Merrily We Roll Along A Poignant & Moving Story

Review by Alex Brooks
Hubbard Hall has opened a new production of Merrily We Roll Along, a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Despite its upbeat title, it’s rather a sad story, with the lead character making a series of bad decisions that estrange him from those he loves, and make himself and them miserable.
The remarkable thing about it is that the story is told in reverse chronological order, so we’re starting out with the sad results of his life journey and progressing back towards the exhilarating promise of his early years – the talent, idealism and enthusiasm that he began with. It’s a familiar story, exemplified by today’s crash-and-burn celebrities – the talented young person seduced by show business into a world where it’s all about money and beautiful women and big egos, and it all turns out badly. Somehow seeing the dreams of his younger years when we’re fresh from the disappointments of his maturity is remarkably poignant and moving.
The story of this musical is a remarkable tale of collaboration across several generations of writers, actors and directors. It was originally produced on Broadway in 1981, based on a 1934 Play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, and it was a flop. But it was given several new productions over the next two decades, and was extensively revised in some of those. A production done in London’s West End in 2000 won awards for Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Actress, and ran for 71 performances. This successful revised version was the basis of the current Hubbard Hall production.
When a show is well-directed you never think about the Director. The performances are engrossing enough, and pace of the storytelling brisk enough so that you never disengage enough to think about a guiding hand putting it all together. So it is here: there are no big directorial statements, just a bunch of engaged actors and a well-told story – McGuire has done a nice job breathing life into this show.
Followers of Hubbard Hall Opera Theatre will be familiar with talents of Kara Cornell, and Josh Gray’s appealing voice was heard at Hubbard Hall some years back in Henry’s House and He Who Gets Slapped. The other leads are mostly new to the Cambridge stage, and they make a fine ensemble – Frankie Kraft plays Charles Kringas, the Sondheim character, and Meg Ward plays Mary Flynn, a character originally based on the writer Dorothy Parker.
Remaining performances are May 20, 21, 27, 28 and June 3 & 4 at 8 pm, with Sunday matinees at 2 pm May 22 & 29, and a Saturday matinee on June 4. Tickets are $25, $22 for Hubbard hall members and $15 for students and children.. Box office is at 677-2495, info at www.hubbardhall.org.