When you’re raised in a musical theatre loving family, you often are served a delicious buffet of Broadway talent. From the classic tunes of Rodgers and Hammerstein (Oklahoma!) to the ‘80s stylings of Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera), the symphonic world of these composers all have the power to change your brain chemistry. One such artist to do that for many musical fans is Stephen Sondheim. Starting with his work on West Side Story to iconic, landmark creations such as Into the Woods, Company, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, every one of Sondheim’s stage shows has left some sort of mark on the ever-evolving legacy of musical stories.
Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
But one title within Sondheim’s endless catalog of classics has been the subject of curiosity ever since its first performance in 1981. Based on the 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of a trio of friends, which we (as the audience) witness the downfall of in reverse. It’s a journey fueled by miscommunication, egotism, and creative differences. Essentially, it’s every high and low found in any deep emotional connection. And when said story is tied together by the majestic talents of Sondheim, director Hal Prince (Kiss of the Spider Woman), and book writer George Furth (Company), it seems even more bewildering that said show was such a massive, initial flop.
Flash forward to our modern age and the musical theatre community’s perception of Merrily has changed. With the talents of actor-turned-director, Maria Friedman (Merrily We Roll Along (2013)), along with her casting of three pop culture giants -— Jonathan Groff (Hamilton), Daniel Radcliffe (Every Brilliant Thing), and Lindsay Mendez (Carousel) — in the leading roles, young audiences have finally come to embrace this quirky Sondheim gem. Now, thanks to Sony Pictures Classics, a professionally filmed version of this Tony winning 2024 production has landed on Blu-ray. Does this version fix the issues plaguing Merrily from the start? And does this home release bring any extra magic to theater fans? Just like Merrily’s history, it’s an answer that can’t be summarized in a single sentence.
For those unaware of the specifics of the plot, Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of Franklin Shepherd (Groff), Charley Kringas (Radcliffe), and Mary Flynn (Mendez), whose friendship is on the rocks at the start of the show in 1976. Frank, a successful composer, is hosting a splashy opening night celebration with all of his celebrity friends. Mary, drinking all of her feelings away, sits in the corner and watches as Frank is drenched in empty compliments by the party-goers. But as the opening unravels, we begin to see the seeds of how Frank and Mary got to their destiny, and why Charley wasn’t invited to the party. The show then proceeds to go backwards in time, tracing the greatest and worst moments of the trio’s bumpy relationship, giving us (as the audience) the clues as to why their bond is fading fast.
Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason for the bumpy road to success for this Sondheim creation, a lot of it can be attributed to the quirks of the original production. From the casting of young 20-somethings and teens in the roles of grown adult characters to the strange costume design choices, and a multitude of other elements, it was a recipe for a disastrous Broadway cocktail. But one simultaneous criticism (amongst both critics and fans at the time) was the lack of emotional connection audiences felt towards the lead characters. They were considered by many to be bitter, cold, detached protagonists who didn’t have any sort of charm at their core.
But the theater-goers of 2026 are quite different from those of 1981. In a post Hamilton-landscape, we can accept characters who aren’t exactly the cookie-cutter heroes of yesteryear. In fact, audiences seem to demand their protagonists to dance a fine line between being the squeaky clean kind of likable and the messiest version of flawed. That’s where Maria Friedman’s vision of Merrily’s Frank, Mary, and Charley all come into focus. Sure, they’re played by three of the most charming talents to ever grace the Great White Way, but they also are far from the typical airbrushed versions of Broadway stars that the TikTok generation has come to embrace.
Instead, what Groff, Radcliffe, and Mendez offer is a sense of realism and humanity. They aren’t the kind of leads who sell perfumes on the back of Playbills, but they’re the sort of talent that produces something even better: true, genuine emotions out of their viewers. They feel like your neighbors next door who’ll play trivia with you at the local bar and tell you about their days, unfiltered and authentically. To put simply, they’re the sort of actors that Broadway should be more focused on, and there are a treasure trove of reasons why audiences wanted their performances captured on film to relive over-and-over again.
From the moment he walks onto what looks like an abandoned set of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970 – 1977), you witness Groff’s Frank transform into the faded artist Sondheim loved to write about. On the surface, he might seem like the charismatic life of the party, but when looking deep into Frank’s eyes, the twinkling lights of creativity have been replaced with cynicism. It’s the kind of subtle acting that Groff doesn’t get enough chances to showcase on and off the stage, but he handles his craft masterfully here. It’s one of the many elements that makes this glorious pro-shot such a treat to behold for you get to appreciate the finer details of Groff’s Frank even more than you would in the last seat of the balcony.
L-R: Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Similarly, theater gem Mendez (who is considered one of the best actors to play Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway) gives just the right tragic balance to her Mary. Her sarcasm is as sharp as a pair of scissors and her whimsy is as majestic as the stars in the sky, but it is the moments where we see Mary at her lowest where Mendez gets to really flex the talents that have made her a Broadway star. From Mary’s moments of raw anger in the first act to her tender reveals of her true feelings towards certain characters as the story progresses, you feel yourself wanting to reach through the screen and give Mendez a sympathetic pat on the back. Sure, her Mary makes mistakes, but they’re the ones we’ve all been through and will continue to relate to.
