The Sounds of Film welcomes acclaimed director Maria Friedman, whose filmed production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along was recently featured at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Friedman joins Tom Needham to discuss the remarkable evolution of the musical—from its troubled 1981 Broadway debut to the acclaimed revival she directed and filmed.

In the film, adapted from Friedman’s Broadway staging, the story of Merrily We Roll Along unfolds in reverse chronological order, tracing the lives of three friends as they move backward through decades of personal and professional change. The narrative follows composer-turned-Hollywood-producer Franklin Shepard, played by Jonathan Groff; his former songwriting partner Charley Kringas, portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe; and their close friend Mary Flynn, played by Lindsay Mendez. The production features these mature actors moving through the characters’ earlier and later years, highlighting key moments in their friendship, artistic collaboration, and eventual breakup.

Friedman’s direction for both stage and film incorporates structural revisions made after the musical’s original 1981 run and presents the story using a cast of adult performers who portray the characters across the full span of the timeline. The filmed version was recorded at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre over multiple performances and preserves the production’s staging, musical numbers, and chronological design as seen in the 2023 Broadway run.

The Sounds of Film, hosted by Tom Needham, is the nation’s longest-running film and music radio show, broadcasting for over 35 years on WUSB Stony Brook. The program has featured a remarkable roster of guests, including Laurie Anderson, Nile Rodgers, Carter Burwell, Alexander Payne, Chuck D, Peter Fonda, Wallace Shawn, Cliff Martinez, and more. The show offers in-depth interviews with directors, composers, actors, and cultural commentators, exploring the intersection of cinema, music, and the arts.