Merrily We Roll Along

Merrily We Roll Along is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth, based on the 1934 Kaufman and Hart play of the same name, which was inspired by the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. The show premiered on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in 1981, starring Jim Walton, Ann Morrison, and Lonny Price, and was directed by Harold Prince, who also directed Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Evita. The musical explores the lives of three friends, Franklin Shepard, Mary Flynn, and Charley Kringas, as they navigate the challenges of adulthood and the entertainment industry, with references to Hollywood, Broadway, and the Golden Age of American television. The show features a unique reverse-chronological structure, with the story unfolding in reverse order, from the characters' disillusioned adulthood to their idealistic youth, echoing the narrative style of Citizen Kane and The Great Gatsby.

Background

The idea for Merrily We Roll Along was conceived by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, who were inspired by the Kaufman and Hart play and the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, as well as the works of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. The show was developed at the New York Shakespeare Festival, under the direction of Joseph Papp, who also produced A Chorus Line and The Pirates of Penzance. The musical features a complex, non-linear narrative structure, which explores the themes of friendship, love, and the corrupting influence of success, echoing the works of William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. The show's title is taken from a 19th-century vaudeville song, which was popularized by Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson, and has been referenced in numerous other works, including The Marx Brothers' Duck Soup and Woody Allen's Annie Hall.

Composition and Structure

The music and lyrics for Merrily We Roll Along were written by Stephen Sondheim, who is known for his complex, atonal compositions, as seen in Company and Follies. The show features a range of musical styles, from jazz and blues to rock and roll and show tunes, with references to the works of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. The book was written by George Furth, who also wrote the books for Company and The Act, and was influenced by the works of Noël Coward and Neil Simon. The show's structure is non-linear, with the story unfolding in reverse chronological order, from the characters' disillusioned adulthood to their idealistic youth, echoing the narrative style of Pinter and Beckett.

Productions

Merrily We Roll Along premiered on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in 1981, starring Jim Walton, Ann Morrison, and Lonny Price, and was directed by Harold Prince, who also directed West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. The show received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its innovative structure and music, while others found it confusing and overly ambitious, echoing the reception of Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle and Do I Hear a Waltz?. The show closed after 16 performances, but has since been revived and reinterpreted by numerous companies, including the Menier Chocolate Factory and the Roundabout Theatre Company, with productions starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez.

Music and Lyrics

The music and lyrics for Merrily We Roll Along were written by Stephen Sondheim, who is known for his complex, atonal compositions, as seen in Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods. The show features a range of musical styles, from jazz and blues to rock and roll and show tunes, with references to the works of Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein II. The lyrics are characterized by their wit, sophistication, and emotional depth, echoing the works of Cole Porter and Noël Coward. The show's songs, including "Not a Day Goes By" and "Old Friends," have become standards of the American musical theater repertoire, with recordings by Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Reception and Legacy

Merrily We Roll Along received mixed reviews from critics at the time of its premiere, but has since been reevaluated and recognized as a groundbreaking and influential work, echoing the reception of Sondheim's Assassins and Passion. The show's innovative structure and music have been praised by critics and scholars, including Frank Rich and John Lahr, who have compared it to the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. The show has also been influential in the development of the American musical theater, with its non-linear structure and complex characters influencing works such as Rent and Spring Awakening, with music by Jonathan Larson and Duncan Sheik.

Adaptations and Influences

Merrily We Roll Along has been adapted and reinterpreted in numerous ways, including a 2012 Encores! production starring Colin Donnell, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a 2013 Menier Chocolate Factory production starring Mark Umbers, Jenna Russell, and Damian Humbley. The show's music and lyrics have also been referenced and parodied in numerous other works, including The Simpsons and Family Guy, with references to the works of Sondheim and Furth. The show's influence can also be seen in the works of other musical theater composers and writers, including Jason Robert Brown and Michael John LaChiusa, who have cited Sondheim and Furth as major influences, along with Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents.