The department of music, theatre & film and the SJU Theatre Company presented “Merrily We Roll Along” in Bluett Theatre from Feb. 20 to Feb. 23.
Taking viewers through three decades of the entertainment business, “Merrily We Roll Along” is based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.
The play was adapted into a musical by Stephen Sondheim in 1981 and follows the lives of Franklin Shepard and his two close friends as they navigate success and ambition through Hollywood.
“I chose to do the musical because it was written by Stephen Sondheim, Broadway’s most prolific composer,” said Renee Dobson, M.F.A., associate professor of performing arts and artistic director of Bluett Theatre. “His music is always a challenge for the students to perform!”
Abby Williams ’25 leads the cast as Mary Flynn alongside Fred Mader as Franklin Shepard and Robbie Whitney as Charley Kringas. Williams said she felt more attached to this character than any other character before.
“I feel I can relate to my character in a lot of ways, but we also differ in other ways,” Williams said. “It’s always fun to play a character like that because you feel more connected to their story, feelings and emotions … There’s an aspect to storytelling that theater has unlike anything else, and it’s thrilling to be able to do that in front of live audiences.”
Ryan Jansen ’27 worked on the production as the light board director, cueing the lights at the appropriate times for the performers. Jansen said the comedy element and the historical pieces of the show brought the show together.
“I was most excited to see the crowd’s reactions to the jokes, as well as the historical aspect of the show,” Jansen said. “It will sometimes discuss things like the Kennedy Family, the end of the Vietnam War, as well as listing the year the scene takes place in.”
The musical reflects ideals shifting in the mid-20th century and how the period impacted societal choices in the entertainment industry.
Williams said the reverse chronological order of the show added another fun element to the production, as it challenged her vocal range.
“Since the show goes backwards in time, I love getting to play a range of ages,” Williams said. “As Mary gets younger throughout the show, I would raise my voice up a bit higher and get a little more geeky, awkward and innocent.”
Jansen said the musical presented obstacles, but their preparation paid off once it was showtime.
“Things sometimes can seem like it’s not working well and there might be issues, but once that last week of rehearsals hit, we hit every mark and make it happen,” said Jansen.
Dobson, who has served as the artistic director of Bluett Theatre for the past 22 years, said watching the students unfold the story is always a highlight of the production.
“My favorite part of putting the show together is seeing the sense of accomplishment the students get when they master the complex music,” Dobson said.
Williams said the theater company at St. Joe’s has become stronger in recent semesters, and this has shown through their support for one another.
“Over the past year, there’s been a strong community that’s been formed within SJU Theatre Company that hasn’t been there in a while… [And] as long as audiences feel something and have opinions on the story and characters during a show, I know I’ve done my job as an actor,” Williams said.
