Navigated to #17-Steve is Love: Merrily We Play Along

#17-Steve is Love: Merrily We Play Along

Dec 2, 2025
41 mins

Episode Description

Steve is Love: Merrily We Play Along

Celebrate the upcoming cinematic release of Broadway’s Merrily We Roll Along with this special episode, including an interview with Maria Friedman, the show’s innovative director. Maria shares insights into Sondheim's work, his love for puzzles and games, and how her production managed to solve the notoriously challenging musical. The episode also includes reflections on the autobiographical nature of Sondheim's writing, the role of games like Hostilities in his life and work, and excerpts from the upcoming proshot film release of Merrily We Roll Along.


Make sure to get the book everywhere books are found, ⁠⁠or click here⁠⁠.

00:00 Cold Open

00:14 Barry's post-theme opening

05:24 Trailer for Proshot of Merrily

07:03 Barry Interstitial

08:25 Maria Friedman interview: Part 1

15:21 Barry Interstitial

18:56 Excerpt from Podcast 1 analyzing Merrily

25:47 Barry Interstitial

26:04 Maria Friedman interview: Part 2

36:09 Barry's final interstitial


Special Links:

Thanks to everyone who contributed behind the scenes to this episode: the Musical Stingers composed by Mateo Chavez Lewis, our line producer Dennis Caouki, and the theme song to our podcast with lyrics and music by Colm Molloy and sung by the one only Anne Morrison, currently on the road starring in Kimberly Akimbo. Of course, I'd also like to thank Maria Friedman and the full PR team that made her accessible for my interview.


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