‘Merrily We Roll Along’ revival from London coming to U.S. cinemas

The acclaimed London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along” from the Menier Chocolate Factory will be broadcast to cinemas in the U.S. next month. The musical production will be screened starting Oct. 23 in cinemas across the country.

“Merrily We Roll Along,” by Sondheim and George Furth, opened at the Menier last fall and later transferred to the West End, where it ran through July. The production received enthusiastic reviews. There has been no announcement regarding a possible Broadway transfer.

Sondheim issued a rare statement regarding the planned screenings: “This production of ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ is not only the best I’ve seen, but one of those rare instances where casting, direction and show come together in perfect combination, resulting in the classic ideal of the sum being greater than the parts.”

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The musical was first performed on Broadway in 1981. Its structure is similar to that of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” -- a story of three intimately connected individuals told in reverse chronological order.

The broadcast is partnership between CinemaLive and Digital Theater, which are working to make West End productions accessible through digital cinematic screenings.

The show is the latest high-profile British production to head to U.S. movie screens. A production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” starring Kenneth Branagh is scheduled to begin showing Oct. 17. The West End production of “The Audience,” with Helen Mirren reprising her role as Queen Elizabeth II, was broadcast to cinemas in June.

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