Tony-Winning Merrily We Roll Along Revival Now Available to Watch at New York Public Library—Is This What Was Filmed in June?

New York Public Library's Theatre on Film and Tape Archive has revealed that the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along is now available for viewing onsite at the library's Lincoln Center branch. We already knew that the show was filmed towards the end of its run in June. Is this the result of that filming?

Nope. According to NYPL's catalogue entry, the archive filming was captured March 29. The aforementioned filmings happened just after the Tony Awards in June, which only gives more reason to believe a commercial film release is upcoming (no official confirmation there, yet).

But then to be honest, we kind of always knew that. NYPL films most Broadway shows for its TOFT archive, which then become available to qualified researchers (more on how to gain access to that archive here). But these archival tapings are pretty different from commercially released live stage captures. NYPL films one single performance with three cameras, and a director in a separate space chooses camera angles live as well. Archival films are not allowed to have any non-live editing, and also do not adjust stage lighting or makeup.

Filmings intended for commercial release generally capture multiple performances, sometimes with altered lighting and makeup to improve the look of things on screen. Often there will be at least one day of filming on stage without an audience, as well, to allow for close-up shots.

That being said, if you're a theatre fan and find yourself in NYC, definitely check out NYPL's TOFT archive. It is an incredible resource that allows those interested to revisit historical productions dating back to the '70s. Shows only become available once the production has closed, so you can't check out The Lion King or Chicago with their original casts just yet. But the archive holds many treasures. Take a look by searching the catalogue here (limit your search to the "Performing Arts TOFT Theatre on Film & Tape" in the drop-down for best results).

READ: Meryl Streep in The Seagull, Raúl Esparza in Anyone Can Whistle: Inside the Extensive Theatre on Film and Tape Archives

The starry revival of Merrily We Roll Along, which was led by Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez, opened October 10, 2023, at the Hudson Theatre and completed its extended run July 7. Directed by Olivier winner Maria Friedman, the work features music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Furth. If a filmed performance of the revival is indeed commercially released, it would become the latest in a long line of Sondheim musicals to receive official stage films. Notably, it would actually be the second time this exact production of Merrily was filmed and commercially released. A film of the production's 2013 West End run was preserved with the London cast and released for on demand streaming by Digital Theatre. That film is currently unavailable officially.

Merrily's success at the 2024 Tony Awards marked the culmination of the musical's remarkable comeback story, from an infamously short-lived original production to a revival that became the hottest ticket in town. While the original Broadway production of Merrily only ran for 16 performances and 44 previews, this revival was regularly among the highest-grossing shows on Broadway. This revival won four 2024 Tony Awards, also including Best Orchestrations for Jonathan Tunick, Leading Actor in a Musical for Groff, and Featured Actor in a Musical for Radcliffe.