Think of Merrily We Roll Along as the show no one wants to let go. In revivals, regional productions, and concert form, the George Furth-Stephen Sondheim musical has been tinkered with, revised, and revitalized鈥攑ropelled both by its score (鈥淣ot a Day Goes By,鈥� 鈥淥ur Time,鈥� 鈥淥ld Friends鈥�) and a beloved original cast album. Now, a few years after offering a radical new take on Sondheim鈥檚 Into the Woods, Fiasco Theatre Company brings its interpretation of Merrily We Roll Along to Roundabout Theatre Company鈥檚 Laura Pels Theatre Off-Broadway, where it officially opened February 19.
Newly streamlined to one act and a cast of six鈥攊ncluding Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld, co-artistic directors with the show鈥檚 director Noah Brody鈥攖his may be the work鈥檚 most radical reinvention yet. And the process began four years ago with a meeting between Fiasco鈥檚 directors and Sondheim.
鈥淗e generously gave us access to all the archived versions of the script drafts from the original 1981 production, including cut scenes and songs,鈥� says Austrian. 鈥淪o there are some scenes and songs in our production that have never been seen onstage, or haven鈥檛 been seen onstage in 37 years. He also spoke about the original Kaufman and Hart play [of the same name] and what drew them to want to adapt it, so with his and the Kaufman and Hart estate鈥檚 blessing we also interpolated some of the text from the play.鈥�
Additionally, much of the story is now told physically during transitions鈥攚hich often encompass a number of years narratively鈥攖hanks to choreographer Lorin Latarro (Waitress). And, unusually for a revival, the production was workshopped for over three years, a process that Steinfeld calls essential. 鈥淲e reinvestigate every show we work on, whether it鈥檚 by Sondheim or Shakespeare,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e treat each piece almost as if it were a new play.鈥� That thoroughness is what has quickly distinguished Fiasco as a company.
鈥�Merrily is an excellent example of how an individual project evolves, and how its needs push us to grow as creative artists,鈥� says Brody.
Merriliy We Roll Along plays at Off-Broadway鈥檚 Laura Pels Theatre (111 W 46th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) in a limited engagement run, with previews from January 12, an opening night February 19, and closing scheduled for April 7, 2019.
Ben Steinfeld, Manu Narayan, and Jessie Austrian in the Roundabout's 2019 Off-Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along
