Film Review: Merrily We Roll Along

Review by Daz Gale

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When it comes to musical movies, the world may still be repurposing their broomsticks and delivering their best battle cries, much to their neighbours annoyance, but Wicked isn’t the only film hoping to bring a bit of musical theatre to the masses this festive season, as the recent Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along heads to cinemas

You may have heard of another Merrily We Roll Along film currently in production, starring Paul Mescal, Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein. That is being filmed over 20 years so is about another 15 years away. If you’re wondering why that is so long, that is because Merrily We Roll Along takes place over the course of 20 years, starting in 1977 and working its way backwards to 1957. Centred around composer Franklin Shepard, it starts showing the end of his relationship with his two best friends, before revealing the key moments that led to those relationships to sour, culminating with the start of their supposed lifelong friendship.

Based on the 1934 play of the same name, Sondheim’s musical adaptation premiered on Broadway in 1981. It later crossed the Atlantic, receiving its off-West End premiere in 2000. The production of Merrily We Roll Along that you will see in cinemas has its origins in the show’s much-belated West End debut in 2013. Directed by Maria Friedman, it transferred from the Menier Chocolate Factory to the Harold Pinter Theatre — but that wasn’t the end of its journey. Nine years later, this revival travelled to America, beginning off-Broadway before its acclaimed, Tony Award-winning Broadway run in 2023. That revival was filmed before it closed last year, and it is now available for audiences worldwide to enjoy.

I had never been lucky enough to see a production of Merrily We Roll Along on stage, but fell in love with a number of the songs from the show after the sensational Stephen Sondheim tribute show Old Friends several years ago. Sitting in a cinema, I experienced the show and story for the first time, finally putting context to the songs I had been listening to and falling in love in such a particular way that only musical theatre manages to do.

Merrily We Roll Along is Stephen Sondheim at his very best. Clever and complex lyrics alongside a melody that will immediately lodge itself in your brain and never leave, this show perhaps helped me pinpoint my love for this great and much missed titan of musical theatre more than any other does. It is his unrivalled ability to unravel the very essence of humanity that has given his songs a timeless quality, now all the more poignant in the years since his passing. In the context of the show, ‘Not A Day Goes By’ is as heart-wrenching as it was when it was performed as a tribute to Sondheim at Old Friends, beautifully displaying the varied ways his songs can be interpreted and related to. It is in this relatable aspect that puts Sondheim leagues above his counterparts. He seemed to have an understanding of life few others have, making you look at things in a different way, sometimes with a roaring laugh, sometimes with a tear down your cheek. Merrily We Roll Along does this throughout.

Sondheim’s skill is impeccably matched with George Furth’s equally resonant book, charting the highs and lows of one friendship group, from the end to the beginning. It’s reverse format could be hard to follow, but in this show, it is executed flawlessly. Unapologetically holding back at the start of the show, patience has a deserved payoff as everything begins to make sense as the action unfolds and we look back at what has led them to this point. As a newcomer to this story, I found myself drawing comparisons to my own life and recent events I could relate to, unfortunately, and found myself quite emotional at the difficult to watch but compelling first chapters of the story.

Translating theatre for the big screen doesn’t always work. Sometimes a sense of intimacy is lost, sometimes there are questionable choices, focusing on the wrong thing, or undermining an impact or emotion or something through a dodgy camera shot. This is not an issue with Merrily We Roll Along. Though the characters are projected on a big screen to appear larger than life, their humanity is never questioned, in a film that retains the necessary intimacy to create a raw and authentic connection to these characters and the material. Clever direction has the cast staring directly into the camera, and your very soul by proxy. I may not have been sat in the theatre where actors could make eye contact with me, but in a way it felt like I was still there. Essentially, this film loses nothing from not being “live” and feels like it may actually add to the material, accentuating certain elements and really hammering the key themes of the story.

The other reason to see Merrily We Roll Along is for the dream cast that are bringing something new to Sondheim’s legendary material. The fact that two of the three leads won Tony Awards for their troubles speaks volumes about the quality, and even the third lead who didn’t win feels like he should have, though he was at least nominated. I have rarely seen such a consistent and jaw-dropping quality to a cast either in person or on screen as this filmed production of Merrily We Roll Along boasts.

Daniel Radcliffe has made some inspired albeit left-field career choices since breaking free of the role that shall not be named, making the role that thrust him into the spotlight all but a distant memory. As Charley, he happily takes a back seat for a large portion, but is never out of mind, such is the weight of his performance when he is on stage/screen. If ever there was an example for what a talented actor Radcliffe is, it is in his exhausting yet exhilarating performance of ‘Franklin Shepard, Inc’. As his character navigates what can essentially be described as a breakdown, Radcliffe delivers a demanding performance that is astonishing to witness. Similarly stunning is Lindsay Mendez as Mary, delivering a tragic portrayal of a character you can’t help but feel for, and fall in love with. Balancing moments of comedy with moments of heartbreak, her presence is continually captivating, immediately lighting uop the screen with her every appearance.

Katie Rose Clarke is a late but welcome addition as Beth Spencer, bringing an extra element to the production and giving the sense she was a crucial part from the beginning of the movie, making her absence notable upon rewatches. Krystal Joy Brown has a real journey as Gussie Carnegie, with her every appearance markedly different from the last… and the next. Showcasing her range as a performer, she is incredible to watch every single time. Similarly, Reg Rogers delights with his extreme change in character as Joe Josephson, with both his character and Gussie’s demonstrating how a life can change over the course of twenty years, for better or worse.

The undoubted star of Merrily We Roll Along, however, is Jonathan Groff in his lead role of Franklin Shepard. Throughout his career, Groff has proven what a remarkable actor he is, but this is him at his very best. His ability to show drastic changes in his character through 20 years, subtly each time with the story being in reverse is what can only be described as a masterclass performance, to quote an overused phrase. Watching Shepard’s descent through the lens of growth (due to the backwards nature of the story) gives Groff what must be a huge challenge as an actor but one that he relishes, delivering one of the most sensational and memorable performances I have ever seen in a screen musical or on the stage, for that matter. Shepard is the centre of this story, and Groff takes that magnitude on his shoulders without buckling once. It is a phenomenal performance and the greatest aspect of what is a flawless film.

I always say theatre at its best should make you feel, and this should be extended to cinema too. Coming out of this screening, I found myself overwhelmed with emotions - my mind racing and replaying aspects of my own life and the film I had just watched. There is a real power to this that should never be underestimated. Merrily We Roll Along is the perfect example of musical theatre at its best and how to translate this to the big screen effortlessly. A beautiful addition to Sondheim’s enduring legacy, made all the more poignant following his passing, every element of this production is note-perfect and should be studied in years to come as the perfect example in how to get something so impeccable. Whether you have seen a production of Merrily We Roll Along before, or aren’t aware of the story at all, I urge every single person to see this while they have the chance. You don’t even have to be a lover of musical theatre to love this. As long as there is breath in your body, I defy anyone not to come out of here feeling something. Pure magic, Merrily We Roll Along feels just like an old friend, and one you wish would never leave.

Merrily We Roll Along is in cinemas from 4th December. Watch the trailer below: