Merrily We Roll Along

Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along is a musical without a happy ending.

Well, let’s try that again. On its face, the ending is quite happy, with fresh-faced youths preparing to conquer the world. And yet, it has the feel of tragedy. The play’s unconventional structure allows the plot to unfold backwards and, therefore, when one sees the idealistic characters at the end of the evening, she can only think with sadness upon how they betrayed their ideals, rolling along through life, merrily forgetting the friendship and values that were once so important to them. It is a cautionary fable, full of surprisingly sentimental Sondheim music, that is perhaps nowhere more applicable than at this age and on this campus.

When the audience first meets the main characters, they have long since abandoned the innocence of their youth. Franklin Shepard, (Patrick W. Hosfield ’05), the protagonist, is a successful but unhappy Hollywood producer, who has succumbed to the lure of fame and fortune, abandoning his true love, songwriting. His “old friend” Mary Flynn (Sarahn M. Wheeler ’03) has become a bitter alcoholic, unable to write another best-seller or suffer the A-list crowd that surrounds her. The last member of the central trio is Charley Kringas (Christian E. Lerch ’04), Frank’s one-time best friend and writing partner. Charley is the only one of the characters not to have succumbed to the lifestyle of the rich and famous—and yet he is still left alone, miserable and poor.

By far, the best aspect of the production is the rapport among Hosfield, Lerch and Wheeler. Wheeler possesses a commanding voice and presence that make her an absolute standout. Though Mary is a tricky character, who must journey backwards from a woman stuck in a perpetual drunken stupor to a doe-eyed teen, Wheeler shines throughout.

The performances of Hosfield and Lerch are also well-tuned, highlighted by sharp comic timing and a good understanding of the characters’ sarcasm. Lerch particularly impresses in “Franklin Sheppard, Inc.,” a fast-paced number in which he breaks down on national television, effectively ending his friendship with Frank by exposing how his friend’s lust for money has led to the deterioration of their creative efforts and personal relationship.

Another boffo performance is delivered by JoJo S. Karlin ’05, as Frank’s second wife, Gussie. Karlin succeeds in conveying the conniving qualities of a superficial, obnoxious and conceited actress. As the play unfolds, she turns back from a past-her-prime star to a dangerous sexpot, and Karlin is always on the right, albeit detestable, note.

Despite many complicated songs and a two-and-a-half-hour running time, Merrily relies on just a solo piano to provide accompaniment for the cast. Though such a limited orchestration could leave the audience wanting more, in this case it adds to the intimate feel, thanks in large part to the piano playing of Peter J. Dong ’02, whose expressive and unfailing rendition of Sondheim’s musical score is a treat.

The rest of the cast, however, is not quite up to the level of the principals and the accompaniment. Too frequently, the supporting cast struggles with pitch and fails to harmonize. During the reprises of the main theme, the audience winds up forgetting about the lyrics, just hoping that the actors will hit the right note (and praying that they will drop out when they don’t).

A bare stage accompanies most of the action, and this places the actors and the music in an even more central position than seems appropriate. Though the actors’ movements generally fill the space well, the choreography tends towards the clichéd and lacks the originality that might have really livened up the emptiness. Costumes help make the changes in time and place clearer; but in the end, it is really up to the three leads to carry the show.

That they succeed and keep the evening constantly entertaining, conveying all of the play’s themes and clearly getting Sondheim’s often difficult lyrics across, is a tribute to their individual talent and collective chemistry. One wishes such a poignant piece of theater receive a larger, more elaborate production, but for the Pool, the show is a strong offering, and the leads make it all worthwhile. To paraphrase a lyric from the show—here’s to them, who’s like them, damn few.