REVIEW REVIEW: 'Merrily We Roll Along' revival gets it right BRUCE R. MILLER Jun 14, 2024 Jun 14, 2024 Updated May 2, 2025 0 The cast of "Merrily We Roll Along." Matthew Murphy Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save BRUCE R. MILLER Sometime in 1981, I saw one of the 16 performances of “Merrily We Roll Along,” Stephen Sondheim’s flop musical.kAmxED >FD:4 H2D 8@@5[ 3FE :ED DE@CJ 5:5?’E >2<6 D6?D6] %@=5 :? C6G6CD6[ :E 762EFC65 H92E D66>65 =:<6 4@F?E=6DD 492C24E6CD[ 6249 H62C:?8 2 DH62ED9:CE H:E9 D@>6 <:?5 @7 :56?E:7:6C D@ J@F 4@F=5 F?56CDE2?5 H9@ H2D H9@] xE 5:5?’E H@C<]k^AmkAmx? E96 :?E6CG6?:?8 J62CD[ @E96CD 92G6 EC:65 E@ 7:I E96 AC@3=6>D 2?5 925 >2C8:?2= DF446DD] |@C6 C646?E=J[ 5:C64E@C |2C:2 uC:65>2? E@@< 2 D9@E 2E :E 2?5[ H:E9 $@?596:>’D 3=6DD:?8[ 7@F?5 2 H2J :?]k^Am kAmw6C G6CD:@? H@C<65 :? {@?5@? 2?5 ?@H[ :? }6H *@C<[ 86ED 2 G:4E@CJ =2A] %96 C6G:D65 “|6CC:=J” :D 2 5C62> D9@H[ DE:== E@=5 :? C6G6CD6[ 3FE D@=:5 7C@> 7:?:D9 E@ DE2CE]k^Am People are also reading… Friday Five: Caleb Wygal's life story is as good as his books Down payment aid package launches in Cabarrus County, expanding homeownership access Cabarrus Healthcare Foundation to 'Illuminate' the community at its 29th annual gala Art Walk on Union returns in Downtown Concord Saturday Trump signs executive action to pay TSA after Congress fails to agree on DHS funding Friday Five: Raising Cane's and Sheetz coming to Concord Recognize anyone in this 1950s Methodist Sunday School photo? Advocate Health plans drone network to deliver prescriptions, lab samples Student shoots a teacher at Texas high school before fatally shooting self, authorities say Friday Five New flights, new homes, pancakes and art Food Lion Feeds gives grant to help hungry Rowan-Cabarrus students Rowan-Cabarrus names its newest Student Ambassadors Hickory Ridge claims first swimming and diving conference titles It's Wes Miller time for Charlotte 49ers basketball Superhero to a hungry child - volunteers pack 50,000 meals at Charlotte Motor Speedway kAmy@?2E92? vC@77 DE2CD 2D uC2?<=:? $96A2C5[ 2 DF446DD7F= D@?8HC:E6C 2?5 AC@5F46C H9@’D 92C5=J 92AAJ H:E9 E96 DA@:=D @7 9:D DF446DD] w:D 7@C>6C 36DE 7C:6?5 – 2?5 HC:E:?8 A2CE?6C – 5@6D?’E E2=< E@ 9:>j E96:C 7C:6?5[ |2CJ[ :D 2? 246C3:4 4C:E:4 H:E9 2 5C:?<:?8 AC@3=6>]k^AmkAmpD E96 DE@CJ 4@?E:?F6D[ H6 =62C? H92E =65 E@ uC2?< 2?5 r92C=6J Ws2?:6= #254=:776X 7:89E:?8 2?5 H9J |2CJ W{:?5D2J |6?56KX DE2CE65 5C:?<:?8]k^Am kAmuC:65>2? >2<6D DFC6 6249 A6C:@5 5@6D?’E C6=J @? :?7@ H6 8@E :? 2?@E96C @?6] %92E >2<6D :E D66> =:<6 2 D6C:6D @7 @?6\24ED H9:49 255 FA E@ 2 H9@=6] %96 24E@CD 2=D@ 2AAC@249 6249 E:>6 A6C:@5 H:E9 ?6H 6J6D] vC@77[ :? A2CE:4F=2C[ :D@=2E6D E96 >@>6?ED 2?5[ F=E:>2E6=J[ >2<6D J@F H2?E 36EE6C 7@C uC2?<] #254=:776 >2<6D J@F 766= E96 =@DD @7 7C:6?5D9:A] w6 D@2CD H:E9 “uC2?<=:? $96A2C5 x?4][” 9:D 72DE\E2=<:?8 E2<6 @? uC2?<’D EC2?D7@C>2E:@?] |6?56K[ 9@H6G6C[ :D E96 D9@H’D C62= 8=F6] $96 4FED E9C@F89 E96 5C2>2[ D:K6D FA E96 D:EF2E:@?D 2?5 6>6C86D 2D E96 @?6 ECF6 7C:6?5]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack kAm(96? uC:65>2? 86ED E@ E96 DE2CE:?8 A@:?E – H96? E96 E9C66 H6C6 368:??:?8 E96:C 42C66CD – “|6CC:=J” :D D@ 7:==65 H:E9 9@A6[ C68C6E[ =@G6 2?5 2?86C :E’D :>A@DD:3=6 E@ 86E E9C@F89 E96 4=@D:?8 D@?8 H:E9@FE E62CD]k^Am kAmx?E6C6DE:?8=J[ E96 D9@H F?7@=5D @? 