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Identifier
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6030
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Title
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Merrily We Roll Along
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Description
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Merrily We Roll Along premiered on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre, now known as the Neil Simon Theatre. Instead of the typical out-of-town tryout production, the show had an extended preview period on Broadway that acted as a tryout. Previews were extended twice before it eventually premiered. It closed after 16 performances and 44 previews (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrily_We_Roll_Along_(musical)).
In subsequent years, the show has been extensively rewritten, with new songs written by Sondheim, and enjoyed new productions. The 2022 Off-Broadway production at New York Theatre Workshop transferred to Broadway in fall 2023, becoming the first Broadway revival of Merrily. The revival stars Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez and is directed by Maria Friedman. A film adaptation starring Paul Mescal, Beanie Feldstein, and Ben Platt is currently in development (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrily_We_Roll_Along_(musical)).
Synopsis from Playbill.com: "Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. An inventive cult-classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs. Maria Friedman first directed the musical at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory – a production that subsequently transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre, where it garnered the most five-star reviews in West End history before going on to win the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. The story of how a composer's idealism and friendships were corrupted by success is told backwards, starting with the disillusioned present and ending with their optimistic college years, in Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical, which is suggested by the George S. Kaufman-Moss Hart play." (https://www.playbill.com/production/merrily-we-roll-along-broadway-2023)
Run time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission (https://www.playbill.com/production/merrily-we-roll-along-broadway-2023)
Tony Award year: 1982
Number of nominations: 1
Number of wins: 0 (https://www.playbill.com/production/merrily-we-roll-along-alvin-theatre-vault-0000000877)
Tony Award year: 2024
Number of nominations: 7
Number of wins: Pending (https://www.playbill.com/production/merrily-we-roll-along-broadway-2023)
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Opening Date
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16 November 1981
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Source
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Merrily We Roll Along (1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart)
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Dates of Broadway performance run
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10 October 2023 - Present (Broadway Revival)
Hudson Theater
