So back during clopiin‘s big Sondheim livestream that you all missed out on, there was a lot we talked about in the chatroom as we were watching Merrily We Roll Along, and I made a transcript of it all! Well, I lost a bit at the beginning, but it wasn’t much. It starts off as Mary is giving her “toast” to Frank at the party.
strawberriesandcream: yikes
strawberriesandcream: mary <3
strawberriesandcream: what if MAry sang The Ladies Who Lunch
clopiin: ugh
strawberriesandcream: micdrop
clopiin: oh wait you do know barbara walsh has sung that song right
strawberriesandcream: pffft yeah
clopiin: the version of company i was just showing had her in it
strawberriesandcream: yeah i know
strawberriesandcream: oh mgod this moment
strawberriesandcream: damn
strawberriesandcream: (applause)
strawberriesandcream: i feel really bad for Meg cause she gets swept up in all this drama
strawberriesandcream: oh noooooooo this bit
strawberriesandcream: pfft frank please
clopiin: :'--(
strawberriesandcream: UGH NO
strawberriesandcream: CHARLEY
clopiin: "write what you know" hUH FRANK I WONDER WHO TOLD YOU THAT
strawberriesandcream: IK
strawberriesandcream: IKR
strawberriesandcream: i think a lot about this line
strawberriesandcream: yeah frank's going after meg because she reminds him of her when he was young
strawberriesandcream: and hopeful
strawberriesandcream: oh god this
strawberriesandcream: i also think a lot about frank's emotional and mental health at this point in time
strawberriesandcream: oh geez poor meg though
clopiin: i dont imagine it would be very good : /
clopiin: yeah frank how the heckie did you get to be here
strawberriesandcream: look at your life frank
strawberriesandcream: look at your choices
strawberriesandcream: frank sinatra oh my god
strawberriesandcream: i love these news bits
clopiin: haha yeah
clopiin: CHARLEY
clopiin: he is such a great charley
strawberriesandcream: he's so
clopiin: dorky
clopiin: hes wearing sneakers
clopiin: and a bowtie
strawberriesandcream: i love any Charley with curly hair honestly
clopiin: tru tru
strawberriesandcream: and Raul Esparza, but
clopiin: but its raul so
strawberriesandcream: yes
clopiin: and then lin manuel miranda
clopiin: but this guy is wearing a wig
strawberriesandcream: yep
clopiin: HEY OLD FRIEND
strawberriesandcream: oh he is?
clopiin: yeah
strawberriesandcream: i love charley/mary's friendship so much
clopiin: yeah!!!
strawberriesandcream: i actually really like jenna as mary so far
strawberriesandcream: i thought her accent would bug me, but it doesn't really
clopiin: yeah!
clopiin: the beth tries this really bad southern accent
clopiin: but other than that the all did a fairly decent job of masking their english accents
strawberriesandcream: this song comes to my mind every time that one of my problematic faves gets a little too problematic for me
clopiin: hahaha yeah
clopiin: youre one to talk you nerd
strawberriesandcream: IKR
strawberriesandcream: i was just about to say that
strawberriesandcream: "after all this time, you're still in love with the guy" "guess that makes the two of us"
clopiin: "hERES TO US, HOPELESSLY IN LOVE AND NOT GETTING ANY BETTER"
strawberriesandcream: exactly
strawberriesandcream: gussie <3
strawberriesandcream: poor joe
strawberriesandcream: and now abortion is no longer a controversy
strawberriesandcream: good to know
clopiin: okay okay but you need to watch charleys face when he first gets the news about frank signing the three picture deal
clopiin: HE LOOKS SO SAD
strawberriesandcream: oh geez
strawberriesandcream: nooooo
strawberriesandcream: frank don't
strawberriesandcream: he is. why would he lie?
strawberriesandcream: charley <3
strawberriesandcream: noooooooooooooooooo
clopiin: :'--(
strawberriesandcream: oh boy
strawberriesandcream: charley really picked the wrong time to unload all of this
clopiin: yep
annabellioncourt: I'm late but I'm here!
strawberriesandcream: yo!
clopiin: hey!!!
strawberriesandcream: just in time for charley's breakdown!
