top of page

Roundabout announces MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG complete casting

ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY

Announces Final Casting For

Fiasco Theater’s Production of

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

Book by George Furth

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Based on and with additional material from the original play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart

With

JESSIE AUSTRIAN, BRITTANY BRADFORD, PAUL L. COFFEY,

MANU NARAYAN, BEN STEINFELD, EMILY YOUNG

Performances begin Saturday, January 12, 2019.

Opening is set for Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

Limited Engagement at Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) is pleased to announce complete casting for Fiasco Theater’s new production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Fiasco’s production will be directed by Fiasco Co-Artistic Director Noah Brody, is based on and with additional material from the original play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, and will feature Music Direction & Orchestrations by Alexander Gemignani and Choreography by Lorin Latarro.

The company of six includes Fiasco Co-Artistic Director Jessie Austrian, Brittany Bradford, Fiasco company member Paul L. Coffey, Manu Narayan, Fiasco Co-Artistic Director Ben Steinfeld and Fiasco company member Emily Young.

The creative team for Merrily We Roll Along includes Derek McLane (Scenic Design), Paloma Young (Costume Design), Christopher Akerlind (Lighting Design) and Peter Hylenski (Sound Design).

Performances will begin on Saturday, January 12 at 7:30PM with an opening night set for Tuesday, February 19, 2019. This will be a limited engagement at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street).

With Fiasco’s one-of-a-kind imagination, this audacious musical about a trio of friends in showbiz who fall apart and come together over two decades emerges as newly personal and passionate. The ensemble brings to life a reimagination of Furth and Sondheim’s creation in an emotionally rich new production that confronts the pains and pleasures of fame, fortune, and old friends.

Roundabout reunites with the acclaimed Fiasco Theater following their 2015 production of Into the Woods, which Entertainment Weekly called “Pure Stage Magic! A wildly inventive, emotionally gut-punching, delightfully off-kilter production” and Ben Brantley of The New York Times exclaimed “Truly enchanting…. I fell head over heels.”

In the fall of 2015 Roundabout partnered with Fiasco to provide a residency for them to begin experimenting with Merrily. Fiasco was officially named Roundabout’s Company in Residence in the fall of 2016, and since then they have continued to work on their vision of the musical with Roundabout over multiple workshops and readings.

In addition to the acclaimed revival of Into the Woods in 2015, Roundabout has a long relationship with Stephen Sondheim having produced five Tony Award-nominated Sondheim revivals including Company (1995), Follies (2001), Tony Award® winning Assassins (2004), Pacific Overtures (2004) and Sunday in the Park with George (2008). In 2005, Roundabout honored Sondheim with the Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre for the indelible impact his life’s work has made on the theatre and in 2009, Roundabout presented a one-night only gala concert reading of A Little Night Music. In 2010, Roundabout presented a special Broadway musical tribute to Sondheim entitled Sondheim on Sondheim conceived and directed by Into the Woods’ librettist James Lapine and in the same year, renamed Broadway’s Henry Millers’ Theatre in honor of Mr. Sondheim.

Major support for Merrily We Roll Along generously provided by Perry and Marty Granoff and The Shen Family Foundation.

Partial underwriting support for Merrily We Roll Along contributed by Roger Berlind and Robert Boyett Theatricals.

This production benefits from Roundabout’s Musical Theatre Production Fund with lead gifts from Perry and Marty Granoff, Michael Kors and Lance Le Pere, and Diane and Tom Tuft.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Armstrong and Gina Maria Leonetti for supporting Roundabout’s development of Merrily We Roll Along.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Tickets for Merrily We Roll Along are available by calling 212.719.1300, online at roundabouttheatre.org, in person at any Roundabout box office: American Airlines Theatre Box office (227 West 42nd Street); The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 W 46th Street) and Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street); or by visiting StubHub, The Premier Secondary Ticketing Partner of Roundabout. Ticket prices range from $99-109. For groups of 10 or more please call 212-719-9393 x 365 or email groupsales@roundabouttheatre.org.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Merrily We Roll Along will play Tuesday through Saturday evening at 7:30PM with Wednesday, Saturday matinees at 2:00PM and Sunday matinees at 3:00PM.

