Jonathan Groff’s Broadway performance was described as “thrilling and intense…a must-see.” Summary of critic reviews for “Merrily We Roll Along” | Entertainment

Lancaster County native Jonathan Groff, who received rave reviews from major critics for his performance in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Merrily We Roll Along,” officially announced today, Tuesday, October 10. It opened with a red carpet. Celebration Sunday at the Hudson Theatre.

The musical, which was a huge flop on Broadway when it first premiered in 1981, was met with some major critics, as did Groff’s co-stars Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and Tony Award winner Lindsey Mendes. It also receives high praise from home.

The musical is set in reverse chronological order from the 1970s to the 1950s, and stars composer Franklin Shepard (Groff), lyricist Charlie Klingas (Radcliffe), and theater critic and author Mary Flynn (Mendez). It depicts the story of a friend of mine who is a writer. Their lives change over the course of 20 years.

Jesse Green of The New York Times called Groff’s performance “chillingly intense.”

Green felt that the show was “small” for Broadway, and that the show’s book had parts that were “loosely stitched and didn’t quite line up” and felt like “Frankenstein.” Although he admits that there are problems, he praises the three lead actors.

“…Radcliffe’s wit and humility, combined with Mendes’s lively brilliance, provide the perfect environment for what is now (though not previously) an arguably central performance. Always engaging. Groff, a great actor, steps up to be a must-see here.

“His immense charisma comes to the fore, and he seems to stir up emotions of ambition, disappointment, and, most horrifyingly, frozen disgust,” Green added.

“Groff imbues a tricky character with tear-jerking honesty and charm, and there’s no one better here than him,” said USA Today’s Patrick Ryan. “Mendes is a hilarious knockout as the acerbic Mary, bringing powerful vocals and heartbreaking vulnerability… Radcliffe as Charlie is the sweet, open-hearted, stubborn lyricist of ‘Merrily.’ imbued with brio and obvious hurt.”

The Washington Post’s Peter Marks writes, “Groff’s reversal has been a journey full of reflections… from being a star-struck star-starved artist to a window into fame and fortune.” “It’s a journey to the point where we can press our noses against each other.”

Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune said that Mendes’ Mary character is a perfect fit for the show’s main character, saying, “It’s great to see Groff’s singing and energy driving the show. His character has so much to offer. He refuses to see, but the denial is clear on Grof’s face and voice.

“There was never a better three-act play on Broadway than the three leads,” Jones said, calling the revival “amazing.”

Some reviews credit British musical theater star Maria Freedman with retooling the show to revive it as a hit.

The show, currently scheduled to run until March 24, opened on Broadway last year.

“Groff, Mendez, and Radcliffe create Frank, Mary, and Charlie, bursting with energy,” says theater buff David Gordon. “They are giving career-best performances, and you not only buy them as friends, but you can palpably feel their joy and bitter disappointment.

“…Groff brilliantly grounds Frank in the reality of a man who has everything he ever wanted, only to find that the most important thing in his life has completely disappeared,” Gordon said. added.

“With the looks, charisma and tender sensibilities of a young matinee idol, Grof is the ideal Frank, the one everyone else can’t help but fall in love with. When in doubt, our friends self-destruct,” writes AMNY’s Matt Windman.

“…Groff is an actor who can convey hurt and humanity even through a shell of ego and moral deficiency,” says Vulture’s Sarah Holdren.

“Friedman and her ensemble make the show exquisite,” Holdren added.

“As I watched the show on Broadway, I found myself less focused on the Mendes and Radcliffe serials and more drawn to Groff. In a way that moves this revival forward even as it takes steps backwards for all eight performances: Cylinder,” wrote Robert Hoffler of Rapp.

“The joy of the show is that Radcliffe, Mendes, and Groff visibly enjoy performing together,” wrote The Daily Beast’s Tim Teeman.

Tiemann feels that the Broadway version of the show raises more questions than answers about how the friendship between the three main characters went awry.

He also seemed to prefer Groff’s performance in the New York Theater Workshop version of the Broadway production. “In NYTW, Groff created the career-defining role of Franklin…On Broadway, some of his Franklin nuances disappeared.” This is especially noticeable in the final performance of “Our Time” played at home. ”

And Darin King of Forbes writes that Groff’s Franklin “has the gravitational pull of a small planet.” …(T)his three stars are clearly made for each other. Their chemistry suggests decades of familiarity and backstory. ”

Groff, a Ronks native, Conestoga Valley High School graduate, and stage, film, and television actor, won an Outer Critics Circle Award and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his role as Franklin Shepherd in the 2022 Off-Broadway production. It was done.

Groff has previously appeared in Broadway productions such as “Hamilton” and “Spring Awakening,” television appearances such as “Glee” and “Mindhunter,” and “Knock at the Cabin” and the Disney film “Frozen.” He is known for appearing in movies such as.

He is set to star in the next full season of the BBC’s long-running sci-fi TV hit Doctor Who.