'Merrily' setting stage for filming more plays for movie theaters

The Tony-winning production of the Sondheim musical is headed to cinemas. A changing landscape means other shows may soon follow.

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WHEN THE LATEST revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along" premiered on Broadway in 2023, starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, the show broke the Hudson Theatre's house record, grossing $1.3 million in one week of previews. The actors became internet darlings, taking part in publicity gimmicks usually reserved for movie rollouts, like Vanity Fair's lie-detector test. "Merrily" went on to win four Tony Awards and closed in July 2024. For those who weren't there to see it in person, that should have been the (sad) end of the story. But not so fast. A month before the show's closing, RadicalMedia announced it was filming the production for a theatrical release, which has finally arrived: "Merrily We Roll Along," distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, hit 1,500 theaters on Dec. 5.

While stage-to-screen adaptations are common "Wicked: For Good" crossed $150 million on its opening weekend just last month-Broadway show recordings, also known as pro-shots, are less common, especially at such scale. BroadwayHD viewers get access to a variety of shows for $19.99 a month, but they've often aired on public television at some point, and National Theatre Live, which routinely screens in movie theaters, is limited to West End productions. George Clooney's performance in "Good Night, and Good Luck" aired on CNN this year but didn't expand beyond the channel into cinemas.