Judging A Show By It's Cast Album : Merrily We Roll Along

I  have been looking more into Sondheim lately, I was only aware of a few of his shows and I wanted to look into one I have heard of a few times " Merrily We roll Along", and right now from just listening to the cast album and reading the plot... I really want to see this show, and I am more then glad to add to my playlist.

The plot follows Frank, a successful film writer, though he admits his films are shallow and are just made to make money so he can write the projects he wants to. But selling out, among other decisions he has made, leads to a party though the crowds praise him at this gathering of the elite,he ends one of his closets friendships as well as his 2nd marriage. Though he is well off he is very unhappy having pushed away those closest to him... then the transitions begin . This show works entirely in flashbacks , showing how all the characters got to this point . so the relationships go from worse to better. And that is so unique that I need to see this show play out on stage, the show begins where most shows end, working backwards is something I would like to see. the plot has many surprises that unfold as we go backwards. The themes of dreams, goals, and friendship are handled very well and don't feel tacked on but add life to the characters, no one is a real villain but they make mistakes, and the ideas of what it takes to get what you want, and what the costs are.

 The music fits every situation and mood well, going from calm and collected to fast paced. The songs can inspire you and are very catchy. It's crazy how the same sounding songs can have two different meanings as well, showing how friendships and dreams change over time. If you are an aspiring writer or artist, some of the songs will inspire you, especially the later ones when it shows our leads getting their start. Here are some of my favorites that immediately went on my playlists and were listened to on repeat:

Merrily We Roll Along

Old Friends ( Part One and Two)

All  Seven Transitions ( 2nd is My Favorite)

Growing Up

It's A Hit

Opening Doors

Our Time

I am so glad i looked into this show, and as said before whether on Broadway or in a civic theater, this is is a show that I want to see as soon as possible, If you have not heard of this show I highly recommend looking into this show, it is another Sondheim classic and I highly recommend it, there are a few filmed and live versions, I plan on looking into them on a later date and doing a follow up post. Until then thanks for reading and I hope your day is a showstopper


Sources

Wikipedia " Merrily We Roll Along"

Merrily We Roll Along 1994 Broadway Cast Recodring