Merrily We Roll Along October 14, 2011

October 14, 15, 20, 21, 22 at 7:30pm; October 16 at 2:00pm

Book by George Furth
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Jennifer Boesing
Music direction by Dave Moschler

There is nothing like Merrily We Roll Along. The story begins in the present and moves backwards through time, tracing the lives of theater composer, Franklin Shepard and his two estranged friends. Frank writes the music, Charley writes the words, and Mary writes the stories. As the years go by, they each became very successful professionally and drift apart as friends. But that is where the story begins. Following them back in time together, through each milestone of their personal and professional lives, good and bad. Through parties, seductions, divorces, fame, and secret unrequited love, we experience a bitter sweetness as we watch them make choices knowing exactly where they are going. The story ends with the three best friends at the start of their careers, facing a bright future.

A stellar cast led by director Jennifer Boesing and a live jazz orchestra conducted by David Moschler, will bring this story to life in a show that promises to have you laughing, crying, toe-tapping, and cheering for more.

When this show was first produced on Broadway, Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince cast teenagers in all the roles. It was, in fact, conceived with teenagers in mind. Sondheim says this about it in his book, Finishing the Hat, "What we envisioned was a cautionary tale in which actors in their late teens and early twenties would begin disguised as middle-aged sophisticates and gradually become their innocent young selves as the evening progressed."

YMTC (Youth Musical Theater Company) is a non-profit, Berkeley-based company that brings together the Bay Area's most talented and dedicated young singer/actors with professional directors, designers, and musicians to create theater that takes on challenging and sophisticated musical and dramatic themes, and that is always accompanied by a full, live orchestra.

Official Website: http://www.ymtcberkeley.org