Here Is An Idea, Darlings! Why Not Do The Two Versions Of 'Merrily' In Repertory?????????????????????????????

                                                                                     

                                            Believe it or  not, girls, we are coming up on the 40th Anniversary of the Stephen Sondheim musical, which will be on November 16.  And now, with theaters scrambling to get back on their feet, re-establishing pre-Covid hits, and finding some new ones, I think featuring the two versions of 'Merrily' back to back, would be a great idea, and give audiences more of an understanding of each piece.

                                                  The Kaufman and Hart version  should be viewed first, especially by those who are aficionados of the musical, and even more, by those who are not.  I can tell you what you will discover is that the play is even nastier than the musical.

                                                       And casting would be fascinating.  Each cast would perform both shows, but would the leads be the same?  Probably not--so that the leads in  the musical would be reduced to smaller parts in the play, and vice  versa.  Everyone gets their chance.

                                                          Plus, the musical has been done any number of times, as  I can attest, having seen and/or listened to recordings thereof.  Has the original play ever been revived?  If not, it is about time, and there is no better way to showcase it, than in tandem with the musical.

                                                               Somewhere in Off or Off Off Broadway, a hungry little theater group is looking for an idea to set them off.

                                                                 Get crackin', fellas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!