Now that both Sondheim and Furth have passed away, what would it take to allow the original 1981 script to become a licensed version of the show? Am I asking that question correctly?
I only know the 1981 Merrily We Roll Along from its OBC recording, which is easily one of Sondheim's most beautiful and accessible scores IMO. Over the years I've seen several revised versions of the show in the Chicago area, the 2013 film of the Friedman staging, and the 2019 off-Broadway production. All have had their merits, but none have been completely satisfying.
Unless I am mistaken, don't all of the original 1981 cast members regard the original version as much better than the various subsequent revised ones? |
