Merrily We Roll Along is
the quintessential Sondheim show. From
the moment the overture begins, we’re thrown into the sprightly, staccato jazz score,
filled with Broadway tunes and brilliant orchestration, whilst in each number the
intricate vocal parts interweave and overlap in typical fashion.
Yet, as with all of Sondheim’s musical plays, the music is
always an integral part of the drama.
The central concept of Merrily is
its reverse narrative: we initially meet composer Frank, lyricist Charley and critic
Mary as three people whose friendship has broken apart, slowly moving backwards
in time towards the very beginning of their friendship and their first musical
ventures. What ensues is a compact drama
that explores the nature of human relationships, in addition to
semi-autobiographical elements such as the difficulties of collaboration and
the artistic integrity of Broadway versus ‘selling out’ to Hollywood. The piece ultimately becomes a comic celebration of
youthful optimism that resonates with all ages, but one tinged with sadness as the tragic ending is already
known. It asks us to question: if we
could start our lives over again, what might we do differently?
The reverse structure allows for some typically Sondheim reminiscences. As with Sweeney
Todd, the recurring title theme provides structure, whilst song reprises
take on new significance at different points in the drama, foreshadowing events
yet to be played out. And whilst this
may seem overtly clever, the show is never less than thoroughly gripping and
enjoyable with plenty of tunes to keep you entertained.
When the musical itself is this good, the production comes
easily enough. The creative team have
thus kept the set simple, clean and crisp with appropriate 70s and 60s costumes
to suit each time period. The only
moment of extravagance comes with the tap routine during the play-within-a-play
that opens the second act. This number
also throws into sharp relief the otherwise naturalistic performances. The (reverse) character development of the
central three protagonists is well-executed, each becoming noticeably younger
before our eyes. Mark Umbers (Frank) and
Damian Humbley (Charley) offer incredibly polished performances – in particular,
Humbley’s version of ‘Franklin Shepard Inc’, with its complex web of singing
and sound effects, is hugely impressive.
Jenna Russel’s vocal as Mary is less secure, but her comic timing more
than makes up for this. In addition,
Clare Foster’s performance as Beth features some tender singing, whilst
Josefina Gabrielle excels as the Broadway diva Gussie.
“There’s not a tune you can hum”, complains a producer in
one of the later numbers, a critique that Sondheim himself knows all too
well. Merrily is Sondheim at his best, proving the critics wrong. Thankfully, judging by the amount of five
star reviews this particular, exceptional production has received, the critics are most
definitely on-side this time. You can
add this reviewer to the ever growing list.
5/5
Watch: Merrily is running until the 27th July, info here.