Merrily We Roll Along
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Based on the Moss Hart play of the same name, Merrily tells the story of how three friends' lives and friendship devolve over the course of 20 years; it focuses particularly on Franklin Shepard, a talented composer of musicals who, over those 20 years, abandons his friends and songwriting career to become a producer of Hollywood movies. Like the play, the show's story moves in reverse chronology, beginning in 1976 at the friends' lowest moment and ending in 1957, at their youthful best. Lapine has worked on Merrily twice; first at La Jolla Playhouse, where he worked closely with Sondheim and Furth on a new updated version of the show following the show’s failure on Broadway.
Merrily We Roll Along
La Jolla Playhouse
Directed by James Lapine
June 16, 1985 - July 7, 1985
Ran for 24 Performances
Far from the pressures and scrutiny of Broadway, La Jolla Playhouse served as a safe harbor for Sondheim and Furth to return to Merrily after its initial Broadway failure and make the first of many attempts to make the show succeed. Directed by James Lapine, the production ran for 24 performances and featured Chip Zien, Heather MacRae, and John Rubinstein as Charley, Mary, and Frank. Furth streamlined the book, and Sondheim added and restored songs in this version (including “Growing Up” and “It’s a Hit”), while cutting others.
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Stephen Sondheim, Music and Lyrics
George Furth, Book
James Lapine, Director
Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Choreographer
Loren Sherman, Set Designer
Ann Hould-Ward, Costumes Designer
Beverly Emmons, Lighting Designer
Jonathan Tunick, Orchestrator
Michael Starobin, Musical Director
Peg Shierholz, Makeup and Hair Designer
John Kilgore, Sound Designer
Wendall Harrington, Projections
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John Rubenstein: Franklin Shepard
Chip Zien: Charley Kringas
Heather MacRae: Mary Flynn
Marin Mazzie: Beth
Mary Gordon Murray: Gussie
Merwin Goldsmith: Joe Josephson
Ralph Bruneau: Scotty/TV Newsman
Joy Franz: Terry/Reporter
B.J. Ward: Kate/Mrs. Spencer
Lawrence Raiken: Jerome/Minister
Rosalyn Rahn: Dory/Evelyn
Stephen McDonough: Ruben/Photographer
Dick Decareau: George/Mr. Spencer
Kathleen Rowe McAllen: Meg/TV Newswoman
Ray Gill: Tyler Horton
Merrily We Roll Along
Encores! at New York City Center
Directed by James Lapine
February 8, 2012 - February 19, 2012
Photos by Ari Mintz for The New York Times & Martha Swope
New York City Center’s Encores! series featured a staged concert of Merrily We Roll Along, with the roles of Charley, Mary, and Frank performed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Colin Donnell, respectively. Directed by James Lapine, this concert was mindful of Merrily’s history and borrowed revisions, cuts, and additions from its 1994, 1990, and 1985 productions.
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Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Directed by James Lapine
Conductor: Rob Berman
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Musical Staging: Dan Knechtges
Projection Design: Wendall K. Harrington
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Colin Donnell: Franklin Shepard
Lin-Manuel Miranda: Charley Kringas
Celia Keenan-Bolger: Mary Flynn
Adam Grupper: Joe Josephson
Betsy Wolfe: Beth Spencer
Elizabeth Stanley: Gussie Carnegie
Zachary Unger: Franklin Shepard, Jr.
Andrew Samonsky: Tyler
Ben Crawford: Terry
Mylinda Hull: Scotty
Rachel Coloff: Dory
Joseph Dela Cruz: Ru
Michael Winther: Jerome
Pearl Sun: KT
Patricia Noonan: Meg
Whit Baldwin: Bunker/Dancer
Jessica Vosk: TV Newswoman
Marja Harmon: Makeup Artist
Charlie Sutton: Photographer/Dancer
Sean McKnight & Karl Warden: Dancers
Michael X. Martin: Mr. Spencer
Colleen Fitzpatrick: Mrs. Spencer
Bernard Dotson: Minister
Kenita R. Miller: Audition Girl
Leah Horowitz: Evelyn
