Merrily We Roll Along and Along and Along

 

The late Stephen Sondheim is usually a big hit or a big miss with me.   His legendary "Company" remains one of my favorite musical comedies.  At the same time, he's done others like "Pacific Overtures" and "A Little Night Music" that bore me to tears.

And then there's "Merrily We Roll Along."  It was a big miss with a lot of people when it first opened in 1980.   Indeed, I believe it famously closed after two weeks and, this despite, having one dynamite production number "Old Friends."  Perhaps it didn't find an audience because it was so damn cynical.  Or maybe it was the show's format where action went into reverse.   Who knows?  But bomb it did like Enola Gay.

Now, my first exposure to it was a small production staged in Los Angeles.   It was okay but I could see where the complaints might lie.  Lots of people have tried to revive the show numerous times...looking for the right formula for success.

And now Maria Freedman may have done that with the Broadway production now winding up its run at the Hudson Theater.  This, on top, of a bunch of Tony Award wins.

I think the only thing that Freedman did to make this production finally shine was by casting some Broadway star power into the three leads.  The likes of Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe infuse the show with such energy that it can't help but succeed.

Indeed, the problems are still there.  It's missing one or two more big splash production numbers.  The reverse plot still takes a bit to get used to.  And there's two or three scenes too many.

But the crowd I was with loved it and forty five years later, "Merrily" is finally a hit.

Sort of.

Dinner last night:  Turkey salad.