Merrily We Roll Along

See it if you like Sondheim. Not the full MWRA experience, but enjoyable. Fast-paced, gd songs (altho iffy voices), sad story about dreams gone awry.

Don't see it if you want the show's full emotional impact; 90 min version is flattened. None of the many losses seemed devastating. Clever use of sm cast.

See it if A good body of work that is lite and breezy. Nice plotline.

Don't see it if If you need a musical with strong singing, singer's are not that great.

See it if Intricate music & lyrics. Sad exploration of friends whose flaws & ambition drive them apart. The reverse timeline is a wistful memory.

Don't see it if You want a more uplifting experience. You want more humor. You don’t like Sondheim’s musical style.

See it if to see a trimmed revival of "the best worst thing" Sondheim & Furth collaborated on, feat. a great score, flawed book & reverse-time gimmick

Don't see it if u only think chronologically; ur a Sondheim purist (tho u should take any chance to see a deft theatre co. mount this rarely-produced show).

Also It was nice to see a full production (despite the stripped-down staging, reduced cast & slightly pruned score) of this oft-maligned musical. The score is classic Sondheim & worth the price of admission, even if it is sung by middling singers (who otherwise give nice performances). But it's hard to feel for the "old friends" at the core of the show when they are mostly unlikable & charmless. (A flaw of Furth's book or a flaw of Fiasco's production?)... Read more Read less

See it if You’re a fan of Sondheim, curious about how a pared down cast can fare & a reverse timeline works on stage, enjoy plots of hope, cynicism

Don't see it if Not a fan of musicals, expect large casts & athletic production numbers, confused by a reverse timeline, failed dreams cause pain

See it if you like a witty and intelligent musical about friendship vs ambition, quality vs money. Very well staged by Fiasco Company.

Don't see it if you do not like Sondheim or like first class singing voices. Fiasco Company has great ideas but singers not first rate.Some off key moments.

Also I liked the way Fiasco Co streamlined this Sondheim musical The singers are good but not great, however this company really knows how to stage a play. I loved their Into the Woods. and I really enjoyed this production. I also like this Sondheim plot which is really realistic about choices we can make with our lives and careers.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Sondheim; a great young energetic cast who can really sing & act; you love musicals. Not a weak link in the cast.

Don't see it if You don't realize that the years are moving backwards (but they do announce the years throughout the show). Otherwise you might be lost.

See it if you have no comparison to previous productions; you appreciate inexperienced actors taking on a challenge in a stripped down version.

Don't see it if I love Merrily/it's music & have seen many adaptations, not all good - this one is the worst. Unskilled actors & singers try very hard.

Also Merrily is not a typical play and Sondheim is not a typical composer/lyricist. His compositions need professional singers and actors with the depth and skill to pull it off. I found myself cringing at most of the high notes. One of the cast members was so off pitch you could literally, hear her searching for the notes. Honestly, I don't understand what Roundabout was thinking.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a rarely produced Sondheim show with a great story told in reverse. Lots of songs in a production by the Fiasco Theater Co.

Don't see it if You expect an elaborate musical with more than six actors. Do not like one person playing multiple roles.

Also This is not quite up to the standards of the musical In The Woods, which is the last production Fiasco performed for Roundabout Theatre.
Sondheim’s lyrics take a special set of skills by a singer to reach perfection. These players give it their all in a fine production.... Read more Read less

See it if you're looking for a fast-moving musical about life and how everything changes over time.

Don't see it if you're a purist and want to see an unaltered production of Merrily, you don't like countless time jumps and reverse order of events

See it if A fun evening. The music is terrific. Good performances.

Don't see it if The reverse story can be confusing. The worst, ugliest costumes I have ever seen.

See it if If you enjoy a story told backwards, good music, or you like plots about friendships, about artistic endeavors or unrequited love.

Don't see it if If you do not like unusual approaches to story telling or are not particularly interested in plots about pursuing careers in the arts.

See it if you are a Sondheim fan. Fans should see it at least once as part of his total oeuvre. Glad I saw it but will not see it again.

