Director of Theater and Cinema Studies Joseph M. Farina calls the show a unique and moving experience.
After months of hard work and dedication, the Burlington Township High School Theater Department will present “Merrily We Roll Along” this weekend at the Burlington Township Performing Arts Center.
The production, which Director of Theater and Cinema Studies Joseph M. Farina calls a unique and moving experience, is a cautionary tale that follows three friends from 1957 to 1976. The play moves in reverse, starting in 1976 and ending in 1957.
“It starts with Frank [Sheppard] as a rich and famous producer and, even with all of this great success, how he has lost his friends and himself because of his choices and ambition,” Farina said. “As the story rolls backward, we see how this happened over the course of 20 years and ends with the three friends starting out their adult journey filled with with wonder and optimism on an October night in 1957 watching Sputnik sail through the sky.”
Farina says “Merrily We Roll Along” is a challenging show that is rarely taken on by high school students, despite the production following young characters.
“It is certainly a challenge to watch a play told in reverse, but it is that convention that makes it so interesting and moving,” Farina said. “We believe we have one of the most innovative theater programs anywhere and are always looking for way to challenge ourselves and our students.”
To keep challenging students, each fall, the Burlington Township High School Theater Department puts on a “Festival of New Plays,” a grouping of plays performed over two nights. The most remarkable aspect of the Festival of New Plays is all are written by either current students or BTHS alumni.
Farina feels having both students and alumni write plays is a great way to connect current students with former students. While many graduates are writing from their current locations such as Chicago and New York City, some come back to see the plays.
Community members who come to the Festival of Fall Plays will see many familiar faces in “Merrily We Roll Along.” The tightknit group has been rehearsing since January, usually as many as 25 hours each week.
“They put in a lot of time, energy and passion into their work,” Farina said. “We hold them to high, professional standards.”
Farina says his team has had an interest in this musical for quite some time. With the show being refined over the years, and two major productions done recently, Farina felt it was time for the theater department to plunge into this piece.
“We have students that are talented enough to tell this story, with this unique convention starting off in their 40s and moving back to their 20s,” Farina said.
Junior Jacob Moskovitz says the show is incredibly complex and difficult to follow, but is an incredible story.
“It is a really interesting story, but you end at the start of their lives, which is really optimistic and pretty beautiful,” Moskovitz said.
Moskovitz plays the lead character Franklin Sheppard, an extraordinarily gifted composer. Sheppard’s writing partner and best friend Charley Kringas is portrayed by junior Charlie Nicolini.
“It shows how big your dreams are in the beginning of your life and how big you want to become and how you think you can change the world,” Nicolini said of the show. “It has a great message, and I think that people should expect a conceptual show that will really get them thinking about where they are in their life”
Senior Jessie Feoli agreed, saying “Merrily We Roll Along” is far from a Cinderella story.
“This story is tough and it has some really deep stuff in it and some really sad stuff,” Feoli said. “It’s just real life, and that’s what makes it so different — it’s real.”
The production involves more than 100 students with cast and crew combined. Farina says one of the most spectacular things about the play is the music, including songs such as “Our Time,” “Not a Day Goes By” and “Old Friends.”
“I believe it is a story that allows us to reflect on the choices we make in our lives and how, although we get older, we never need to lose that eternal optimism that drives us forward,” Farina said.
Showtimes for “Merrily We Roll Along” are Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 26 at 2 p.m., Friday, March 31 and 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and free for seniors with gold cards. For tickets, visit burltwpsch.tix.com or call (609) 669–4024.