annabellioncourt: Hellow!
clopiin: have you seen merrily before?
annabellioncourt: Nope :)
strawberriesandcream: be prepared to hurt
clopiin: i am almost tempted to restart it but then sunday will start late
strawberriesandcream: damian is doing a really good job
clopiin: basically this musical is going back in time
strawberriesandcream: yuppo
clopiin: showing how frank has lost his idealism
clopiin: and how he has lost his friends
annabellioncourt: oh its okay, I know the basic plot of the musical
clopiin: oh okay!!!
strawberriesandcream: good
annabellioncourt: thank you though
strawberriesandcream: ugh no here we go
strawberriesandcream: friendship is like a garden
clopiin: no problemo!
clopiin: a GARDEN
strawberriesandcream: all the other merrily fans seem to joke about that line, but i love it
strawberriesandcream: this hurts
clopiin: i love it but i also joke
strawberriesandcream: "the guy i love" ugh
clopiin: :'--(
strawberriesandcream: let's cut to commercial break!
strawberriesandcream: same
clopiin: charley..........
strawberriesandcream: nooooooo this scene
annabellioncourt: ouch
strawberriesandcream: frank no
strawberriesandcream: NO
strawberriesandcream: NOOOOOOOOOO
clopiin: kick in the gut
strawberriesandcream: i hate this
strawberriesandcream: no you don't frank
strawberriesandcream: you don't like your life
strawberriesandcream: not anymore
strawberriesandcream: oh god frank no
clopiin: charley looks so distraught
strawberriesandcream: don't do this
annabellioncourt: nnnnnnooooope.
strawberriesandcream: ***
strawberriesandcream: fuuuuuuuuuuck
strawberriesandcream: </3
strawberriesandcream: at least charley and frank didn't get in a fist fight this time
clopiin: haha yeah
clopiin: i like that version better
clopiin: i mean this
strawberriesandcream: right
clopiin: i dont think charley would be able to get into a fist fight with frank : /
clopiin: like i dont think emotionally he would be able to
strawberriesandcream: frank jr.!
strawberriesandcream: :D
strawberriesandcream: tiny son
annabellioncourt: smol frank
clopiin: hahaha
strawberriesandcream: babies!!
annabellioncourt: omg
clopiin: charley
strawberriesandcream: oh no his accent
clopiin: his little accent is so cute
strawberriesandcream: charley is the best uncle
clopiin: yep
annabellioncourt: my uncle actually brought an alligator home once
clopiin: oh my god
clopiin: howd that go
annabellioncourt: it was a caiman but he told everyone it was a baby gator
clopiin: haha omg
annabellioncourt: it went just like you think it would go
strawberriesandcream: oh my god frank you're such as nob now
strawberriesandcream: * a snob
strawberriesandcream: 40?
clopiin: "in spanish..."
strawberriesandcream: sheesh
strawberriesandcream: "mary has joined the enemy"
annabellioncourt: oi
strawberriesandcream: sigh
strawberriesandcream: <3
strawberriesandcream: you know, if frank and beth never got married and divorced, everything would probably be fine
strawberriesandcream: like musical husbands is gonna make a "statement"
annabellioncourt: oh don't say that DX
clopiin: ugh this song is too cute
strawberriesandcream: snuggles
strawberriesandcream: frank baby
strawberriesandcream: come join the snuggles, charley
clopiin: haha
strawberriesandcream: and mary's like "no frank"
strawberriesandcream: and "no charley"
strawberriesandcream: eternal peacemaker
strawberriesandcream: until of course she isn't :(
clopiin: frank and charley are being children
strawberriesandcream: they are
strawberriesandcream: mary baby
strawberriesandcream: in my ideal world, frank and charley end up together, and mary ends up with me
strawberriesandcream: oh no they're so cute
clopiin: haha
strawberriesandcream: my ot3
clopiin: too cute
strawberriesandcream: the harmonies <3
strawberriesandcream: SMOOCH
strawberriesandcream: you know, i don't believe frank and gussie are individually bad people, but they are horrible for each other
clopiin: true
strawberriesandcream: mary :(
clopiin: frank makes very bad choices
strawberriesandcream: yup
strawberriesandcream: frank always seems to make the wrong choice
strawberriesandcream: mary no
strawberriesandcream: D:
annabellioncourt: I'm trying to watch this while making lunch and its not working, so I'm going to step out of here, I'll be back for the next musical though!
