Video: MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Cast Talkback at Rooftop Writers Initiative

Merrily We Roll Along opened doors to the winners of the Rooftop Writers Initiative for a talkback with the Broadway cast, moderated by Benj Pasek, offering advice to the 100 young writers selected to attend the Thursday, February 29th performance.

"I've never done a show I think this show is meant for the audience for you to think about your lives and reflect. It's such a testament to writing something super personal," stated Jonathan Groff, who plays Franklin Shepard in the show.

When asked what the actors look for when looking for a piece that they want to be a part of, Lindsay Mendez, who plays Mary in the show, says that she just wants to connect with the writing and characters. "Obviously music is vastly different and stories are vastly different, but all of that doesn't matter. If I can empathize and get inside someone's story, then I'm all in."

"The thing that grabs me is a voice and a style... something that does what the hell it likes." says Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Charlie Kringas in the show, citing his film Swiss Army Man, which did not adhere to a traditional film structure.

Radcliffe also urges artists to keep in mind that a career is not linear. "People think that you do one job, and a bigger job, and it leads to a bigger job, and it just is not like that for almost everyone."

Morgan Kirner, who made her Broadway debut in the show, added: "Go after what really makes you light up, because that'll lead you in the right direction."

Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn, Merrily We Roll Along also features Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. The company currently includes Calvin James Davis, Max Rackenberg, Brady Wagner, Sherz Aletaha, Maya Boyd, Leana Rae Concepcion, Morgan Kirner, Ken Krugman, Corey Mach, Talia Simone Robinson, Amanda Rose, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Brian Sears, Evan Alexander Smith, Christian Strange, Koray Tarhan, Vishal Vaidya, Natalie Wachen, and Jacob Keith Watson.

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is directed by multi-Olivier Award® winner Maria Friedman, features music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by George Furth, and is based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart. Merrily We Roll Along officially opened on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. An inventive cult-classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs.