Earlier this year, Maria Friedman’s production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along set London’s West End ablaze. The acclaimed revival, which originated at the Menier Chocolate Factory before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre, starred Mark Umbers, Damian Humbley, and Jenna Russell as Franklin, Charlie, and Mary, the central trio of “Old Friends” whose lives don’t shake out as well as their promise could have allowed.
Friedman’s staging was so universally acclaimed that Digital Theatre, the UK’s pioneering archive of stage productions that have been recorded for posterity, is getting ready to share it with the world.
Partnering with CinemaLive, Merrily We Roll Along will be broadcast in cinemas across the United States on October 23. The event is set to inaugurate the new West End Theatre Series, which will continue to distribute London stage productions to movie houses across the world.
For your first taste of the production and the Digital Theatre premiere, TheaterMania brings you this exclusive interview with star Jenna Russell, where she talks about developing her character, the embittered alcoholic Mary Flynn, and explains why working with Sondheim’s material is so important.
Tickets for the October 23 broadcast of Merrily We Roll Along in the United States will go on sale September 13 at Fathom Events.
Click here for more information on CinemaLive and to find out where Merrily We Roll Along will be broadcast near you.