“Merrily We Roll Along,” which just picked up four Tony Awards this past Sunday (June 16), still is rolling along, this time with cameras filming the Stephen Sondheim show.
Broadway is buzzing about this beloved show, especially with filming underway inside the Hudson Theatre, where “Merrily” has been in residency since last Oct.23, 2023. But finally, the July 7 closing date approaches.
Signs posted outside the Hudson confirm the show is being filmed according to Playbill. But no official word on where its future lies, as a commercial theatrical release, as a PBS production airing on TV, as a streaming film on cable, or as a straight-to-DVD collectible.
The bottom line is hooray, this show is being filmed for posterity! If only more productions could do this.
The filming will be another notch of success for “Merrily,” originally a Broadway failure that ran for only 16 performance and 44 preview shows. Its 2024 comeback is the stuff of legends, notably because of the show collected four Tonys: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Jonathan Groff, as Franklin Shepherd), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daniel Radcliffe, as Charley Kringas), and Best Orchestrations (Jonathan Tunick).
The production is directed by Olivier winner Maria Friedman and features music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by George Furth.
Before opening on Broadway, “Merrily” had an off-Broadway run in 2022, at the New York Theatre Workshop, where Groff, Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, who was a Tony nominee (playing Mary Flynn), developed the chemistry that has been on display since opening at production, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the trio, or the entire ensemble, had a desire to continue rolling along, if possible. (The show was extended several times earlier in the run; and no, a further extension is not possible).
A company of nearly 20 has been a part of the successful show.
A cast recording was released Jan. 22, and has been a brisk seller at the show’s merch counter. I bought one when I took in the show, along with a T-shirt, and will surely add a DVS to my purchases if and when it’s available…
Broadway grosses, for week ending June
A couple of new shows have entered the Top 10 list of Broadway shows, including a lone play, but musicals – including “The Lion King” – dominate the chart.
The Top 10 shows:
1—“The Lion King,” #1,216 million.
2—“Wicked,” $12,071 million.
3—“Hamilton” $1,908 million.
4—“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,883 million.
5—“Merrily We Roll Along,” $1,843 million.
6—“Hell’s Kitchen,” $1,687 million.
7—“The Wiz,” $1,428 million.
8—“Aladdin,” $1,375 million.
9—“An Enemy of the People,” $1,266 million.
10—“MJ the Musical,” $1,251 million.
The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:
And that’s Show Biz…