Merrily rolls along well on big screen

The big-screen presentation of Merrily We Roll Along goes against thoughts that opening up a play makes it work better in a movie theater. Adapting her Tony-winning revival of a Steven Sondheim classic, director Maria Friedman maintains the basic stage setting, having filmed a live version during its 2024 Broadway run. Intimate rather than splashy, the play’s themes come in an opening number that asks the question “How did we get here?” by starting at the end and heading chronologically back in time with aspiring entertainers whose dreams both succeed and explode. The filmed play responds well to set and musical limitations, benefitting from the chance for cameras to roll in and catch subtle expressions from actors, some that might not be noticeable for live theater audiences in back rows. The big screen also enhances the chance to appreciate those star features, most famously the fully grown Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe, perfectly at ease expanding his skills and meeting the challenges of music and lyrics originally composed by Sondheim for the 1981 show. Radcliffe’s superstar status crosses age boundaries for those who grew up with him, a similar appeal brought in by Jonathan Groff in the story’s central role. Groff, as Glee fans remember, appeared in more than a dozen episodes as a rival choir member and then went on to an amazing turn as King George in Hamilton, another project whose filmed-play version works well on the big screen. Lindsey Mendez, a Tony winner for Carousel, rounds out the trio of friends who want to change the world with their words and music. Following their story on the big screen offers many of the play’s highlights but puts its own rewarding spin on the experience.