The revival premiered at the Menier Chocolate Factory in fall 2012 and began its West End engagement April 23 at the Harold Pinter Theatre for a limited run through July 27. It was first broadcast in cinemas Oct. 23, 2013, by CinemaLive and Digital Theatre.
In addition to the download (available at digitaltheatre.com), SpectiCast is screening the musical in U.S. movie theatres through Feb. 23. Click here for a list of participating cinemas. The screening also includes backstage interviews with the cast.
Playbill attended an advanced screening of Merrily. Read our coverage here.
In April Digital Theatre, the U.K. company that partners with British theatre companies to capture live performances on screen in High Definition from multiple camera angles, joined forces with CinemaLive to make its catalog available for distribution to cinemas worldwide.
Merrily We Roll Along is the first project in the partnership to premiere in U.S. cinemas. The company also filmed Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods, seen at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in 2010. The 1981 musical, which has a book by Furth and a score by Sondheim, is based on Kaufman and Hart's 1934 Broadway play. Merrily travels backwards in time to navigate the bumpy history of three friends who start their careers in show business together.
The West End leading trio of "Old Friends" included Mark Umbers as Franklin Shepard, Damian Humbley as Charley Kringas and Tony nominee Jenna Russell as Mary Flynn.
Also in featured roles were Clare Foster, Josefina Gabrielle, Glyn Kerslake and Zizi Strallen.
The production had designs by Soutra Gilmour, lighting by David Hersey, sound design by Gareth Owen, musical supervision and direction by Catherine Jayes, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick and choreography by Tim Jackson.
The West End revival was produced by Chocolate Factory Productions, Neal Street Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Bartner & Norman Tulchin, Debbie Bisno, Scott M. Delman, Just for Laughs Theatricals and Tanya Link.
Here's a look:
