Alley Repertory Theater ready to say hello to Merrily We Roll Along

Poste image of cast for show, comprising of individuals posing in photos booths. The words "Merrily We Roll Along" by Stephen Sondheim & George Furth.

“It’s our time, breathe it in.” – Merrily We Roll Along

This December, the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim will fill the Visual Arts Collective. Kicking off its 2024-25 season, Alley Repertory Theater is proud to bring to the Treasure Valley for the first time Merrily We Roll Along.

Merrily We Roll Along is about the turbulent relationship between three lifelong friends, spanning decades of joy and heartache. With some of Sondheim’s most playful numbers like “Franklin Shepard, Inc.”, “Not a Day Goes By”, “Our Time”, and “Old Friends”, Merrily takes audiences on a journey of optimism, friendship, dreams, regrets, and time gone by.

A Sondheim show mostly forgotten until its recent Broadway run, this musical is also about growing up, growing apart, and making dreams come true, no matter the corrupted cost. A musical once lost that has endured to leave an embracing legacy. 

Merrily We Roll Along: Past to present, present to past

In 1981, fresh off a decade of hits (Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd) with director Hal Prince, Sondheim was back in the writing lab. Working alongside George Furth (who also wrote the book for Company), Sondheim set out to adapt Merrily We Roll Along. The show would be based on a 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

The result? A short-lived Broadway run of only 16 performances.

A short run aside, the music lived on thanks to the original Broadway cast recording. Over the years, the show continued to evolve by losing songs and adding scenes, with the blessing of Sondheim. Productions that tinkered and toyed, including a 2012 Encores! Production that featured Lin Manuel Miranda, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Betsy Wolfe, among others. And a stripped down version by Fiasco Theater in 2019 at Roundabout theater.

Merrily We Roll Along reached new heights with a recent Broadway run. Nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2024, the production walked away with four wins. This included: Best Musical Revival, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Daniel Radcliffe), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Jonathan Groff), and Best Orchestrations.

Here in Idaho, a talented cast and crew will bring the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s to life this December.

Meet the cast: Merrily We Roll Along

A cast of 12, with old friends and new friends alike, will take the stage for this Alley Rep production.

Taylor Hawker (Rocky Horror Show, The Royale) and Alaggio Laurino (Cabaret, The Normal Heart) have both appeared in numerous Alley Rep productions. Madeline Jorgensen, meanwhile, will be making her Alley Rep debut in Merrily We Roll Along.

Tiara Thompson, Jodi Eichelberger, Julia Ketay, and Ben Clegg all are making their return to the Alley Rep stage for Merrily We Roll Along. Among the many previous productions: In the Next Room (Thompson), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Eichelberger, Clegg), and Cabaret (Ketay, Eichelberger, Clegg).

Rounding out this fabulous cast are talented performers, both familiar and first-timers with Alley Rep. Bren Trotter and Rachel Fichtman appeared in Alley Rep’s 2023 production of Hair and have appeared with numerous companies around the Treasure Valley. Tris Berg, Evie Elkins, and Victoria Zenner are all making their Alley Rep debuts. All are busy performers around the state and recognized from their work with The Boise Bard Players (Berg), Pride mainstage and Dragfort (Elkins), and Starlight Mountain Theater (Zenner).

Merrily We Roll Along begins on December 13 with a pay-what-you-want preview performance. Opening night is December 14, with performances continuing until December 28.

MUSIC TEAM: Dr. John Hamilton (music director), Chad Spears (orchestration, pianist), Lukas Koeing (pianist), Rhiannon Terry (clarinet), Andrew Pearson (drums), Brenden Williams (drums), Dennis Keck (trumpet)

PRODUCTION TEAM: Buffie Main (co-director), Dugan Jackman (co-director), Elena Maddy (production manager), Ryan Singh (stage manager), Jada Diaz (assistant stage manager), Wendy Fox (costume designer), Chaz Gentry (light designer), Blake Green (sound designer/sound engineer), Samuel Stimpert (technical director), Jessica Nebeker (scenic design), Jason Haskins (dramaturg).