On opening night of the Broadway revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” one person in the audience strangely wasn’t nervous — the director. Maria Friedman, who has helmed the show to seven Tony Award nominations, including for the three leads and her direction, says she felt completely calm.
FILE - Maria Friedman, director of the Broadway revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” attends the Meet The Tony Award Nominees press junket at the Sofitel New York in New York on May 2, 2024. FILE - Maria Friedman performs during A Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, a memorial concert, at The Juilliard School’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater , Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 in New York. Friedman is the Tony-nominated director of the Broadway revival of “Merrily We Roll Along.
Friedman was in many ways the best person to direct a new version. Her friendship with Sondheim stretched 40 years, she acted in a 1992 British production of the show and she directed a version at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2012.Jessica Stone, who knits Broadway and circus in thrilling ‘Water for Elephants,’ enjoys a Tony nod“It’s in my marrow. It’s with me. It will always be with me,” she said. “I feel continually grateful that this came my way.
“So when I read the script and I was asked to direct it, I was like, well, who knew? Everything was leading to Frank,” she said. “We made this thread which went all the way through, which is that he’s a beautiful leaf blowing in the wind, looking for anchors.” When Friedman spoke with Sondheim about remounting “Merrily We Roll Along,” she told him she wanted to do it for him. “He said, ‘Don’t do it for me. Do it for you.’ That was it,” she recalled.
While he did see the production many times in London, Sondheim died before the Broadway revival opened, to critical and financial success. He knew that Radcliffe was onboard and maybe Groff.
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