Merrily We Roll Along

I went and saw this totally on a whim with next to zero knowledge of the show. Wow. The only Sondheim play I’ve seen before this is in the form of both West Side Story movies. This was BRILLIANT! The credits rolled and I was legitimately stunned by how amazing the whole thing was. As someone who is BIG into musicals, but hasn’t broken into the more niche side of the genre yet, this was a real gift (it was the day after my birthday too).

Full disclosure, I am still NOT familiar with the history of this show at all besides the fact that it flopped when it premiered and that it’s been majorly reworked over the years, culminating in this production which is considered the best.

Where do I even start?! The reverse chronological order was PERFECT structurally! It constantly kept me engaged and the irony was so palpable throughout the whole show, as each unfolding scene revealed something new that was visibly absent in the previous one. I appreciated the neat title cards the pro-shot had. They were very aesthetically cool-looking and matched the scenes well.

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reactions to the cinematography and editing. I’m here to say… I loved it. Now, I’ve watched some other pro-shots so I’m aware of what a lot of people say is the “correct” way you’re supposed to film a musical. However, I take issue with people saying the closeup focus in this is off putting or bad. I thought it was an EXCEPTIONAL choice. It felt extremely thematically appropriate that a show focused on the intimate relationship of three friends be viewed through the lens of closeup. I loved getting to hold on reactions from Jonathan Groff and others to really soak in the emotion. I get the reason why people would want a wider angle to view, but, and maybe it’s just me, when it comes to pro-shots for shows like this which aren’t really that choreography or set focused, I think the choices made here really pay off and created a unique experience that REALLY stuck with me. Special shout out for the lighting of this too because it was SPECTACULAR!

Then there’s the cast. I loved EVERYONE! Jonathan Groff was sooooo amazing and reminded me why I need to see more of his stuff outside of Hamilton and Mindhunter. Daniel Radcliffe SERIOUSLY impressed me! I had no idea he had singing chops like that. His mannerisms that he gave the character were great. Franklin Shepherd Inc. was the exact moment I realized I was in for a banger of a show. Lindsay Mendez was a blast and I appreciated how expressive and theatrical her performance in particular was. Her character is the heart of the show in so many ways too. So many others in the cast that I can’t go into detail here for the sake of length, but trust me, I loved them all!

I don’t know if it’s a hot take or anything, but I honestly can’t think of anything I would’ve changed about this as a musical. For a show that supposedly flopped when it originally opened, I was left thoroughly impressed by every aspect. I definitely need Sondheim pro-shot recommendations asap (god I wish the new Sweeney was filmed so I could finally experience that show). Also I’m super interested to learn about the history of this show and what exactly has been changed over the years. So if anyone knows where best I can do that I would be greatly appreciative.

I’ve read the script, listened to the soundtrack, and watched a bunch of clips from the current production.

I’m struggling to see anything as amazing as people are making it out to be. It’s Sondheim so of course it’s GOOD, but I can’t help but feel like a lot of the overwhelming “this is the best thing to happen on Broadway” praise for this show is caused by the names in it and not the actual content of the show. I wanted to love it but I just really didn’t based on what I’ve seen, and I can’t imagine seeing it live makes that much of a difference (although I’m sure it is better).