A beloved and once-underrated Stephen Sondheim musical is making its way to Ypsilanti as Horizon Performing Arts presents Merrily We Roll Along at the Riverside Arts Center, March 5–8.
With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth, Merrily We Roll Along traces the unraveling — and origins — of a decades-long friendship among composer Franklin Shepard and his two closest companions, Mary and Charley. Uniquely, the story unfolds in reverse chronological order, beginning in disillusionment and ending in youthful optimism.
For the director and Artistic Director of Horizon Performing Arts, Connor Thomas Rhoades, the show is both a professional challenge and a personal reflection.
“I’ve always had an affinity for the works of Stephen Sondheim, and Merrily is no exception,” Rhoades said. “The show explores the nature of lifelong relationships and how those relationships evolve throughout one’s adulthood. As a 33-year-old man, I am fortunate to have a handful of enduring friendships from my youth and adolescence. Merrily gives me a chance to reflect on how those relationships have changed over the years, how they have strengthened, and where we may have drifted apart.”
Telling the story backwards
First premiering in 1981 and famously revised over the years, Merrily We Roll Along challenges both performers and audiences with its reverse structure. Characters appear before we understand how they became who they are, requiring clarity in staging and storytelling.
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“With Merrily, it is crucial to be as clear and concise as possible in staging the show,” Rhoades said. “Characters are introduced to the audience that otherwise would have had around two hours of prior storytelling to precede them. Since Merrily’s tumultuous premiere in 1981, its book has been meticulously refined for that very reason. The audience needs to be able to follow the timeline and the characters just as easily as if they were watching the show in the proper chronology.”
The production leans into that clarity through thoughtful design choices.
“It is important that the set be multifunctional,” Rhoades said. “It is intentionally non-specific so it can serve as the story’s multiple settings. It’s the set dressings that do the heavy lifting in establishing where and when we are. While we’re avoiding drastic costume changes for the supporting cast to aid in the audience’s understanding of who they are, there will be subtle fashion changes throughout the show to indicate the show’s reverse chronology.”
At the Heart: Three Friends
At its core, Merrily is about friendship — its rhythms, fractures, and possibilities for renewal.
“I want this production of Merrily to focus on the friendship at the core of the story: Frank, Mary, and Charley. These three characters have a rapport and rhythm together that is infectious,” Rhoades said. “Hopefully, audiences can relate this to their own friendships. We all have time to correct courses and reflect on how our choices affect our relationships and our sense of self.”
The casting process centered on authenticity and chemistry. The director is also stepping into the role of Charley Kringas, performing alongside close friends as Frank and Mary.
“It was crucial to develop a strong bond between these three characters,” Rhoades said. “They needed to have an unmistakable chemistry, impeccable rhythm, and a seemingly unseverable bond. My goal is for the audience to be inspired by the closeness of these three people.”
Themes that resonate today
Beyond friendship, the musical examines ambition, regret, and the cost of chasing fame.
“Another theme in Merrily is the dangers of unfettered fame and fortune-seeking behavior,” Rhoades said. “In an era dominated by unprecedented greed, Merrily gives audiences a glimpse at how losing sight of one’s passion in favor of notoriety and financial lucrativeness is detrimental to the relationships they have cultivated throughout their lives.”
The show repeatedly poses a central question: how did we become who we are?
“The thesis of Merrily is posed as a question throughout the piece: ‘How did you get to be here?’ The show challenges the audience to reflect on the choices we’ve made throughout our lives that have ultimately driven us to who we are now,” Rhoades said. “It asks the audience, if given the chance, what would you do differently? Do you have any regrets?”
An intimate experience
Staged at Riverside Arts Center, the production benefits from the intimacy of a community arts venue.
“I think that the most engaging theatre takes place in an intimate setting,” Rhoades said. “I love feeling like I’m actually in the room with these characters. It makes moments feel less heightened in the best way.”
That closeness extends to the rehearsal room.
“It warms my heart that the cast has taken to the material in the way they have,” Rhoades said. “Shows like Merrily are special, and the way the cast has sunk their teeth into the themes and subtext of the piece is truly incredible. They are thinking critically as to why Sondheim and Furth created the piece in the way they did; not a single word goes unexamined.”
Leaving with hope
Though the musical begins with fractured relationships and hard truths, it ends — paradoxically — with hope. That emotional journey is exactly what this production hopes to deliver.
“While some may think the show has a ‘downer’ ending, my goal is for audiences to leave the show with a sense of hope,” Rhoades said. “We all have the potential to do great things if we remain true to ourselves. Do the work, cultivate your vision, and don’t lose sight of what it is that fulfills your sense of humanity.”
For local audiences in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, Merrily We Roll Along offers not just Sondheim’s intricate score and lyrical brilliance, but an invitation to look backward — and forward — at the friendships and choices that shape a life.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
