What's your favorite recording of Merrily? Radcliffe? Heller? Esparza? Miranda? Original?

There's the original! Which is pretty good.

The Raul Esparza Merrily was in 2002 at the Kenney Center, with Michael Hayden and Miriam Shor in the other 2 lead roles. Emily Skinner also played Gussie.

Here's the full info: https://www.abouttheartists.com/productions/22046-merrily-we-roll-along-at-the-eisenhower-theater-at-the-john-f-kennedy-center-for-the-performing-arts-2002

The 1994 cast recording, if that's what you're thinking of, is from the York production, starring Adam Heller as Charlie

https://www.abouttheartists.com/productions/30027-merrily-we-roll-along-at-the-theater-at-st-peters-may-26-july-17-1994

Updated On: 11/18/23 at 12:28 PM

binau said: "I’m quite sure Raul Esparza played Charlie in 2002 at the Kennedy Center and there is no recording."

Correct (except "Charley"), opposite Michael Hayden and Miriam Shor. No official recording, but videos are easy to find.

You should at least give the original cast recording a try before saying that conclusively.

muscle23ftl said: "I have been listening to the latest version of Merrily and even though it's passable, no other recording is as good as the 1994 version to me."

Passable? Well, ok then.

binau said: "I’m quite sure Raul Esparza played Charlie in 2002 at the Kennedy Center and there is no recording."

There is a bootleg out there that isn't great. And some youtube videos. Still the Franklin Shepard, Inc. I compare all others to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3RAF6jqOYc

Thanks Chris Huyen for the information. I may check out the recording with Maria.

I have been listening to the original, the new revival. 1994 is still the best, but Encores! is the 2nd best, with Elizabeth Stanley and Betsy Wolfe. Who are perfect in every possible way. But Michelle Pawk is perfection too. The 2023 casting is just a disaster for the characters of Gussie and Beth.

OK, I changed my mind, I was listening to Celia Keenan Bolger and her Mary is the absolute best, when I saw the show live, I thought she was weak as Mary, then I realized she is an absolute skilled actress who really digs very deep in her characters and that's why she played the role, the way she did.

Anyway, the recording with Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Grupper, Elizabeth Stanley and Betsy Wolfe, and featuring a 23-piece orchestra conducted by Rob Berman is my new #1 favorite recording of Merrily. The 1994 is a close second though. The original sounds too vintage for me, but I love that Jason Alexander was in it.

Updated On: 11/26/23 at 11:23 PM

muscle23ftl said: "OK, I changed my mind, I was listening to Celia Keenan Bolger and her Mary is the absolute best, when I saw the show live, I thought she was weak as Mary, then I realized she is an absolute skilled actress who really digs very deep in her characters and that's why she played the role, the way she did.

Anyway, the recording with Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Grupper, Elizabeth Stanley and Betsy Wolfe, and featuring a23-piece orchestraconducted by Rob Berman is my new #1 favorite recording of Merrily. The 1994 is a close second though. The original sounds too vintage for me, but I love that Jason Alexander was in it."

I thought Celia Keenan-Bolger was pretty wonderful too but I remember reading somewhere that she didn't like her performance in the role. She felt she was not great in the role and perhaps went as far as feeling that she was miscast.