Hey guys! Today, I’ll be reviewing the movie/show Merrily We Roll Along. Let’s go!

So, this show is about a turbulent friendship that has broken apart over the years. The relationship between a composer and his two lifelong friends, a writer/lyricist and a playwright. 

This story is told backwards, sort of like the movie The Life of Chuck. It stars Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez. This is a musical that got its chance to show in theaters, and I got invited suddenly to see it, so I took the opportunity. As a theater kid… I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it.

This isn’t a bad show at all. In fact, I like it quite a bit. Jonathan Groff was one of the reasons why I wanted to see this, and he was really good. So was Lindsay, but Daniel Radcliffe is the standout of this show. He’s such a good actor, and I love how he gives a Weird Al vibe in his voice. Everybody’s performances were very good.

However, I did have some flaws. Firstly, it reminded me a bit of the Les Mis movie in the way it’s filmed, which feels unsettling, like being presented with jump shots of the cast. I didn’t see the point of that at all. The choice to pull back to the proscenium versus full-face was odd, random, and a bit annoying. Secondly, all the over-the-top histrionics, especially at first, feel out of place and exaggerated. It felt more telenovela than Sondheim.

Not that I’d want to cut that out, but parts of this drag in the middle. Still, I’m glad there’s a permanent record of fine actors. My hat’s off to the actors for putting on such a great performance, although I question some of the choices made. Overall, Merrily We Roll Along wasn’t half bad.

I’m gonna give Merrily We Roll Along a B.