Character Breakdown: MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Cast Unpacks Their Roles
May 16, 2024
In this video, watch as the cast of Merrily We Roll Along unpacks their roles on opening night.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
So I play Charlie Kringus, who is Frank Shepard's writing partner
0:17
I'm the lyricist to his composer. And Charlie is one of the only people that I think can really be heard by Frank at certain
0:26
moments in the play. But he loves Frank, he loves Mary, and I think there's a lot of Charlie's energy that is
0:35
very similar to mine. There's a kind of a nervous, slight hyperactivity thing that I think we definitely share, so
0:43
that makes it very fun to play. I think that life is complicated, and he's had to make a lot of dicey choices
0:54
But when I leave the show, there's also a gift in getting to perform it in reverse
1:00
And when I'm left at the end of the show with his pure heart and energy, and there's this
1:06
line at the end of the show where he says, if I didn't have music I'd die
1:13
And I feel him in regards to theater. If I didn't have theater, I'd die
1:20
And I think that he does die through the journey of his character, because he loses
1:26
touch with that. But being able to tell his story and end with that connects me back to his truth, which
1:35
is the power of the arts and the power of self-expression. So that's my favorite thing about him
1:42
I mean, I love that she's so dedicated to her friends. I love her wry humor
1:56
My heart breaks for her as someone who is a little bit aimless and feeds other people
2:02
to tether her. I think it's one of the best roles that's ever been written in theater
2:10
And I didn't know about this role until I got this job
2:14
And I just am like, why is not every woman wanted to play Mary
2:19
I love how brave she is and how fearless she is with her love
2:23
And I think Beth just is not afraid to be vulnerable and not afraid to love without
2:31
any agenda, without any hindrance. She just loves and she loves really well
2:35
And I think that's such a beautiful message that loving someone is just it's never a mistake
2:40
You could get hurt. It may not stay in your life, but loving someone is never a mistake
2:47
I play Gussie Carnegie and she is a larger than life Broadway and movie star
2:52
She marries Frank and she was married to Joe and she had two other marriages. So she's been married a lot
2:58
But really, she's a really ambitious woman who's coming up in a time where she's probably
3:03
the only one. And she's coming up in a time where she has a lot against her, but it's also she's creating
3:11
who she thinks will be the most palatable, profitable person to survive because she loves
3:15
what she does. Number one, she loves music and acting and art and artists and being in that world
3:21
And so she's kind of created this person that could fit into that world
3:25
And I find that to be truly amazing. And also like, yeah, Gussie can on the page immediately seem like, oh, no, that's a lot
3:33
She's a lot. She can be kind of prickly, but I really have tried to make sure that we remember the humanity
3:39
and vulnerability of her because she is fully a human. She has deep, deep emotions and connections
3:46
And I do think she really does love Frank in particular. I play Joe Josephson
3:52
He's a producer, but he starts, you know, it starts at the end and goes to the beginning
3:58
And I get to go from just the bottom to the top, which is always better, you know, because
4:09
like literally I get through Act One and I go, oh, I can do whatever I want now because
4:15
it's not so sad anymore. You know, it just gets better and better
4:19
It gets better and better for Joe
#Movies
#Music & Audio
#Performing Arts
#Acting & Theater
#Drama Films
#Musical Films
#Vocals & Show Tunes
#Broadway & Musical Theater


