The Cast Rolls Merrily Along Discussing Their Cast Album
April 4, 2024 7:34 PM Subscribe
So this is unexpectedly delightful! Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, Lindsey Mendez, Katie Rose Clark, Krystal Joy Brown, and Reg Rogers sit down with Seth Rudetsky to discuss the release of the Broadway Cast Album for Merrily We Roll Along [YT Playlist] in SiriusXM Cast Album Town Hall | Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway [52m]. Campy, joyous and full of laughter and some delightful theater stories! Merrily We Roll Along previously.
I have a love/hate relationship with Sondheim but I enjoyed the performances in this when I saw it recently. Glad the cast is having a good time.
posted by Wretch729 at 6:52 AM on April 5
posted by Wretch729 at 6:52 AM on April 5
My wife and I saw this production in New York recently, and really enjoyed it. As folks said in the previously, it's a bummer plot, but I thought the structure of telling the story in reverse was a good way to keep the audience's interest. We had just seen A Girl from the North Country a week earlier and walked out of at intermission -- a first for us ever -- but it was just so unrelentingly grim. We don't need happy endings for all of our theatre, but there needs to be a reason to stick around, and seeing the way the characters' stories evolved in Merrily kept us hooked. Also all of the leads were magnetic. This is not the play that I would recommend to someone who is completely new to musical theater or to Sondheim. Sundays in the Park with George is more accesible, but I think that Merrily is a good companion, with its themes of artistic creation, authenticity, legacy, and the way that being an Artist can make you terrible to other people. It's like a 3rd year level Sondheim course as opposed to freshman intro.
Also, on refresh, my wife and I had the same experience as jedicus with watching Radcliffe playing this excellent auctioneer egging the audience on to give more money. As sad as the characters lives were, everyone in the cast was having a really good time, because the lives of their characters were so real and compelling, and that role can be such a joy to inhabit for a few evenings.
posted by bl1nk at 7:14 AM on April 5 [1 favorite]
Also, on refresh, my wife and I had the same experience as jedicus with watching Radcliffe playing this excellent auctioneer egging the audience on to give more money. As sad as the characters lives were, everyone in the cast was having a really good time, because the lives of their characters were so real and compelling, and that role can be such a joy to inhabit for a few evenings.
posted by bl1nk at 7:14 AM on April 5 [1 favorite]
We're going to New York in May, and I just booked tickets to this! I've been listening to the album the past few days, I'm really looking forward to seeing the performances live.
posted by Karmeliet at 9:32 AM on April 5 [1 favorite]
posted by Karmeliet at 9:32 AM on April 5 [1 favorite]
I saw a clip from the cast a few months ago, and it was just so fucking charming. Radcliffe has really done interesting things with his career! Reminds me a bit of Elijah Wood's decision-making after LOTR.
Bully for them all.
posted by suelac at 10:30 AM on April 5
Bully for them all.
posted by suelac at 10:30 AM on April 5
Radcliffe has really done interesting things with his career! Reminds me a bit of Elijah Wood's decision-making after LOTR.
I do think the Radcliffe and Wood stories do rhyme a lot. It's hard to figure out what to do after you done one of THOSE THINGS, and they both seem to be having a lot of fun with their choices. I've felt bad for Grint and Watson post HP, as they seem to have struggled [although Grint is finding his lane these days]. The rest of the hobbits seem to be doing exactly what they want to be doing, too.
posted by hippybear at 1:30 PM on April 5 [1 favorite]
I do think the Radcliffe and Wood stories do rhyme a lot. It's hard to figure out what to do after you done one of THOSE THINGS, and they both seem to be having a lot of fun with their choices. I've felt bad for Grint and Watson post HP, as they seem to have struggled [although Grint is finding his lane these days]. The rest of the hobbits seem to be doing exactly what they want to be doing, too.
posted by hippybear at 1:30 PM on April 5 [1 favorite]
I also thought the comparison of Not A Day Goes By from Merrily to On My Own from Les Miz to be particularly apt. I hadn't made that connection before.
Just for good measure, here's Bernadette singing Not A Day Goes By from 1992.
posted by hippybear at 4:50 PM on April 7
Just for good measure, here's Bernadette singing Not A Day Goes By from 1992.
posted by hippybear at 4:50 PM on April 7
I've just realized, I need to see Neal Patrick Harris, Elijah Wood and Daniel Radcliffe work on a project together.
posted by hippybear at 1:18 PM on April 10
posted by hippybear at 1:18 PM on April 10
« Older Bubba Copeland | I feared that being near all of this would mean... Newer »
I also saw Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, alongside John Larroquette (making his Broadway debut!). That particular night there was a severe storm that caused them to briefly pause the show for safety reasons. I don't know if it was because the rhythm was very slightly off or what, but at one point Radcliffe and Larroquette both corpsed and it was the just the most endearing, giggly thing.
posted by jedicus at 6:47 AM on April 5 [2 favorites]