Merrily We Roll Along

I mentioned in my last newsletter how tickled I was that “Shrinking” included a duet of “The Confrontation” from Les Mis between characters Jimmy and Brian, which then inspired me to look up the “Carpool Karaoke” episode where Lin-Manuel, Audra, Jesse, and Jane join James in a rousing rendition of “One Day More” also from Les Mis. And to be honest, I think that sparked a long-dormant need to immerse myself back in musical theater, because shortly after, I acquired a copy of Merrily We Roll Along from the recent production starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez, a show I knew nothing about except that I love everything Jonathan Groff does and I wondered how Daniel Radcliffe might pull off an American accent while singing.

And the result was an instant deep love for the show, songs that live in my head all day, lyrics I’m quickly learning, and making my husband sit through a encore showing.

It’s the story of friends trying to “make it” with their artistic passions: a writer, a lyricist, a composer. The compromises they make. They integrity they sacrifice for success. The moral seems to be stay true to your art, that success is for sell-outs.

The story is told in reverse, so when we first meet the characters, they’re truly at their lowest, which in a way, means you’re guaranteed a happy ending—the show ends when they’re at their most hopeful. But also, it’s knowing that all the hope in the world won’t save them from their destiny.

For me—a “writer” who has written a lot, hoped for her shot, hasn’t yet got it—the message definitely resonated. And while Frank, the composer-turned-producer, sells out, loses his friends, hates his life, he still has a kind of wisdom to impart: “Solving dreams, not just trusting them, taking dreams, readjusting them.” Jonathan Groff said in Amy Pohler’s Good Hang that those are his favorite lines. Maybe Frank loses himself in success, maybe he took it too far. But also, maybe he was more flexible than his other two friends. Maybe he knew that dreams don’t always come true like you expect, but that doesn’t mean they don’t come true.

It makes me think of Tick…Tick…Boom, Jonathan Larson’s musical that came out before his hit Rent and is now a movie staring Andrew Garfield, another show I instantly fell in love with because it shows that you can toil for so long on a project you love and nothing might of come of it in the end. Or as my wise friend Maryann says, you had to write through that project to get to your next project, as Jonathan Larson certainly did.

Jonathan Groff had something to say about that to Amy, too. Merrily We Roll Along, when it was originally on Broadway, was a flop and only lasted two weeks. Audiences weren’t ready for it for some reason. But now, decades later, it finally gets to shine. And Jonathan Groff talks about how if you put your heart and soul into what you create, if you take great care with it, then you should have faith that it will resonate, and even it doesn’t right away, it will stand the test of time.

So maybe the message isn’t don’t be a sell-out. Maybe the message is take care with your art. Use it to the best of your ability. Write what you know (points to brain) but also write what you know (points to heart). A message I’ll definitely keep in mind as I continue to create.

Daniel, Jonathan, and Lindsay in Merrily We Roll Along

This week I listened to Cynthia Ervio’s memoir, which was short and sweet. I don’t usually invest in celebrity memoirs, but this one was more like a meditation exercise or a therapy visit. Cynthia repeatedly assures the reader that she loves you and she supports you, and she encourages you to listen to your gut and be the best you can be. It could have come out trite, but seems sincere. What I most took away from it was that because she had a supportive and loving household, she was able to become the success she is today. Both Jonathan and Amy said the same thing about their families in Good Hang. And even though I already try my best to parent my daughter with love and understanding, it was a great reminder that my first role as her mother is to love her and celebrate her unconditionally every day. So that’s what I am going to do. And who know who she’ll become because of it.

NYT this week asked if you could tell which of the passages above were written by a person and which was written by A.I.

As a staunch A.I. opposer, I am super glad I could pick out the human one.

I was in the mood to watch Reality Bites the other night, probably inspired by Merrily, since it’s another movie about taking care with your craft and not selling out. Reality Bites was a favorite of mine during my college days, but now that I’m older, that movie did not resonate with me nearly as much as it used to. What a bunch of whiny, dramatic kids. Maybe smoke less pot and try a little harder!

I had it on good authority that The Everlasting would be a good read since two of my friends gave it five stars and because I was already a Alix E. Harrow fan. And I did love it, found its storytelling method quite clever, and it definitely kept me guessing on what would happen next. Two thumbs up, highly recommend.

Hope to see you next time. Make sure you don’t miss it - subscribe!

Want to share with all your friends? Hit the button below.

Share