How to go
What: “Merrily We Roll Along”
Where: The Lofino Center, 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek
When: Sept. 18-27; 8 p.m. Fridays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. and Sundays
Cost: $12-$15
Tickets: Call (937) 429-4737, e-mail boxoffice@bctheatre.org or go online to www.bctheatre.org.
Composer Stephen Sondheim and librettist George Furth’s insightful yet short-lived 1981 musical “Merrily We Roll Along,” loosely based on George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s 1934 play of the same name, opens Beavercreek Community Theatre’s season beginning Friday.
Fascinatingly and unconventionally told in reverse from 1979 to 1957, thereby allowing the show to conclude with an abundance of youthful optimism that counters its cynical opening scenes, “Merrily” tells a humorous, poignant and heartbreaking tale of three friends torn apart by ambition, betrayal, misunderstanding and love.
Broadway composer-turned-Hollywood producer Franklin Shepard, his librettist/lyricist Charles Kringas and their writer-pal Mary Flynn struggle to keep the bonds of friendship alive as the decades fly and their relationship splinters. The marvelous score, one of Sondheim’s most accessible, includes such character-driven gems as “Good Thing Going,” “Old Friends,” “Not a Day Goes By,” “Opening Doors,” “Our Time” and the title tune.
“The backwards motif of this musical addresses a return to innocence,” said director Matthew Owens, who staged “Next to Normal” for BCT last season. “This show asks why (someone) is where they are (in life) and many times we become confused along the way. In the show, Frank particularly says he only made one mistake in life, but he made it over and over again. And the way we’re presenting the material will be as if Frank is looking back through the years to see how he came to be where he is through good and bad, triumphs and failures.”
“The value of friendship is so important within this show especially the theme of old friends both in song and scene,” said Jose Gutierrez del Arroyo, who portrays the flawed Frank and delivered an outstanding portrayal of Leaf Coneybear in Playhouse South’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” last season. “The value of having friends, the rocks in your life on whom you can rely and who can rely on you, is essential. Also, true success really depends on how you manage many things including friendship. In the show, Frank becomes rich, famous and successful but ultimately realizes true success would have been having his friends there with him along his journey the whole time.”
The cast includes Matthew Glenn as Charles, Lynn Vanderpool as Mary, Danielle Kubasky as Frank’s first wife Beth, Danielle Janson as Frank’s second wife Gussie, Jeff Murphy as Frank’s producer Joe Josephson, and Sam McLain as Frank Jr., along with ensemble members Alain Alejandro, Matthew Clifton, John Falkenbach (who also provides lighting design), Tamar Fishbein, Kami Flanders, Allie Hill, Laura Jacobs, Courtney Kakac, and Vicky Tuccillo. In addition, Rachel Robinson serves as scenic designer, Kathleen Carroll supplies costumes, and Judy Mansky will conduct a seven-member orchestra.
The original Broadway run of “Merrily” famously flopped after 16 performances but developed a cult following that continues to make the show one of the most sought after in the Sondheim canon, especially since it has been revised numerous times. Owens particularly feels the intimacy of BCT’s space will help keep the action engaging in spite of its unusual structure.
“The backwards motif can be problematic in terms of the show’s accessibility but allowing the audience to connect to the characters, who will be 10 or 20 feet away, will be easy due to the venue,” he said. “I’ve also asked the cast, especially the ensemble members, to differentiate among their various characters. It’s important for the audience to see how the characters progress or regress as time passes.”
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