Merrily We Roll Along: Encores! announces cast

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Colin Donnell, Betsy Wolfe and Elizabeth Stanley are to star in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the first New York City Center Encores! production of the season, playing at New York City Center's Main Stage from 8 - 19 Feb 2012.

Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, is a musical about friendship and the compromise of youthful ideals, based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The musical begins in 1980 and moves backward in time, from 1980 - 1955, telling the story of three friends whose friendship is tested by time, events, ambition and fate.

Directed by James Lapine, Colin Donnell plays 'Franklin Shepard,' an idealistic young Broadway composer turned Hollywood mogul, and Celia Keenan-Bolger plays his loyal but disillusioned friend 'Mary Flynn.' Betsy Wolfe plays 'Beth,' Shepard's wife, and Elizabeth Stanley plays 'Gussie Carnegie', the star of Shepard's first Broadway hit.

The role of 'Charley Kringas' is still to be cast.

Merrily We Roll Along charts the rise of a songwriting team during the years of Sondheim's own early career, and includes the songs "Not a Day Goes By," "Old Friends," "Our Time" and "Opening Doors."

Although unsuccessful in its original 1981 Broadway production (which ran 16 performances at the Alvin Theatre), Merrily has gained stature and reputation over the ensuing years, beginning with a reconfigured version at the La Jolla Playhouse in California in 1985, directed by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine.

New York City Center's Encores! 2012 season will continue with Pipe Dream, based on John Steinbeck's novel 'Sweet Thursday,' with music by Richard Rodgers and, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, playing from 28 Mar - 1 Apr 2012.

The Encores! season concludes with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, adapted from the novel by Anita Loos, has a book by Anita Loos and Joseph Fields, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Leo Robin, playing from 9 - 13 May 2012.

Bios:

Colin Donnell (Franklin Shepard) is currently starring on Broadway as 'Billy Crocker' in 'Anything Goes.' His credits include the Broadway production of 'Jersey Boys' and the off-Broadway productions of 'Meet Me in St. Louis' and 'Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver.' Donnell played as 'Young Ben' in the Encores! production of 'Follies.'

Celia Keenan-Bolger (Mary Flynn) was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' and played 'Eponine' in the Broadway revival of 'Les Miserables.' She has appeared off-Broadway in 'Little Fishes' at Second Stage, 'Kindertransport' at Manhattan Theatre Club and 'Summer of '42' at Goodspeed Opera House. Keenan-Bolger was last seen at City Center in the Encores! production of 'Juno.'

Elizabeth Stanley (Gussie Carnegie) played 'April' in John Doyle's revival of 'Company' and starred in the Broadway productions of 'Million Dollar Quartet' and 'Cry-Baby.'

Betsy Wolfe (Beth) played 'Mary Ann Singleton' in the world premiere of 'Tales of the City,' based on Armistead Maupin's novels, with music by the Scissor Sisters. She was seen on Broadway in 'Everyday Rapture' and '110 in the Shade' at Studio 54, 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' and 'A Wonderful Life.'

James Lapine (Director, Merrily We Roll Along) wrote the books for and directed Sondheim's 'Sunday in the Park with George,' 'Into the Woods,' 'Passion' and the recent multi-media revue 'Sondheim on Sondheim.' He collaborated with William Finn on 'March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland,' later presented on Broadway as 'Falsettos,' as well as 'A New Brain,' 'Muscle' and the soon-to-be-produced 'Little Miss Sunshine.' His directing credits include 'Merrily We Roll Along' at the La Jolla Playhouse in California in 1985, and the Broadway productions of 'Golden Child,' 'The Diary of Anne Frank,' 'Dirty Blonde,' 'Amour' and 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.'