BIOS:

JESSIE AUSTRIAN is a theater-maker, educator, activist and parent. She is one of Fiasco Theater's Co-Artistic Directors and founders. Previously with Roundabout: Fiasco's Into the Woods, The Importance of Being Earnest, and The Marriage of Bette and Boo. Other NY Theater: Broadway revival of Lend Me a Tenor, Fiasco’s Into the Woods, Measure for Measure, Cymbeline and The Two Gentlemen of Verona (BST, TFANA, New Vic). London: Fiasco’s Into the Woods (Menier Chocolate Factory). Regional: The Old Globe, McCarter, Folger Theatre, The Guthrie, Trinity Rep, ATL and Williamstown, among others. TV/Film: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Made in Jersey, Futurestates. As a director/co-director: Fiasco's The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Helen Hayes nominee for Best Direction) at The Folger Theater and Theatre For A New Audience, Fiasco's The Imaginary Invalid at The Old Globe, Ken Ludwig's Sherwood at Playmakers Rep. Adjunct faculty at NYU's Gallatin School. Proud graduate of Brown and the Brown/Trinity MFA Acting Program. Proud mom of Asher and partner of Noah. jessieaustrian.com.

BRITTANY BRADFORD. Broadway: Bernhardt/Hamlet. NYC/regional: For Colored Girls… (The Public Theater); Flyin’ West (Westport Country Playhouse); Family Resemblance (Eugene O’Neill); The Profane and The Taming of the Shrew (Chautauqua Theater Company); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ten Thousand Things Theatre); Neighbors, Avenue Q, Next to Normal (Mixed Blood Theatre); Ragtime, Stick Fly (Park Square Theatre). Brittany graduated in May from Juilliard, where her credits included Father Comes Home From the Wars, Hoodoo Love, Triumph of Love, King Lear, Cymbeline, Christina Martinez and The Marriage of Bette and Boo. Co-Founder of HomeBase Theatre Collective. brittany-bradford.com

PAUL L. COFFEY Off-Broadway: Twelfth Night (Classic Stage Co.) Into the Woods (Roundabout Theatre Co.), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Theatre for a New Audience), Cymbeline (Theatre for a New Audience/Barrow Street Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre for a New Audience), Measure for Measure (The New Victory Theater). London: Into the Woods (Menier Chocolate Factory). Regional: The Old Globe, Napa Valley Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Theatre, McCarter Theater Center, Trinity Repertory Company, Pig Iron Theatre Company, The Vineyard Play house, The Theater at Monmouth, The Peterborough Players, The Berkshire Theatre Festival. Paul is a graduate of the Brown University/Trinity Rep M.F.A. Acting Program and a Fiasco company member.

MANU NARAYAN is an actor most known for portraying the leading role of Aakash (Drama League nomination) in the original Broadway company of AR Rahman’s Bombay Dreams. On Broadway this past year, he originated the role of Zoltan Karpathy in Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony nominated revival of My Fair Lady and created the role of Robbie in the original musical Gettin’ the Band Back Together at the Belasco Theater. Off-Broadway, Manu has appeared at the Public (Fucking A), Second Stage (Getting Home and suburbia), La Mama (Yeast Nation) and New World Stages (Sidd). Regionally, he was Ricky Roma (SD Critics’ nomination) in Glengarry Glen Ross and Huma in Guards at the Taj at La Jolla Playhouse. He portrayed Mike in the Kennedy Center’s revival of The Lisbon Traviata. Other credits include the Stage Manager in Our Town, Romeo in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Cyrano in Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, and Jack Absolute in The Rivals. On film, Manu co-starred with Mike Myers in The Love Guru. He has played supporting roles in Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song and in 99 Homes. For the Indian market, he was the male lead in the independent film Good Night | Good Morning. He has guest starred on TV in “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Sopranos,” “Law and Order SVU,” and “Unforgettable” among others. Narayan is an accomplished singer who has sung for the Queen of England, the Royal Family, President George W. Bush, and Secretary Hillary Clinton. Narayan created the baritone role of Faiz in Kamala Sankaram’s opera Thumbprint for the Prototype festival and LA Opera. As lead singer and co-songwriter of the band Darunam, he can be heard on multiple feature film soundtracks. Along with his Darunam collaborator Radovan Jovicevic, Manu is developing a new musical with playwright Aditi Kapil. In addition, he has recorded and sings concerts around the world with Grammy award winner Frank London of the Klezmatics. Manu Narayan holds dual BFA degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, where he served three-years as a trustee of the University.

