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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Merrily We Roll Along
The musical, based on a 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, was always known for the quality of its Sondheim score: Frank Sinatra recorded the song "Good Thing Going," an audio clip of which appears in one scene. The problems with the production were more structural because the action moves backward in time, as did the Kaufman and Hart original. As the show begins, two of the three lead characters are estranged from each other and the third has finally decided it's time to move on. What makes it work now, after substantial revisions over the years, is that finally all the pieces fit together. It begins in 1976: star Broadway composer Franklin Shepard (Jason Gotay) is married to an overbearing, aging actress (Maria Rizzo, appropriately seductive) and is celebrating the success of producing his first movie. Mary Flynn (Melanie Field), his only longtime friend, is struggling to keep up her moderately successful writing career. And the ghost in the room is Charley Kringas (Jake Loewenthal), who had been Frank's best friend since school but realized that one can have a successful life without all the drama. The body of the play moves back in time and ends in 1957, when then-roommates Frank and Charley first meet their neighbor Mary–all filled with hope–as together they watch Sputnik pass by in the sky. If that sounds confusing, it really isn't. Members of the chorus count down the years as they pass, and a puzzling reference in one scene may become understandable in another, chronologically earlier one that appears later. It's taken more than 40 years in real time, but here it all fits together and is funny and often moving. Gotay manages to convey the shreds of Franklin's early integrity while learning that, to some extent, he needs to go along to get along in show business. Loewenthal plays Charley as more combative than in previous productions, a very interesting take on the character, and Field is deeply moving. Whalen gives Joe an easy, slightly slick exterior, and Kerstin Anderson as Beth, who becomes Frank's first wife, isn't afraid to show the character's combative side. Wilson Chin's ingenious scenic design depicts an elegant, two-level apartment centered on a grand piano, but it takes on a series of locations with the assistance of Cory Pattak's lighting design. Ivania Stack's costumes range from period everyday wear to the occasional outrageous gown. Music director Jon Kalbfleisch leads 12 musicians who know exactly what to do and when. Merrily We Roll Along runs through November 1, 2026, at Signature Theatre, MAX Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington VA. For tickets and information, please call 703-820-9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Cast: |
