The Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical has become a breakaway hit, overcoming an infamously short-lived original production.
Reg Rogers, Katie Rose Clarke, Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez in Merrily We Roll Along (Matthew Murphy)
They’re a hit! The Maria Friedman-helmed revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical Merrily We Roll Along has won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
The award marks the culmination of Merrily We Roll Along‘s remarkable comeback story, from an infamously short-lived original production to a revival that’s the hottest ticket in town. While the original Broadway production of Merrily only ran for 16 performances and 44 previews, this revival is proving that there was a “Good Thing Going” at the center of the story. The original Broadway production of Merrily received a single Tony nomination for Best Original Score, losing out to Maury Yeston’s Nine.
“There was a line that flew out on opening night to me from the show, which is, ‘Musicals are popular. They’re a great way of stating important ideas—ideas that can really change the world. Make a difference.’ And then Frank turns to Charley and says, ‘Charley, we can change the world,'” Maria Friedman shared from the stage accepting the honor. “Well, Steve and George, Merrily is popular.”
This revival has now won three 2024 Tony Awards, also including Best Orchestrations for Jonathan Groff and Featured Actor in a Musical for Daniel Radcliffe. The production could pick up another win with the still upcoming Leading Actor in a Musical category, in which Jonathan Groff is a nominee.
Watch: An Oral History of Merrily We Roll Along’s Journey From Flop to Tony-Nominated Hit
This revival of Merrily We Roll Along opened October 10, 2023, at the Hudson Theatre, where it will continue through July 7. Directed by Olivier winner Friedman, the work features music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Furth.
The revival stars Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn. The trio are all reprising their performances from the production’s sold-out 2022 Off-Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop, along with Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. Max Rackenberg, Rocco Van Auken, and Brady Wagner share the role of Frank Jr.