BEN STEINFELD is an actor, director, teacher and co-artistic director of the acclaimed Fiasco Theater. As an actor, Ben has been seen on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Cyrano de Bergerac, and as James Monroe in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. His Off-Broadway acting and directing work for Fiasco includes: the Baker in Into the Woods (Lucille Lortel Award nomination) at the Roundabout and London’s Menier Chocolate Factory; Cymbelineat Theatre for a New Audience and the Barrow Street Theatre (Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival); and Measure for Measure at the New Victory Theatre (New York Times Top Ten of 2014). Co-director: The Two Gentlemen of Verona at TFANA/Folger (Helen Hayes nom.). Regional theater work includes: McCarter, Long Wharf, the Old Globe, Trinity Rep and many others. His television and film acting work includes: HBO’s Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, the upcoming film Callahan, “The Good Wife” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” He is the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award from NYU’s Gallatin School, where he is an adjunct professor and artistic associate. He is a graduate of Brown University and the Brown/Trinity MFA Program.

EMILY YOUNG is an actress, singer and writer. She is an original company member of Fiasco Theater and lead singer of the band, The Sweet Nothing. Acting credits include: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Broadway); Into The Woods, Twelfth Night, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Measure for Measure, & Cymbeline, all over the world with Fiasco; The Servant of Two Masters (TFANA). Film/TV: Living With Yourself (Paul Rudd/Netflix), The Knick (Stephen Soderbergh/Cinemax); God of Love (Academy Award – Best Short); Manhattan Melody (Telluride); Natives (SXSW). M.F.A. Brown/Trinity; B.A. Brown University.

NOAH BRODY (Director) is an actor, director, teacher, and co-artistic director of Fiasco Theater. In December of 2018 he will direct Fiasco’s production of Merrily We Roll Along at Roundabout Theatre. Noah has co-directed and acted in Fiasco's productions of Into the Woods (McCarter, Old Globe, Roundabout, Menier Chocolate Factory), The Imaginary Invalid (Old Globe), Measure for Measure (New Victory, Long Wharf), Twelfth Night (Classic Stage Co.), and Cymbeline (TFANA, Barrow St. Theatre) which received the 2012 Off Broadway Award for best revival. He has appeared in Fiasco’s production of Two Gentlemen of Verona (Folger Theatre, TFANA) and co-directed the national tour of Fiasco’s production of Into the Woods. Elsewhere, Noah has recently appeared in As You Like It (CSC, John Doyle, dir.), directed Lungs at the Wolfe Street Theatre and has acted at theaters around the country and in Europe. He teaches acting and rehearsal technique through Fiasco and the NYU Gallatin School summer Shakespeare Intensive. Graduate of the Brown/Trinity MFA Acting program.

STEPHEN SONDHEIM (Music & Lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday In The Park With George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994) and Road Show (2008), as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), Moving On (2001) and Sondheim On Sondheim (2010) are anthologies of his work as composer and lyricist. For films, he composed the score of Stavisky (1974), co-composed the score for Reds (1981) and wrote songs for Dick Tracy (1990). He wrote songs for the television production “Evening Primrose” (1966), co-authored the film The Last of Sheila (1973) and the play Getting Away With Murder (1996) and provided incidental music for the plays The Girls Of Summer (1956), Invitation To A March (1961), Twigs (1971) and The Enclave (1973). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: "Finishing the Hat" (2010) and "Look, I Made A Hat" (2011). In 2010 the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller's Theatre was renamed in his honor.

