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Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway
Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway Tickets

Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway Tickets

New York
19 Sep 2023 - 21 Jan 2024
See Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez in a Sondheim classic.

Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway Information

Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez star in the first revival of Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway following a sold-out run at New York Theatre Workshop. Get Merrily We Roll Along tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Merrily We Roll Along is a musical about 20 years in the lives of three old friends: Broadway composer-turned-film producer Franklin Shepard, playwright and lyricist Charley Kringas, and theatre critic Mary Flynn. The show charts how their friendship devolves and fractures in the course of two decades as a result of Frank's relentless quest for success, fame, and fortune.

Merrily We Roll Along goes in reverse chronological order, beginning when Frank is a successful but shallow producer whose choices have distanced him from his true composing talents and lifelong friends. The show ends when he, Charley, and Mary are young, bright-eyed, and meeting for the first time, when Frank and Charley become a writing duo and Mary meets them when she hears the beautiful music coming from their apartment. In the meantime, we also see Frank's romantic and professional relationships get turned inside out, too.

The musical is based on a 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The Merrily We Roll Along musical changed the names and professions of its principal characters: playwright Richard Niles became Franklin, painter Jonathan Crale became Charley, and novelist Julia Glenn became Mary.

Adapting the story of Merrily We Roll Along into a musical also allowed composer Stephen Sondheim to be inventive with style and structure. To fit the reverse-chronological-order setup, he puts reprises of songs before their "original" versions, and he repeats some themes and sounds in different songs to mimic how memories from one's youth take on difference resonances over time.

Sondheim collaborated with bookwriter George Furth and director Hal Prince for the original production of Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway in 1981. It was the trio's second collaboration after the greatly successful Company — which, coincidentally, was just revived on Broadway in the 2021-22 season. The debut of Merrily We Roll Along in New York was not as successful initially; the show closed after 52 previews and 16 performances.

Since then, however, the show underwent extensive rewrites and has become a classic, spawning multiple Off-Broadway revivals and a London production that earned the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. This production of Merrily We Roll Along isn't even the only star-studded production currently in the works — a film adaptation starring Paul Mescal, Beanie Feldstein, and Ben Platt has begun filming and will shoot over the course of 20 years.

Merrily We Roll Along and Company join Assassins and Into the Woods in the list of recent Sondheim revivals in New York. Classic Stage Company mounted Assassins in winter 2021, and Into the Woods played New York City Center as part of the Encores! musical revival series ahead of a limited Broadway engagement in summer 2022. Between the Merrily Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, Sondheim's Sweeney Todd is getting a 2023 Broadway revival.

How long is Merrily We Roll Along?

Merrily We Roll Along runs 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission.

How can I get Merrily We Roll Along tickets?

Tickets to Merrily We Roll Along are available on New York Theatre Guide. Get Merrily We Roll Along Broadway tickets now.

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Opening date

September 19th, 2023

Closing date

January 21st, 2024

Categories

Musicals, Broadway

Venue

Hudson Theatre

Cast and creative

By: George Furth, adapted from the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
Songs by: Stephen Sondheim
Director: Maria Friedman
Choreography: Tim Jackson
Cast list: Daniel Radcliffe (as Charley Kringas), Jonathan Groff (as Franklin Shepard), Lindsay Mendez (as Mary Flynn), Krystal Joy Brown (as Gussie Carnegie), Katie Rose Clarke (as Beth), Reg Rogers (as Joe Josephson)

Our review

Does anyone still pinky swear? While watching the often stirring Merrily We Roll Along led by Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez, that question keeps popping up. It has each time I’ve seen the show on stage – and this version makes four since 1994. In 1981, this Stephen Sondheim musical started out as a dud, but it also introduced some of the composer/lyricist’s most enduring songs — “Not a Day Goes By” and “Good Thing Going” among them. The three stars' repeated interlocking...

Latest Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway News & Features

It started out like a flop – a big one. In late 1981, the new Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along had really good things going for it. The show boasted music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by George Furth, and direction by Harold Prince, proven talents each and all. Yet the show opened and closed after 16 performances. Over four-plus decades, multiple people, including Sondheim, have revised and restaged the show. The goal was to bring the messy script – drawn from a 1934 play and...

It's a hit! Merrily We Roll Along's first Broadway revival will begin performances at the Hudson Theatre on September 19, and tickets are available now. Get Merrily We Roll Along tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez star in Merrily We Roll Along as Frank, Charley, and Mary, a trio of friends whose bond fractures over the course of 20 years. The story of how fame and money break them apart is told in reverse chronological order. The starry trio...

It's a hit! Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along may have gotten off to a rocky start, but in the years since its ill-fated premiere in 1981, the show has become a bonafide classic that's celebrated for its gorgeous score and timeless themes of friendship and hope — and how money and fame can derail them. In 2012, director Maria Friedman revived Merrily We Roll Along in London, reinventing the musical into a smashing success. Her production made its NYC debut in 2022 to...

UPDATE: Merrily We Roll Along will play Broadway's Hudson Theatre for 18 weeks only, beginning September 19. Additional ensemble casting has also been updated below. It's a hit! The Off-Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, currently running at New York Theatre Workshop, will transfer to Broadway in fall 2023. The Maria Friedman-directed production will feature its three current stars: Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay...

Daniel Radcliffe does it all. His film credits include everything from blockbuster franchises to quirky indie flicks. His stage credits span classic musicals, offbeat dramas, punchy comedies, and more. And he's done it all globally, making Radcliffe a household name all around the world. His theatre career in particular keeps the English actor hopping between New York and London, and his latest gig on this side of the pond is in a buzzy revival of Merrily We Roll Along at New York Theatre...