Movie Review: Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened… (2016)
Title: Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened…
Release Date: November 18, 2016
Director: Lonny Price
Production Company: Abramorama
Main Cast:
- Jason Alexander
- Donna Marie Asbury
- James Bonkovsky
- David Cady
- Liz Callaway
- Terry Finn
- Paul Gemignani
- Adam Guettel
- Steven Jacob
- Ann Morrison
- Mandy Patinkin
- Tonya Pinkins
- Abigail Pogrebin
- Lonny Price
- Daisy Prince
- Hal Prince
- Forest D. Ray
- Frank Rich
- Clark Sayre
- David Shine
- Stephen Sondheim
- Jim Walton
- James Weissenbach
- Maryrose Wood
Synopsis (via Letterboxd):
This film from acclaimed theater director Lonny Price charts the journey of the original cast of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along” in the 30-plus years since the musical debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in 1981.
My Thoughts:
Since I’ve become obsessed with the musical Merrily We Roll Along, I decided to watch this documentary about the notorious original production which bombed on Broadway in 1981. Lonny Price, who originated the role of Charley Kringas, directs this movie and interviews his fellow cast and crew. The production originated with much enthusiasm as composer Stephen Sondheim and director Hal Prince had a string of hit Broadway musicals that had redefined musical theater. Footage from an abandoned 1980s ABC documentary about the making of the show forms a good portion of the film.
Merrily We Roll Along notably is a story told in reverse chronological order and the decision was made to produce the show with a young cast aged 16 to 25 who play the characters as they de-age from bitter 40-year-olds to idealistic 20-year-olds. Interviews with the cast display the joy and awe these young actors had at working with their heroes Sondheim and Prince so early in their career and the heartbreak of the show failing. The latter part of the documentary catches up the cast in the present day where their lives have not played out with the careers of Broadway superstardom they imagined (with the possible exception of Jason Alexander who became famous for his role on Seinfeld), but have found satisfaction in life’s surprises. The documentary in a sense reflects the same themes of youthful energy and the wisdom of age told in Merrily We Roll Along. This section includes the cast reuniting for a concert performance in 2002 as well as getting together in the Neil Simon Theatre closer to the time of the documentary’s production.
While it’s not the point of this documentary, I’m still curious to learn about what caused the original production to fail while later productions succeeded? The archival footage includes several shots of the opening scene with the ensemble cast at a graduation, without noting that this is one of the scenes dropped from subsequent productions. The most recent Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along was a big hit with a cast lead by actors in their late 30s. But could this show be a success with a cast of young actors as originally intended (since I first saw Merrily We Roll Along performed by college students, I would say “Yes!”).
Rating: ***
#Broadway #Documentary #HalPrince #MovieReviews #Movies #MusicalTheater #StephenSondheim
