Live-Capture Performance of THE MERRILY CHAPTERS to be Screened in February

Open Jar Studios and Stage Door Foundation will present an exclusive opportunity to view the live-capture performance of THE MERRILY CHAPTERS the true story of how Stephen Sondheim created MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG through the eyes of original Broadway cast member, David Loud. Featuring performances by Elizabeth Stanley, Matthew Scott, David Loud and Evan Rees, THE MERRILY CHAPTERS was filmed in front of a live-studio audience as part of Open Jar Studios's ongoing ARTIST IN THE OPEN JAR series, providing glimpses inside the creative process of some of the greatest artists in the American Theatre.

The premiere of the live-capture video will be free for all to view, during which audiences will be encouraged to make donations to Stage Door Foundation.

The premiere can be seen here on Monday February 10th at 4pm:

The Merrily Chapters is David Loud's autobiographical story of the tragi-comic Broadway adventure that began when he was cast, at the age of 18, in Harold Prince's original 1981 production of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along.

David Loud occupies a unique place in Broadway history: in addition to his distinguished body of work as a music director and vocal arranger, he also originated three roles as an actor. He served as music director for the Broadway premieres of Kander & Ebb's The Visit, Susan Stroman's production of The Scottsboro Boys; James Lapine's Sondheim on Sondheim, Kander & Ebb's Curtains, Frank Galati's production of Ahrens & Flaherty's Ragtime, Kander & Ebb's Steel Pier; A Class Act; The Look of Love; and revivals of Porgy and Bess, She Loves Me; The Boys from Syracuse, Company; and Sweeney Todd. He originated the roles of Manny in Terrence McNally's Master Class, Sasha (the Conductor) in Curtains, and made his Broadway debut in Harold Prince's original 1981 production of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along.

The cast of The Merrily Chapters includes Elizabeth Stanley (Jagged Little Pill, Company), Matthew Scott (Sondheim on Sondheim, An American in Paris), David Loud and Evan Rees (Into The Woods). The Merrily Chapters is directed by Noah Racey (The Terms of My Surrender, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 5th Avenue's Guys & Dolls) with music direction by Evan Rees. The Merrily Chapters is adapted by David Loud and Noah Racey from David Loud's book, Facing the Music: A Broadway Memoir.

The Merrily Chapters is co-produced by The Stage Door Foundation, a not-for-profit organization providing support to artists as they develop theatrical projects, allowing individuals to focus on the creative process. Their mission is to secure and provide support to theatrical artists by providing access to professional mentorship, subsidized investments, and a supportive network infrastructure that can ignite the innovation of art. The vision of The Stage Door Foundation is to shape a world where art can be dreamed, developed, and realized without obstacles, to cultivate a performing arts ecosystem that celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and the untold stories waiting to be unveiled. Other projects of The Stage Door Foundation include The Broadway Workroom and last fall's Time Step Symposium.

Dedicated to the creation of art and the continued cultivation of the artist, Open Jar Studios is the creative home to the development of numerous Broadway shows. Their Artist In the Open Jar series represents the core of the studio's mission, providing a vital connection between the current creative artists actively working in the studios and the cultivation of the next generation of creative artists.

"Some of our generation's greatest theatre makers are here working at the studios," says Jeff Whiting, CEO of Open Jar, "and we are so thrilled that these artists are willing to share their unique insight for the next generation of creative artists, developing a pipeline of artists who can learn from each other and who will, most certainly, shape the future of the American Theatre."