strawberriesandcream: okidoke
strawberriesandcream: charley :'(
clopiin: okay!!
clopiin: gay
strawberriesandcream: my babies
strawberriesandcream: they literally say "i love you" to each other
strawberriesandcream: just guys being dudes
strawberriesandcream: i'm so glad they added this song
strawberriesandcream: it's so important
clopiin: yes!!
strawberriesandcream: like old dreams
strawberriesandcream: some old dreams
strawberriesandcream: like old friends
strawberriesandcream: :'(
strawberriesandcream: gussie no
strawberriesandcream: he was just about to be inspired again
strawberriesandcream: damn it
strawberriesandcream: gussie is a really interesting character, even if i don't like her as a person
clopiin: yeah
strawberriesandcream: :(
strawberriesandcream: nooooo frank
strawberriesandcream: sigh
strawberriesandcream: always makes the wrong choice
clopiin: more pain incoming
strawberriesandcream: yuppo
strawberriesandcream: vultures
strawberriesandcream: beth </3
strawberriesandcream: and you know frank's fighting to keep his son, and in the present, he's even ruined that relationship
clopiin: yeah
clopiin: he has ruined everything good in his life
clopiin: charley, mary, music, frankie, beth
strawberriesandcream: yup
clopiin: :'--(
clopiin: okay but when they reprise (?) it at the wedding what if charley started singing too
strawberriesandcream: IMAGINE
clopiin: OKAY BUT MARYS PART IN THIS SONG
strawberriesandcream: ikr
clopiin: but yes imagine
strawberriesandcream: "i lvoe you, and charley loves you"
clopiin: she loves frank so much :'--(
strawberriesandcream: i always thinks it's kinda weird how mary's telling him "yeah life sucks and people let you down" when he was the one who cheated in the first place
strawberriesandcream: of course she's projecting her feelings for him onto him
clopiin: well he doesnt exactly need to be hearing that right now
strawberriesandcream: well yeah
clopiin: THIS PART IS SO CUTE
strawberriesandcream: "after all, you've still got us"
clopiin: cue raspberries
strawberriesandcream: plot twist: frank wrote the last five years
clopiin: haha
strawberriesandcream: it's your time
strawberriesandcream: ahhhhhhhhhh
strawberriesandcream: brb
clopiin: okay!
strawberriesandcream: i'm back
clopiin: welcome back
strawberriesandcream: and now we're back to when everything was still pretty good
clopiin: YES
strawberriesandcream: oooh
strawberriesandcream: ascot boy
strawberriesandcream: gussie's an alto here, which is cool
strawberriesandcream: tap dancinh yes
godlesssondheimite: I don't think I ever saw this one!
clopiin: hey!!
clopiin: i can reshow it later if you want?
clopiin: its an excellent production
strawberriesandcream: you know, it's really interesting how beth's encouraged all of frank's ambitiousness, and that's what ruined their marriage
godlesssondheimite: Wow, she has a full blown Southern accent in this.
clopiin: YEAH
strawberriesandcream: yeah, that's because they're all british
strawberriesandcream: and gotta fake american accents
strawberriesandcream: yes, you handled success REEEEEEALLY well, frank
strawberriesandcream: (you tried star)
strawberriesandcream: cuties
godlesssondheimite: I'm so glad Merrily got a proshot.
strawberriesandcream: aaaaaah
strawberriesandcream: frank and charley are so cuddly in this production and i love it
strawberriesandcream: frank <3
clopiin: @godlesssondheimite - i know it use to be for sale so you could ge the dvd, but i couldnt find it for sale last time i checked. i can give you the download link for this if you want?
strawberriesandcream: imagine a show that's a combination of funny girl, hello dolly, and fiddler on the roof
strawberriesandcream: NOTHING CAN KILL OLD FRIENDS
godlesssondheimite: I'd really love a download link.
