Merrily We Roll Along (c) Sony Pictures Classics
Film: Merrily We Roll Along
In Cinemas
As we wait for Richard Linklater’s film version of the Stephen Sondheim musical, Merrily We Roll Along, with the estimated release date of 2039 (!), we get a fine alternative with the live capture of the hit Broadway revival from 2024. Why is the film adaptation going to take so long to be released? It’s because the action of the film, about the trials and tribulations of a trio of friends, takes place between 1976 to 1957 (oh, right, the story is told backwards in time), and Linklater will be filming the scenes in real time, as he did with his film, Boyhood, so stars Paul Mescal, Ben Platt, and Beanie Feldstein will age before our eyes on screen. Thankfully, the Tony Award-winning revival, has been directed for the screen by the Broadway revival director Maria Friedman, and she has captured what made this production such a success: the actors. Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe (both Tony winners) and Lindsey Mendez (Tony nominated) star as friends with most of the action centering on Frank (Groff), a successful composer turned film director, whose success (and many personal dramas) takes a toll on his former musical collaborator Charley (Radcliffe) and Mary (Medez), a writer who has always been in love with Frank. The funny thing about the musical is that it’s advertised as a story about these three, but a character who has more stage time is Gussie (Krystal Joy Brown), a fame hungry actress who marries Frank for his talent…I mean love. This version really solidifies Gussie’s status as the villain of the piece, getting more motivation than Charley (sullen and rejected) and Mary (drunk and rejected) in George Furth’s script. But Charley does get the showstopping number, “Franklin Shepard, Inc.” which Radcliffe performs with relish, and Medez’s acid line reading in the first scene is her highlight. But it’s all Groff’s show, and he doesn’t shy away from Frank’s selfish tendencies. The songs are all well-sung and will be ear worms for days after you see it. I saw the production off-Broadway but decided to pay my rent instead of seeing it again with Broadway prices. If you missed it as well, this presentation is a perfect (and affordable) way to enjoy this Sondheim show.
