale/villainous type.  I love the Act II Good Thing Going opening, but less successful for me are, for example, her seduction of Frank in the Growing Up reprise (which my friend aptly described is underscores with "villain" music,) and the fact that in the revision she now seems keen on blinding Meg by throwing iodine at her (which WAS in the 1930s play, but in the 1981 script she just pushes Meg into the pool, which, I dunno, seems a bit less sinister and even more understandable a reaction to me.) 

I'm sure it's all done partly to make Frank more sympathetic ("look, it isn't entirely his fault he ended up with Gussie--she's aggressively manipulating him into it!") which doesn't work for me.

 

[inception]

Posted: 11/23/23 at 4:57pm

In that London production the actress playing Gussie is great.  She makes Gussie the only interesting character.  It will be interesting to see if Krystal Joy Brown has the same effect on me.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/24/23 at 7:47pm

inception said: "In that London production the actress playing Gussie is great. She makes Gussie the only interesting character. It will be interesting to see if Krystal Joy Brown has the same effect on me."

Josefina Gabrielle was so effective as Gussie; she gave her such incredible specificity and never once did I ever see her as sinister or a "villain" - just someone who wanted to be loved, admired, and happy. She played that she loved Frank. And it worked. The only change that doesn't quite tell the same story in this new iteration of Friedman's production is KJB. She's very good at her version of Gussie. Like, by all means it's a good performance. But Gabrielle purposefully chose to advocate for Gussie in a way that made the complexity of her arc so interesting. KJB leans a little more into a layer of conniving, which is delicious but also makes it hard to root for her in the beginning/end

Updated On: 11/24/23 at 07:47 PM