godlesssondheimite: Thank you
clopiin: great! ill email it to you if you want?
godlesssondheimite: Sure! My email is [email protected]
strawberriesandcream: gussie no
strawberriesandcream: sigh
godlesssondheimite: Funny Girl, Fiddler and Dolly would just be Shabbat services in Forrest Hills
clopiin: hahaha
strawberriesandcream: oh my god
strawberriesandcream: the blob
strawberriesandcream: i love the "you're not serious" guy
strawberriesandcream: charley <3
strawberriesandcream: stealing pastries
strawberriesandcream: see, there's beth encouraging his ambition again
strawberriesandcream: she's so cute though
clopiin: haha poor charley
clopiin: i guess thats what he gets for putting pastries in his jacket
strawberriesandcream: i love the ensemble honestly
clopiin: frank is so innocent in act 2
strawberriesandcream: ikr
strawberriesandcream: that's why everything hurts
strawberriesandcream: imagine gussie talking about her divorces like joanne
clopiin: haha
strawberriesandcream: and frank's like ":("
strawberriesandcream: musical husbands is something rotten
strawberriesandcream: oops
clopiin: cough tthat would explain the lyrics cough
strawberriesandcream: actually, this broadway season has been full of musical husbands
strawberriesandcream: thank goodness for fun home, right?
clopiin: haha yeah
strawberriesandcream: in my modern au, musical husbands is a musical adaptation of a popular movie
strawberriesandcream: and mary's like "the ***?"
clopiin: in this final show of this production, charley sung a line to each member on stage while the actresses that play mary and beth silently cried
strawberriesandcream: ouch
strawberriesandcream: ugggggh this song
strawberriesandcream: this reminds me of that frank/charley playlist i want to make, obviously this song will be on it
strawberriesandcream: going
strawberriesandcream: gone
strawberriesandcream: :'(
strawberriesandcream: cuties
strawberriesandcream: i love how they mixed the two songs here
strawberriesandcream: i have a pipe dream of a Merrily movie
strawberriesandcream: sweehearts
clopiin: this song is cute
strawberriesandcream: the cutest
strawberriesandcream: awwww the little jig
strawberriesandcream: i love this choreography
strawberriesandcream: beth is miss goldberg
strawberriesandcream: (oops i made an In Trousers reference)
strawberriesandcream: best
clopiin: haha yeah sorry i havent seen that (yet)
strawberriesandcream: i don't there's a full bootleg of it anywhere, but you can find the cast recording
clopiin: yeah! ill settle for that
strawberriesandcream: CUTIES
strawberriesandcream: he invented the answering machine
strawberriesandcream: incredible
strawberriesandcream: oops
strawberriesandcream: :(
strawberriesandcream: charley <3
strawberriesandcream: "at least he's not black"
strawberriesandcream: best
clopiin: ahhh this song
strawberriesandcream: frank and beth are like the jamie and cathy of the show
strawberriesandcream: they genuinely loved each other, but it wasn't meant to be
strawberriesandcream: and mary :'(
strawberriesandcream: the juxtaposition of emotions hurts
clopiin: very much so
strawberriesandcream: any time i'm typing, i always start humming opening doors
strawberriesandcream: i love frank's flirting with mary throughout this song
clopiin: a great song
strawberriesandcream: same mary's singing high
strawberriesandcream: *damn
strawberriesandcream: arrrgh i'm gonna need to pee soon
strawberriesandcream: i should've gone during intermission
strawberriesandcream: ah well
strawberriesandcream: i always wonder what that line was before joe cut it off
strawberriesandcream: i think i'm gonna go to the bathroom now actually
clopiin: okay haha
strawberriesandcream: alright i'm back
clopiin: recognize the red book
clopiin: ?
strawberriesandcream: really?
clopiin: it is the one he was holding at the beginning
strawberriesandcream: wow
clopiin: it is take a left (its shown again at the end)
godlesssondheimite: oh, man, i missed most of it because i had a student to work with
strawberriesandcream: oh
godlesssondheimite: i'm in time for our time though
clopiin: yeah!
