| Reading through this thread, I have to say that I’ve been moved by Merrily in each of the three or four productions of it I’ve seen. (I didn’t see the original.) I think the score, derided as Marvin Hamlisch-ish, is one of Sondheim’s most accessible, and its theme of youthful idealism giving way to adult cynicism is true and resonant. I like the backwards time structure: seeing at the end of the show what these adults were like as kids, their optimism, and the deep connection they forged with one another early on, are elements I’ve always found poignant and, alas, easy to relate to. |