Don't see it if you expect a production that is fresh and lively. This production was flat.

See it if you are a Sondheim fan & want to see a stripped down version of one of his problematic works. Some wonderful songs.

Don't see it if you expect to hear that score given it's full potential. The voices & orchestrations were disappointing.

See it if you can enjoy fabulous musical numbers without fully understanding the weird plot that moves backwards.

Don't see it if you need your musical to have an engrossing and logical plot.

See it if You love Sondheim and are eager to see what this terrific company can do with a scaled-back version.

Don't see it if You are a Sondheim purist to the extent that you are unwilling to try a variation, or if you've not seen it and are unfamiliar with the plot

Also Right off the bat, this is NOT the quintessential production of this show. Nor was it meant to be. What it is, however, is a very ambitious undertaking for which I am grateful. Other works of Sondheim's speak to me more deeply, so I can understand somewhat some of the negativity spreading around about this production. It does not do for Merrily what Barrow Street did for Sweeney -- so what--it's still worth seeing for any aficionado.

I found the set interesting, and the costumes appropriate, particularly when the costume is used as a device to juvenesce Mary. This production had me on my mental toes, so to speak. I wondered, for instance, how much Mary Rodgers may have been a prototype for the character of Mary, and how much this show may still affect Sondheim emotionally.

It's well worth seeing. Trust me!... Read more Read less

See it if You must see everything by Sondheim. This seemed rushed and less impactful. I admire the songwriting though.

Don't see it if You expect top notch singing. I was sitting near the front and most of the cast sang flat and sometimes off key.

Also Brittany Bradford was the standout performer for me with excellent acting and beautiful singing.... Read more Read less

See it if Reflections on how adult responsibilities shape our lives, sometimes for the worse. Sondheim's music is always exquisite.

Don't see it if Plot ploy of moving backwards in time is too confusing. Smaller / lower budget set feels lackluster.

Also Ticket from HipTix for $25. Disclaimer: I’ve never experienced this musical in another production before.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Sondheim. You enjoy his music. You enjoy good friends on life's journey. College dreams lived out.

Don't see it if You hate Sondheim, you like a straight forward story, do not like time jumping.

See it if You love classic Sondheim. You are interested in how friendships fall apart.

Don't see it if You don't like musicals.

See it if you are a Sondheim fan and want to see one of his "flops" done well. This stripped down version was entertaining. Clever music and lyrics.

Don't see it if you are looking for a more traditional show or would have trouble following the reverse chronology

Also I love anything Sondheim, so I may be biased, but I thought this was a clever interpretation of one of his most "troubled" shows. Great performances, and an overwhelmingly brilliant scenic design by Derek Mclane.... Read more Read less

See it if You like Sondheim’s brand of wistful with an edge.

Don't see it if You don’t like shows about show biz or real-world disillusionment of youthful idealism.

Also I seem to see this show at different stages of my life, having a different experience of the story and message as I age. The songs come as ‘old friends’ with the characters exploring the intricacies of friendship and wasted dreams. My advice is to take this production on its own, as you are now, versus wasting energy comparing to Sondheims past.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see one of Sondheim's unsung and underrepresented works.

Don't see it if you need linear plots or aren't a fan of Sondheim's lyrical and musical style. This is Sondheim at his Sondheimiest.

See it if Simply Sondheim. Ignore the critics and see for yourself. It’s perfectly crafted and well executed. Don’t overthink it, it makes sense.

Don't see it if Believe that critics are always right.

See it if you haven't seen Merrily before. It's such a beautiful piece of theater. Some aspects worked for me in this production, others not so much.

Don't see it if you don't like stripped down, minimalist staging. I'm not sure this is the best work for Fiasco's aesthetic. Acting better than the singing.

Also I fell in love with this show when Encores did it in 2012. I missed the full orchestra and the lushness of that production. There are so many beautiful songs and I felt like something was missing here. This revival is with a much smaller cast and orchestra.... Read more Read less