Home > Theatre > Merrily We Roll Along
Home > Recordings > Merrily We Roll Along

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by George Furth based on the original play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart.

Haymarket Theatre Leicester
Previewed 10 April 1992
Opened 14 April 1992
Closed 9 May 1992

Cast Recording
28 to 30 April 1993

It's 1980. Celebrated songwriter and film producer, Franklin Shepard, returns to his High School scornful of his youthful ideals. We journey back through his carefree days when friends were inseparable, love was forever, and life was bursting with dreams.

Maria on Merrily We Roll Along

"We had 15 rewrites in two days. On the first night there were scenes we still hadn't rehearsed; the cast ended up taking a vote on whether to take the book on stage with them."

Cast
MaryMARIA FRIEDMAN
FrankMICHAEL CANTWELL
GussieLOUISE GOLD
CharleyEVAN PAPPAS
JoeGARETH SNOOK
BethJACQUELINE DANKWORTH
Waitress/
Evelyn		JULIE ARMSTRONG
Terry/
Minister		JON CLAIRMONTE
MegLUCY DIXOB
K.T.KATE COPSTICK
RuPHILIP DAY
Mrs SpencerMICHELLE FINE
BunkerDANIEL GILLINGWATER
Make-up Artiste/
Reporter		DEIRDRE FORREST
Scotty/
Mr Spencer		MATTHEW WHITE
DoryDWAN KASTELLE
JeromePHILIP WRIGLEY
Dresser/
Secretary		KAREN SKINNS
TylerALAN MOSLEY
Frank JuniorSCOTT BRADLEY
DOMINIC BURR
MATTHEW FRASER
Production Team
DirectorPaul Kerryson
DesignerMartin Johns
OrchestrationsJonathan Tunick
Musical DirectorJulian Kelly
LightingChris Ellis
SoundShaun Knowles
Musical Numbers
ACT ONE 
OvertureOrchestra
Merrily We Roll AlongCompany
That FrankCompany
First TransitionCompany
Old Friends / Like It WasMary, Charley
Franklin Shepard, Inc.Charley
Second TransitionCompany
Old FriendsFrank, Charley, Mary
Growing Up (Part One)Frank, Gussie
Growing Up (Part Two)Gussie
Third TransitionCompany
Not a Day Goes ByFrank, Beth
Now You KnowScotty, Mary, Tyler, Frank, Company
ACT TWO 
Entr' acteOrchestra
Act Two OpeningGussie
It's a Hit!Frank, Charley, Mary, Joe, Beth, Theatregoers
Fourth TransitionCompany
The BlobGussie, Guests
Growing Up (reprise)Gussie, Frank
Good Thing GoingCharley, Frank
The Blob (conclusion)Company
Fifth TransitionCompany
Bobbie and Jackie and JackCharley, Frank, Beth
Not a Day Goes By (reprise)Frank, Beth, Mary
Sixth TransitionCompany
Opening DoorsCharley, Frank, Mary, Joe
Our TimeFrank, Charley, Mary, Company
Notes

Stephen Sondheim attended the last few days of rehearsals - and revamped large sections of the show prior to the opening.

Quotes From The Press

"...Maria Friedman's robust, soaring Mary, Michael Cantwell's lost Frank, and Jacqueline Dankworth's touching Beth all shed their anxieties so affectingly on the journey back to innocence..." Edward Seckerson, The Independent (15 April 1992)

"...Maria Friedman makes Mary wonderfully sturdy and hearty, just the sort of girl who would be forever in unrequitted love with Frank..." David Murray, The Financial Times (18 April 1992)

"...Maria Friedman is a joy as Mary..." Robin Thornber, The Guardian (20 April 1992)

"...[Michael Cantwell's] partners in artistic endeavour are brilliantly taken by Maria Friedman and Evan Pappas..." Michael Coveney, The Observer (26 April 1992)

"No qualms, though, about Ms Friedman who, as the shadowy Mary, vocally dominates an enjoyable evening." Clive Hirschhorn, The Sunday Express (26 April 1992)

Cast Recording

Recorded on 28 to 30 April 1993 at Abbey Road Studios London.

The Recording Engineer was JOHN KURLANDER and the Producer was JOHN YAP.

Two versions where released: A single CD version was released in 1994 and a double CD was released in 1997 which included extended cuts and dialogue.

Links

All content on About Maria is archived here without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only. This is an unofficial webpage. Contact.