strawberriesandcream: in time for our time
clopiin: haha
strawberriesandcream: get in kids, we're going to feeladelphia
clopiin: haha
strawberriesandcream: i wonder how long frank and charley knew each other before this
godlesssondheimite: *going back to the conversation a while ago: Aaron Sorkin I think wanted to do a Merrily or Follies movie
strawberriesandcream: neato
strawberriesandcream: YOU WRITYE WHAT YOU KNOW
strawberriesandcream: GOD
godlesssondheimite: NOOOO!
clopiin: :'--(
strawberriesandcream: i like to think that charley eventually put on "pretty politics" as if to say, "see frank? it IS a better title"
godlesssondheimite: oh no i'm at work, i can;'t cry
strawberriesandcream: i hate this
clopiin: oh gosh
clopiin: charleys feet dont touch the ground
strawberriesandcream: my babies
strawberriesandcream: charley is short
strawberriesandcream: lol
godlesssondheimite: I saw the Encores! production of Merrily and I cried from the opening notes of the overture to the 20-block walk to my apartment
godlesssondheimite: My friend said people were staring at me
clopiin: awwwwww
strawberriesandcream: that's the spirit
godlesssondheimite: in the theater. And that was me holding back
strawberriesandcream: AAAAAAAAAAAAH
clopiin: emotions have no restrictions
strawberriesandcream: my little gay heart can't take this
godlesssondheimite: this is the moment when everyone falls in love with frank
clopiin: tru tru
strawberriesandcream: honestly
godlesssondheimite: AH HE'S BEING SUCH A TEASE
clopiin: but they hold hands guys they hold hands
strawberriesandcream: IKR
clopiin: towards the end of this scene
clopiin: maaary
strawberriesandcream: baby
godlesssondheimite: I like how Mary sounds like a bittered old woman even now
clopiin: haha yeah
godlesssondheimite: In the Encores version they made her look like Peggy Olsen
strawberriesandcream: well that's jenna
clopiin: theyre all so cute it kills me
strawberriesandcream: ikr
strawberriesandcream: don't frank
strawberriesandcream: don't
strawberriesandcream: "i just met the girl i oughta marry" *** off
strawberriesandcream: :(
strawberriesandcream: EVELYN
strawberriesandcream: awww charley
godlesssondheimite: Charley: I just met the girl *I* oughta marry
clopiin: haha
strawberriesandcream: lol
strawberriesandcream: spootnik
godlesssondheimite: I want to know so much more about Charley and Evelyn.
clopiin: same same
strawberriesandcream: same
strawberriesandcream: NO THE SPEECH
strawberriesandcream: *** THIS
clopiin: hand holding i see that charley
strawberriesandcream: the AU where they make that goddamn plaque
strawberriesandcream: UGh you're right theya re
clopiin: aw gosh too many emotions
clopiin: present day frank remembering the past
strawberriesandcream: and the past fades away
clopiin: just to make you cry more
clopiin: well!! that was good!
clopiin: sunday in the park is in 12 minutes!
strawberriesandcream: sweet!
clopiin: im going to go grab something to eat really quick
strawberriesandcream: you know, when i first listened to the Merrily cast recording (i listened to the second one), I actually listened to it all backwards!
strawberriesandcream: which wasn't perfect chronological order, but still
strawberriesandcream: i think it really affected how my feelings for the characters, especially frank, developed
clopiin: haha i imagine
strawberriesandcream: cause i saw sweet idealistic frank first and sleazy sell-out frank last
strawberriesandcream: and i felt the full effect of the our time preprise my first time through
strawberriesandcream: but yeah, that was a really good production. :)
clopiin: yeah! i enjoyed it
clopiin: i wish there was a video of the production with chip zien
strawberriesandcream: yeah, that'd be awesome!
strawberriesandcream: and apparently lonny price, the original charley, also played mendel in falsettos for a while!
clopiin: :0!!
strawberriesandcream: weird how they're entwined like that!
clopiin: he also was involved in the production of company with barbara walsh
strawberriesandcream: wait, lonny was in company?
clopiin: barbra*
clopiin: no no
godlesssondheimite: chip zien was in merrily?
strawberriesandcream: it is barbara
clopiin: yeah!
godlesssondheimite: D:
clopiin: he played charley