Then there’s Radcliffe. Playing an underdog who never gets the recognition he deserves, Radcliffe infuses his Charley with the right mix of bitterness and earnest optimism required for such a significant Sondheim character. You feel for his gullible hope and even more for his resentment towards Frank amid their boiling point. But easily, the sequence that will make Radcliffe’s performance go down in the history books is his performance of the very Sondheim number, “Franklin Shepherd, Inc.” Featuring the lightning-fast reflexes that seem borderline Olympic-level athletic at times, Radcliffe confidently takes on this wild number without batting a lash. It’s the sort of musical theatre moment that many will write down in history books and recount in auditions for decades to come.
As a production on stage, this Merrily We Roll Along has everything you could dream of — an incredible set of leads, an electric supporting cast (including standouts Krystal Joy Brown (Victor Crowley), Katie Rose Clarke (The Light in the Piazza: Live from Lincoln Center), and Reg Rogers (Primal Fear)), and the most confident direction — all of which sells the main point of how friendships, and dreams, can transform over time in the most captivating way possible. Yet, the one obvious shortcoming of this Merrily (in terms of this cinematic presentation) is the choices Friedman, along with editor Spencer Averick (13th), made to immortalize these performances on screen.
Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
On the one hand, it’s wonderful to be able to look at the microscopic choices of the cast as the main trio’s past continues to unravel. From their tears to their toothy grins, theater goers and casual viewers get to witness a level of detail often underappreciated within a Broadway house.
But what seems missing from Friedman’s aesthetically enchanting proshot is a sense of establishment and scope. If you’ve ever been lucky to see any live theatre, half of the fun is discovering the details of everything on stage. You could pay attention to the main players, but your eyes can also simultaneously take in a small exchange between ensemble members. You could notice the giant props at the front of the stage, or take the time to appreciate the lighting cues in the background. Essentially, you’re offered a menu of options on what to focus on.
Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Yet, when it comes to Friedman’s filming of Merrily, we often seem forced to take in only one performer at a time and sometimes it can feel like we’re missing the action in other segments. Or, even more so, in sequences like the opening ensemble number, we feel like we’re lingering too long on close-ups of certain cast members, resulting in a borderline awkwardness that makes you wish you could back into a bush like Homer does on The Simpsons. It’s not cringeworthy or terrible by any means, but it often leaves us dreaming of a way to grab the camera out of the operator’s hands so that we can take in everything these talented Broadway performers are wanting to show us.
Ultimately, there’s nothing offensively wrong with Friedman’s filmmaking approach. It’s a tactic that many directors of professionally filmed Broadway content have struggled with before, and likely will in the future. But it’s just frustrating to watch a show, presented through the eyes of the same person who directed it on stage, who rarely wants us to fully embrace the creation she worked so tirelessly to bring to life. Still, what’s important is that audiences have access to this Tony-winning production of Merrily We Roll Along to appreciate forever now. And even if it isn’t displayed in the exact way some of us theater fans would like it to be, it will hopefully set the groundwork for future significant shows to be captured in an even more articulate manner.
As for the home release itself, it doesn’t leave quite as much of a lasting impression as Sondheim’s show does on its own. Aside from a trailer for the proshot, there’s literally no other bonus content. Why couldn’t an interview with the cast or the cast members from the original 1981 production be added to this release? What about a small documentary on Sondheim’s work? Any addition would have been welcomed and appreciated by many musical theatre admirers the world over, along with those who might want to learn more about the players involved.
Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Fortunately, an incredible documentary, 2016’s Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened, which details the rise and fall of the original production, already exists. Still, this physical release left something to be desired. Musical theatre content often rarely gets a home video release in our digital era, and with a show as significant as this Sondheim piece (especially after his recent passing), there definitely could have been more here to keep his and Merrily’s legacy going strong. But if all you’re looking for is a Blu-ray release that’ll let you watch this amazing show on repeat in crystal clear quality, then you’ll definitely get what it says on the box, just without anything more than that.
L-R: Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
At the end of the day, Friedman’s cinematic rendering of Merrily We Roll Along is one that will likely create future theatre fans. It captures both the magic of the most underrated work within Sondheim’s catalog while simultaneously showing the blueprint of what a Tony-winning Broadway revival can and should turn out to be. Is it the greatest professionally shot live theater to be captured on screen? Not even close. But is it a beautiful tribute to what made Sondheim a genius in the world of theatre? Yes. And knowing Friedman’s real life friendship with Sondheim, that’s all it really needs to be.
Available on Blu-ray March 3rd, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Sony Pictures Classics Merrily We Roll Along webpage.
To purchase, head to the official Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Merrily We Roll Along webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Home Video, Reviews, streaming
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