Review: The Material - Not The Production - Drags 'Merrily We Roll Along'

Although the musical "Merrily We Roll Along" features some excellent Stephen Sondheim songs and enjoyable performances, some misguided creative decisions in the material itself sink this production by The Community Players.

Broadway songwriters Frank (Dan Pickar) and Charley (Tyler Rebello) are lifelong partners whose relationship is strained and eventually torn apart by Frank's ambition and personal demons. Their friend Mary (Meghan Smith) is a famous theater critic with a mercurial personality.

What's unusual is the events in the trio's lives are shown in reverse chronology, beginning in 1976 and ending in 1957. It's a major error in storytelling, because we first meet these characters when they are at the lowest points of their lives.

There's a tumultuous party scene featuring Frank and Charley's friends and acolytes. A drunken Mary falls to the floor. Another woman has a drink thrown in her face. A television interview featuring Charley and Frank becomes a nightmare as long-simmering tensions explode. Frank screams at Charley and then punches him in the face. Immediately after, Charley, Frank, and Mary sing "Old Friends," an upbeat tribute to their enduring friendship. The shift in tone is jarring, to say the least.

There's a melodramatic courtroom scene when Frank and his ex-wife Beth (Kathryn Kimble) are battling for custody of their son (Lynden Miles Ley). Frank lunges at a photographer in a moment of rage. The poor boy is crying as he is carted off stage.

At another point, Frank has an affair with the glamorous diva Gussie (Hannah Van Meter), whose husband Joe (Jason Denton) is a successful Broadway producer.

The story behind "Merrily We Roll Along" is an interesting one. Writer George Furth and Sondheim based their work on a 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The production debuted in 1981 and received negative reviews, closing after only 16 performances. It was rewritten and revived off-Broadway in 2022, before transferring to Broadway in 2023.

I am not surprised the show bombed in its first run. The constant fighting between Frank and Charley becomes tedious after a while. It's hard to feel any type of sympathy for grown men who act so selfishly. Moreover, "Merrily We Roll Along" feels the need to remind the audience of the time period with numerous political references.

"Bobby and Jackie and Jack," is a cheesy and inane tribute to the Kennedys. What this has to do with Frank and Charley and their problems is a mystery. (Does anyone under the age of 50 even know who "Bobby" and "Jackie" are?)

On a purely technical level, this is a well-mounted production. The orchestra, conducted by Richard Sylvia, sounds great, and it doesn't drown out the vocals. John McElroy's direction is polished, and the lead performers are appealing. Pickar is a good-looking leading man with a charismatic stage presence and superior vocal ability.

Rebello, who starred in "Big: The Musical," once again proves to be a major talent, performing all his solo numbers with style. Rebello has a ball with "Good Thing Going." Van Meter, wearing a glittering gown against a shiny backdrop, delivers a real showstopper in the show's second act. The climactic ballad, "Our Time," sung by Frank, Charley, Mary, and the ensemble, is one of Sondheim's best, with a charmingly sweet melody.

The concept of two acclaimed and successful songwriters, along with their triumphs and their tragedies, would make for a terrific stage play. But as the basis for a musical, it just doesn't work.

"Merrily We Roll Along" runs through April 13. The Community Players. Performances at Jenks Junior High, 350 Division St., Pawtucket, RI. Run time is 2 hours and 45 minutes with intermission. For tickets, call 401-726-6860 or visit thecommunityplayers.org.