GEORGE FURTH (Book). Graduated from Northwestern’s University School of Speech and did graduate work at Columbia University. After appearing in dozens of films and countless television shows as an actor, he went on to write (the play or book for) Company, Twigs, The Act, The Supporting Cast, Merrily We Roll Along, Precious Sons and Getting Away with Murder (with Stephen Sondheim). He won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, London’s Olivier and Evening Standard, Chicago’s Jefferson, the Andy and Drama League Awards.

FIASCO THEATER is an ensemble theater company created by graduates of the Brown University/Trinity Rep M.F.A. acting program. Past shows include Cymbeline (TFANA/Barrow Street), Into the Woods (Roundabout, Old Globe, McCarter, National Tour/Menier Chocolate Factory), Measure for Measure (New Victory/Long Wharf), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Folger/TFANA), The Imaginary Invalid (The Old Globe), Twelfth Night (Classic Stage Company). Cymbeline was honored with the 2012 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival. Into the Woods garnered the 2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival & Off-Broadway Alliance Award. Fiasco Theater is Company in Residence at Roundabout Theatre Company as well as at NYU-Gallatin. Fiasco Theater receives generous support from SHS Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Lucille Lortel Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Actor’s Equity Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts & the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre opened in March 2004 with an acclaimed premiere of Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel starring Viola Davis, directed by Dan Sullivan. In the ten years since that landmark production, the center has expanded beyond the Laura Pels Theatre to include the Black Box Theatre and now a new education center. The Steinberg Center continues to reflect Roundabout’s commitment to produce new works by established and emerging writers as well as revivals of classic plays. This state-of-the-art off-Broadway theatre and education complex is made possible by a major gift from The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. The Trust was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg to promote and advance American Theatre as a vital part of our culture by supporting playwrights, encouraging the development and production of new work, and providing financial assistance to not-for-profit theatre companies across the country. Since its inception, the Trust has awarded over $70 million to more than 125 theatre organizations.

Roundabout Theatre Company celebrates the power of theatre by spotlighting classics from the past, cultivating new works of the present, and educating minds for the future. A not-for-profit company, Roundabout fulfills that mission by producing familiar and lesser-known plays and musicals; discovering and supporting talented playwrights; reducing the barriers that can inhibit theatergoing; collaborating with a diverse team of artists; building educational experiences; and archiving over five decades of production history.

Roundabout Theatre Company presents a variety of plays, musicals and new works on its five stages: Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre, Studio 54 and Stephen Sondheim Theatre, and Off-Broadway’s Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre.

American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Roundabout kicks off its 2018-19 Broadway season with Bernhardt/Hamlet, a new play by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, starring Janet McTeer, Dylan Baker & Jason Butler Harner; True West by Sam Shepard, directed by James Macdonald, starring Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano; Kiss Me, Kate, directed by Scott Ellis, starring Kelli O’Hara and Will Chase; and Arthur Miller’s All My Sons starring Annette Bening and Tracy Letts, directed by Gregory Mosher.

Off-Broadway in 2018-2019, Roundabout’s season includes Apologia by Alexi Kaye Campbell, directed by Daniel Aukin, with Stockard Channing; Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, directed by Noah Brody in a Fiasco Theater production; Toni Stone by Lydia R. Diamond, directed by Pam MacKinnon, with Uzo Aduba; and Usual Girls by Ming Peiffer, directed by Tyne Rafaeli and Something Clean by Selina Fillinger, directed by Margot Bordelon at Roundabout Underground.

Follow ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.

# # #

Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
Follow Us

 

 

Polk & Co.  1650 Broadway, Suite 601 New York, New York 10019
917-261-3988

  • Facebook Social Icon
  • Twitter Social Icon
  • Instagram Social Icon
  • LinkedIn Social Icon
bottom of page