In which we roll along Merrily

I have this wonderful memory of seeing the revival of Kaufman and Hart’s original Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway in the 70s, thus beginning my relationship with the show. Alas, my research has uncovered that Merrily was never revived on Broadway, in the 70s or at any other time. My guess is that I am confusing it with Once in a Lifetime. Oh well. At least I got the Kaufman and Hart part right. 

I do know, however, that I first saw the original musical show at a revival at the Donmar Warehouse in London. This was 2000, and the show pulled down an Olivier for Best Musical. It was a small venue, and it was, as far as I could tell, roughly the original version of the show, with the leads played by young people going back in time. I certainly knew the original score from the record, and could bum-bum-bum-di-dum along with the whole show. The fact that we were in London and this Sondheim rarity was there at the same time made seeing it an imperative. Back then you got your Sondheim wherever you could.

We later went on to see the version of the Menier Chocolate Factory production on the West End. Half-price tickets at Leicester Square and the next thing you know, there’s this whole new and way better play, different music, a great show, mature actors going back in time making for a much better fit. I don’t think this was terribly different from the Roundabout version at roughly the same time, aside, of course, from being fully staged. Merrily had been revolutionized. It could raise its head as one of Sondheim’s best. 

I did not see the Harry Potter version in the theater, but instead this week saw the film of that version. It’s changed some more, but it’s fairly well set now as what I’ve already seen. I enjoyed it, of course, and all the actors were great, especially Lindsay Mendez, although while Radcliffe and Groff did manage to collect a pair of Tonys, Mendez, who was nominated, lost out to Kecia Lewis. So it goes. (Mendez did win one in 2018, so it’s not like her mantelpiece is exactly bare.) But while I enjoyed the movie, which was sold out because someone at our local art house doesn’t understand what people will do to see a Sondheim show and therefore scheduled too few screenings, I didn’t love it. It is, precisely, a filmed play. What this should mean is that we, the film audience, get to see the play that the theater audience was watching. But for reasons that I understand but don’t agree with, the director has chosen to focus in way too much on one performer at a time, regardless of the number of people on stage at that time. It’s not as if the other performers turn their backs and have a quick smoke and check their phones while the lead performer is singing or whatever. It’s an ensemble. I want to see the ensemble. I want to see the whole thing. I don’t want to miss anything. In this version, you miss a lot. 

Anyhow, the question raised above is one that will keep Companyheads up at night. What are the top 5 Sondheim musicals? Should that include only Sondheim words and music, or should we count the pure lyrics ones? Should you allow the film versions to shade your opinion? I mean, Sweeney Todd with no chorus is, as far as I’m concerned, no Sweeney Todd at all. Does the documentary of the recording of Company cast album count? All I know for sure is that in my listing, I do not include Passion. Do you?