MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG - Blu-Ray

Rating 5 out of 5

Merrily We Roll Along proves itself to be one of the most profound musicals in Broadway history with the stellar performances of Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez who are all giving career best performances, that under the brilliant direction of Maria Friedman who captures the trials and tribulations of the story’s central friendship with an emotional rawness, is now immortalized in this magnificent pro-shoot that gives the production an undeniable cinematic flair.

Stephen Sondheim is one of Broadway’s most legendary composers and lyricists, having written the lyrics for West Side Story and the music and lyrics for Into the Woods, whose musicals are still continuously performed around the world today. In recent years, his musicals have seen great success with revivals, notably with the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford and the gender swapped West End production of Company with Rosalie Craig, Patti LuPone and Jonathan Bailey, but the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along proved to be the best of them all and continued to course correct the history of one of Sondheim’s (now) most beloved musicals. While it originally debuted on Broadway back in 1981 under the direction of Hal Prince and closed after only 16 performances, Merrily We Roll Along finally returned to Broadway in 2023 starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez after an incredibly successful Off-Broadway run, which went on to win four Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, and for both Groff and Radcliffe. Unraveling the central friendship in reverse chronological order, starting with its tragic ending and working back to its hopeful beginnings, this Sondheim musical is never short of marvelous musical numbers that feature the uncontrollable talents of Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez, delivering a true treasure of a pro-shoot for musical theatre lovers to cherish for years.

Having been lucky enough to see this production live in New York in 2024, not enough praise can be given to this production of Merrily We Roll Along and its cast, and it is not lost for a second within this pro-shoot. Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez are absolute dynamite together, creating an unforgettable trio on stage as Frank, Charley and Mary with their infectious energy that captures their shared dreams as friends which brings to life the musical numbers, especially the showstopping “Old Friends.” As their friendship fractures, the years of memories, difficulties and love that created the seemingly unbreakable bond between them that Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez evoke in their performances makes their clashes all the more devastating as you see the undeniable love and support in the early years, giving the entire story a bittersweet tone as the play reaches its conclusion.

Individually, each of them is equally as brilliant in their performances, marking what is without question the best performance of each of their careers. Groff is compelling as Frank, creating the drive for success within Frank that is constantly in clash with his creative side, leading to a lonely man regretting where his life has taken him who would do anything to choose a different path. While never losing that spark that drives Frank to be successful, there is a haunting aspect to Groff’s performance that helps to frame the show’s central themes in addition to his phenomenal voice that blends perfectly with the dynamic and genius of Sondheim’s songs. Radcliffe captures the quirky energy of the creative genius that is Charley, not concerned about money or success, solely focused on his art and friendship with Frank and Mary. With a vulnerability that audiences are not used to seeing from Radcliffe, his performance has an emotional rawness that makes “Franklin Shepard, Inc.” a devastating yet hilarious showstopper as you see his friendship with Frank shatter in real time, but also a longingness to “Good Thing Going” in a beautiful moment that makes the destruction of their friendship all the more heartbreaking. And Mendez’s is heart wrenching as Mary, forever in love with one of her best friends but always relegated to the friend zone, leading to her own tragic ending, while bringing a wicked comedic timing to the production that creates the ever dependable and lovable Mary.

In restaging this Sondheim musical for a new generation, director Maria Friedman brings a vibrancy to the musical that blends toe tapping musical numbers and an emotional journey for the central trio. Never shying away from the emotional devastation, longingness and hope that propels the friendship of Frank, Charley and Mary, Friedman keeps the emotions front and centre with the performances she evokes from her cast, creating a profoundly moving experience for the audience as they watch this friendship unfold in reverse chronological order. Combined with Jonathan Tunick’s orchestrations which captures the energy, genius and depth of Sondheim’s original songs, Merrily We Roll Along comes to life like never before in an extraordinary production that captures all the magic, wonder and excitement of live theater.

But as a pro-shoot, all the credit goes to the film’s editor and cinematographer. Forgoing the traditional pro-shoot formula that captures the entire stage and the entirety of the ensemble, cinematographer Sam Levy gives viewers an intimate closeness to the characters, allowing the emotions of their performance to light up the screen and bring to life this unforgettable story of three old friends. Spencer Averick’s editing keeps the energy high within the musical numbers, switching between the show’s stars and the larger ensemble, never losing the electrifying feeling of a live musical, but when combined with Levy’s cinematography, it elevates this pro-shoot and makes it feel like a cinematic event. Cementing itself as the definitive production of Merrily We Roll Along, this pro-shoot will be worshiped by musical theatre lovers for decades to come, creating an insurmountable standard for any future live production or film adaptation of the show to be measured up against.

Stephen Sondheim musicals will continue to be performed on stage and adapted into films for decades to come, due to their timeless nature and enchanting melodies that have proven the test of time, time and time again. But, there is something special about Merrily We Roll Along that makes this musical standout amongst his legendary collection, and Maria Friedman finds that magic in her staging that sees the musical return to Broadway and claim the glory it deserved when it premiered over four decades ago. Led by powerhouse performances from Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Linsday Mendez who are individually at the top of their games and create an infectious and joyous dynamic as a trio that defines this production, Maria Friedman’s staging of Merrily We Roll Along is not only a legendary production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical, but this pro-capture immortalizes it with intimate cinematography and powerful editing that captures every emotional high and low of these three old friends for the musical theatre history books!