Musical Merrily Rolled Along

Performed from May 8th to May 11th, the musical Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim captivated the hearts, minds, and ears of many Tri-School students, parents, and faculty. The play originally premiered on Broadway on November 16, 1981. It tells the tale of three friends, Franklin Sheperd, Charley Kringas, and Mary Flynn. The play mainly revolves around the life of Franklin Shepherd, a successful musical composer who sacrifices his relationship with his friends to achieve Hollywood fame. However, the play moves in reverse chronology, meaning that it starts in 1976 during the lowest point of the friendship, and ends in 1957, when the group first meets. 

To put on such a complex show is no small feat. Preceding the premiere, Nikhil Gupta ‘26 shared, "We practice so much that the show basically becomes second nature, but on opening night, we get all the things that you get: costumes, mics, and do all these run-throughs. We practice so much, but that opening night, when you get the audience in front of you, that is an ingredient you've never had, and it's completely different." 

Before they went into the performance, Charlie Paska ‘27 and David Liang ‘27 also interviewed some of the audience who had arrived early. Their most-used question was "Which actor do you think is most likely to forget their lines?" Surprisingly, most people thought Chris Angelos '25 would forget his lines. Fortunately, Chris did not forget his lines; instead, he gave a great performance, along with the rest of the cast. Zach Fader '25, Dylan Moyar '26, Jenna Bruning ‘25, and Ava Linehan ‘27 played the main roles of the play. 

I went to the musical on the Friday night showing. It was spectacular. From the acting to the music to the props, all aspects of the play were incredibly professional. The music ensemble, led by Gilman band director Peter Lander, sounded exceptional and enhanced the auditory experience. The ensemble perfectly complemented the actors’ singing, which sounded divine. The cast perfectly embodied their roles and were generally flawless in their performance. Supporting the production, the backstage crew kept the show running smoothly and helped to further immerse the audience through props and costumes. 

Beyond its entertainment, Merrily We Roll Along contemplated the importance and nature of friendships. Some scenes are particularly memorable, such as Dylan’s interview on the talk show, which was chaotically hilarious. Conversely, some other scenes were incredibly dramatic, such as the play's opening scene, during which one character deliberately blinds another. The great variety between scenes allows the musical to express a wide range of emotions, from happiness to depression, from victory to defeat, and from friendship to hatred, all of which serve to explore the ups and downs of relationships. While the temporal nature of the play can be slightly confusing at times, it made the experience much more novel and captivating. 

Reflecting on the production, Director Mr. Rowell commented, “I think all of us are proud of the work we did on Merrily We Roll Along. It is not an easy musical to do–it spans a lot of years, and the characters age backwards from 40 to 20, and the different eras have different looks and attitudes, all of that, so as a piece, it presents a lot of creative challenges. But personally, I loved tackling every one of those creative challenges!” Mr. Rowell also highlighted how unique and exceptional this year's group was, saying, “The cast was full of outstanding actor/singers, or singing actors, and that's exactly what you have to have if you're going to do a Sondheim musical, because he wrote his scores for actors who sing and singers who act…it has to be delivered from both the head and the heart. And our performers were able to do that so incredibly well.” 

Zach Fader ‘25, who played Franklin Shepard, the musical's protagonist, was similarly proud of the production. He commented, “Overall, I thought it was the best performance of my high school career. The whole cast was truly dedicated in every way they could, and it made the show come together super easily.” In particular, Zach highlighted the invaluable work done by Ms. Loane, saying, “She was Mr. Rowell's assistant, and she did everything possible. She helped with props, blocking, making sure the cast was ready physically and mentally, and even filling in when we had missing cast members. Her dedication to this show was unmatched, and we couldn't have done it without her.” When asked if there were any specific highlights or memories from the production process, he said, “Now that it is over, I miss every second of it and wish I could go back. I tried my best not to take any of my castmates for granted and live in the moment.” Similarly, Mr. Rowell was grateful for all he and the cast learned during the production. “I learned a great deal from everyone every day, as I always do when I'm working with talented people,” he commented.

While I had mistakenly forgone the opportunity to go to the play during my freshman year, I can guarantee that I will not make the same mistake again. This year’s team completely blew it out of the park and produced an overall exceptional performance. Overall, I would strongly recommend viewing the next play created by this excellent team, as it is well worth the commitment.