Merrily We Roll Along
music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
book by George Furth
based on the original play by
George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart
directed by Noah Brody
We were so excited to return to our residency at Roundabout Theatre Company to produce our reimagined version of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along in the winter and spring of 2019.
We had the immense privilege of working directly with Stephen Sondheim, who gave us access to his musical archives and even unproduced material to help us crack the show's code. By paring the cast down to just six actors and a terrific eight-piece band, we were able to create an intimate and emotionally resonant production that focused on the friendship between Frank, Charley, and Mary.
We poured our hearts into this project, and it was a joy to explore such a complex story with our unique, actor-driven approach.
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
book by George Furth
music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
January 12—April 14, 2019
Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, Laura Pels Theatre
presented by Fiasco Theater and Roundabout Theatre Company
Fiasco Theater; Jessie Austrian, Noah Brody, Ben Steinfeld, Co-Artistic Directors
Roundabout Theatre Company; Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO; Sydney Beers, Executive Producer; Christopher Burney, Artistic Producer
Merrily We Roll Along, a beloved musical about friendship and the high price of success, was presented by Fiasco in a new, streamlined production. The show was performed with a cast of six actors and an eight-piece band, allowing for an intimate and emotionally resonant exploration of the relationships at its core. By scaling the production down, Fiasco was able to focus on the story's emotional honesty.
Featuring
Jessie Austrian, Brittany Bradford, Paul L. Coffey, Manu Narayan, Ben Steinfeld, and Emily Young.
Understudies
Jennifer Blood, Nicole Ferguson, Joe Joseph, and Nicholas Ryan.
Creative Team
Director: Noah Brody
Choreographer: Lorin Latarro
Music Director/Orchestrations & New Arrangements: Alexander Gemignani
Scenic Design: Derek McLane
Costume Design: Paloma Young
Lighting Design: Christopher Akerlind
Sound Design: Peter Hylenski
Production Stage Manager: Mark Dobrow
Music Contractor: Meg Zervoulis
Singing and Alexander Technique Consultant: Kathryn Armour
The list above includes the core creative team, but is not comprehensive. We are grateful and lucky to have worked with everyone who made Fiasco Theater’s Merrily We Roll Along possible, from the teams backstage and front of house to design associates and interns, and all of you, our community and audience members.
*All performers in this production were members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Reviews & Press
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“Fiasco Theater, the breezily creative group which favored us with an altogether nifty production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods at the Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre in 2015, returns to 46th Street with an even more exciting and creatively successful Merrily We Roll Along.”
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“So many directors, along with Stephen Sondheim himself, have tried to get Merrily We Roll Along right. And we the faithful return, hoping that this time it will all come together like, well you know, like old friends. And hooray, the revival that has opened at the Roundabout’s cozy Laura Pels Theatre is simply exhilarating. A monumental achievement on an intimate scale, it should finally, and firmly, place the 1981 Merrily in the firmament of era-defining musicals.”
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“Finally it seems someone has gotten it close to right. Fiasco, the resident company at the Roundabout Theatre Company, may not have solved all the show's problems, but the innovative company has come up with an entertaining, enjoyable production that revitalizes the bittersweet story of three people who were friends, then partners, then strangers.”
- Newsday
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"I quickly fell under its spell. theatrically effective, smart and emotionally wrenching, with an exquisitely crafted and heartfelt Sondheim score."
- Matt Windman, AMNY
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“Not only did Sondheim offer his blessing on Merrily, he became an artistic collaborator three years ago when Fiasco began workshopping the piece. He shared his musical archives including his rehearsal drafts and songs that never made it on stage.”
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Stephen Sondheim joins the Fiasco Artistic Directors to discuss “Merrily We Roll Along”
Opening Doors (Jessie Austrian, Manu Narayan, Ben Steinfeld)
Good Thing Going (Manu Narayan, Ben Steinfeld)