2 72:C=J 32C6 D6E] xE 5@F3=6D 2D >2?D:@?D 2?5 7:CDE 2A2CE>6?ED[ 2 qC@25H2J DE286 2?5 2 w@==JH@@5 9@>6] %96 C62= 5C2>2 4@>6D 7C@> E96 DFAA@CE:?8 492C24E6CD W2E @?6 A@:?E 42==65 “%96 q=@3”X H9@ 7=@2E :? 2?5 @FE @7 E96 EC:@’D D92C65 =:G6D]k^AmkAm%96J C67=64E E96 E:>6 A6C:@5D ?:46=J WH2:E F?E:= J@F D66 E96 ‘e_D @7 “q@33J 2?5 y24<:6 2?5 y24<”X 2?5 D9@H 9@H 4:C4F>DE2?46D 42? 492?86 6G6CJE9:?8]k^Am kAm%96 D@?8D – “}@E 2 s2J v@6D qJ[” “~FC %:>6” 2?5 “~A6?:?8 s@@CD” – A6C764E=J 42AEFC6 H92E uC:65>2? 92D 5@?6] %96 C6G6CD6 7@C>2E H@C<D 362FE:7F==J 2?5 >2<6D E96 DE@CJ D66> C:496C] xED 24E@CD[ 9@H6G6C[ 2C6 E96 D64C6E D2F46] vC@77[ #254=:776 2?5 |6?56K H@C< D@ 677@CE=6DD=J E@86E96C :E D66>D =:<6 E96J =:G65 :E]k^Am kAmp== E9C66 2C6 ?@>:?2E65 7@C %@?J pH2C5Dj 2== E9C66 D9@F=5 H:?] %9:D :D DF49 2 H6==\@:=65 >249:?6 ?@?6 @7 :ED AC65646DD@CD’ CFDE D9@HD]k^AmkAm(:E9 2 A6C764E 7@C>F=2[ :E D9@F=5 8:G6 @E96C 24E@CD 2 492?46 E@ D9@H 9@H E96J[ E@@[ 42? >2<6 2 a_\J62C C6=2E:@?D9:A EH:DE 2?5 EFC? 56DA:E6 :ED 4C24<D]k^Am kAm$@?596:> 925 2 8@@5 E9:?8 8@:?8] w6 ;FDE ?66565 uC:65>2? E@ 7:?5 E96 C:89E A2E9]k^Am kAmk6>m“|6CC:=J (6 #@== p=@?8” :D 2E E96 wF5D@? %962EC6 :? }6H *@C< E9C@F89 yF=J f]k^6>mk^Am Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal. 0 Comments Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Who will win at the 77th Annual Tony Awards? Think: 'Merrily' Sure, “Merrily” should haul home quite a few (including wins for its actors and director), but the Best Musical trophy could go to a show with… Movies in a Minute: "Jim Henson Idea Man” Movie critic Bruce Miller says "“Jim Henson Idea Man” shows how the puppeteer created the Muppets and Sesame Street. “Idea Man” scratches at t… 'The Outsiders' helps star and Tony nominee Brody Grant keep learning Playing Ponyboy, the 14-year-old focus of S.E. Hinton’s novel (and now musical) "The Outsiders," Brody Grant soaks in the Broadway lessons alm… REVIEW: 'Suffs' recalls the drive that fueled the Suffragist movement “Suffs” is so well structured it feels like it has been around for decades. It has hints of “1776” and a score that its all-female cast can be… REVIEW: 'The Outsiders' wows with performances, staging Like so many coming-of-age dramas, it should be riddled with cliches (and there are some) but the new adaptation sparks to life with inventive…
Who will win at the 77th Annual Tony Awards? Think: 'Merrily' Sure, “Merrily” should haul home quite a few (including wins for its actors and director), but the Best Musical trophy could go to a show with…
Movies in a Minute: "Jim Henson Idea Man” Movie critic Bruce Miller says "“Jim Henson Idea Man” shows how the puppeteer created the Muppets and Sesame Street. “Idea Man” scratches at t…
'The Outsiders' helps star and Tony nominee Brody Grant keep learning Playing Ponyboy, the 14-year-old focus of S.E. Hinton’s novel (and now musical) "The Outsiders," Brody Grant soaks in the Broadway lessons alm…
REVIEW: 'Suffs' recalls the drive that fueled the Suffragist movement “Suffs” is so well structured it feels like it has been around for decades. It has hints of “1776” and a score that its all-female cast can be…
REVIEW: 'The Outsiders' wows with performances, staging Like so many coming-of-age dramas, it should be riddled with cliches (and there are some) but the new adaptation sparks to life with inventive…
