It’s hard for me to understand why this one flopped when it premiered. Maybe it was ahead of its time in the 1980’s. But come 2023, it has found it’s way back home to Broadway in a production helmed by Maria Friedman that is slick, polished, and indubitably meets the Sondheim stamp of approval. This is that kind of show that reminds you of what it means to hold on to that young, hopeful version of you that dreamed of paving a bright, successful future, and (on a more important level) to never compromise yourself just to find a shortcut that takes away less of who you were in the beginning. “Merrily We Roll Along” is a story in reverse, and it’s done that way for the exact reason I mentioned above. Or at least that’s how I see this show as someone who's in that same place as the three friends at the end of this musical. What makes this production such a strong revival is the chemistry of Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez. Every glance, every movement, every idiosyncrasy, every large and tiny little detail in body language and how their characters walk, talk, sing, and interact with others is measured precisely. You can just feel the love all three of these actors have for one another for the next 2.75 hours, and it isn’t phony in the slightest! There’s no need to have to break down each individual’s performance because their friendship just makes their individual performances even better and truthful; it’s the one key factor you need to love this show from beginning to end (or end to beginning in terms of this one). I hope you walk away from “Merrily We Roll Along” with a sense of love for the ones who’ve stood beside you through thick and thin (I know I did, and had one of those friends by my side tonight; luv ya Spence) and to never take any of those relationships for granted by any means. You’re gonna want those people in your life, so never let go of them.
