Merrily We Roll Along

Merrily We Roll Along (1934), a play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. [Music Box Theatre, 155 perf.] At a 1934 house party on his Long Island estate, the successful playwright Richard Niles ( Kenneth MacKenna) has gathered together his friends and associates, many of whom are as successful as he is. But before long the principals are reliving the important moments of the past and realizing how bit by bit they sacrificed their integrity to achieve their goals. In a relentless, backward‐moving chronology going as far back as 1916, they end up at the beginning: their college years when Richard admonished to be true to themselves. Although Brooks Atkinson saw the work as a “resolute, mature‐minded drama,” many critics found the Sam H. Harris production more noble in purpose than in execution. After a modest run in New York, the play was taken on the road, where it quickly folded. A 1981 musical version of the same title boasted a superb score by Stephen Sondheim but had such a problematic book (by George Furth) and misguided production (staged by Hal Prince) that it closed after sixteen performances. The tale still went backward, following a songwriter‐producer, a lyricist, and a failed novelist as they traveled from 1980 to the beginning of the story in 1955. The musical became a cult favorite and there were many productions regionally and in London where it was a hit. Notable songs: Not a Day Goes By; Old Friends; Good Thing Going; Our Time; Now You Know.