If you've been on the message boards, you've probably seen that signs outside the Hudson Theatre have been up for days that indicate performances of Merrily We Roll Along are being filmed, and likely for a commercial release. Of course, nothing official has been announced. Yet.
"The show producers are filming their production of Merrily for posterity," said a production spokesperson in a statement to Playbill. "That doesn’t happen very often. We’ll see what happens." Playbill will continue to follow the story as it develops.
If the 2024 Tony-winning revival were filmed and 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 (intrepid visitors to a certain pipe-related streamer might be able to find it, but you didn't hear that from us).
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Merrily's Tony win last weekend marked the culmination of the musical's remarkable comeback story, from an infamously short-lived original production to a revival that's the hottest ticket in town. While the original Broadway production of Merrily only ran for 16 performances and 44 previews, this revival is 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 Jonathan Groff, and Featured Actor in a Musical for Daniel Radcliffe.
Watch: An Oral History of Merrily We Roll Along's Journey From Flop to Tony-Nominated Hit
This revival of Merrily We Roll Along opened October 10, 2023, at the Hudson Theatre, where it will continue through July 7. Directed by Olivier winner Maria Friedman, the work features music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Furth.
The revival stars Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn. The trio are all reprising their performances from the production's sold-out 2022 Off-Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop, along with Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. Max Rackenberg, Rocco Van Auken, and Brady Wagner share the role of Frank Jr.
The company also includes Sherz Aletaha, Maya Boyd, Leana Rae Concepcion, Ken Krugman, Corey Mach, Talia Simone Robinson, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Brian Sears, Evan Alexander Smith, Christian Strange, Vishal Vaidya, Natalie Wachen, and Jacob Keith Watson. Rounding out the company as swings are Morgan Kirner, Amanda Rose, and Koray Tarhan. Casting is by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger.
Based on the George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart play of the same name, Merrily We Roll Along tracks the lives of three friends navigating the entertainment industry over three decades in reverse chronological order. Sondheim's score includes such songs as "Old Friends," "Now You Know," "Franklin Shepard, Inc.," "Good Thing Going," and "Not a Day Goes By." A revival cast recording was released January 12.
READ: Hey, Old Friend: Lindsay Mendez Returns to Broadway With Merrily We Roll Along
The production features choreography by Tim Jackson and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Scenic and costume design are by Soutra Gilmour, with lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, sound design by Kai Harada, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan, music supervision by Catherine Jayes, music direction by Joel Fram, associate music supervision by Alvin Hough, Jr., and music coordination by Kristy Norter.
Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Patrick Catullo, and Jeff Romley lead the revival's producing team.
