Interview: MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG's Katie Rose Clarke Talks Audition Story, Reuniting With the Cast & More

Katie Rose Clarke, whose impressive list of Broadway credits includes roles such as Glinda in Wicked, Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza, Hannah Campbell in George Takei's Allegiance, and Ellen in Miss Saigon, is returning to Broadway in Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along.

Following an Off-Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop in 2022, Merrily We Roll Along is coming to Broadway's Hudson Theatre, with previews beginning on September 19th. 

Merrily We Roll Along spans three decades in the entertainment industry, following the relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist and playwright Charley. Directed by multi-Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along features an all-star cast including Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn, Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Katie Rose Clarke about returning to the show after its Off-Broadway run, what it's like working alongside her cast members, honoring Sondheim, and much more. 

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Merrily We Roll Along is a show that has a very dedicated and passionate fanbase. Were you a part of the Merrily superfans?

I wasn’t! I knew a lot of the songs from it before, of course, but no, I had to learn it before my audition! In truth, I was trying to get an audition for it, so I actually looked at the script and learned the material, and I called my agent to see if I could get an appointment to be auditioned.

What was the audition like?

It might be one of my favorite stories. I was nine months pregnant with my third baby, and I was about to go into labor. I don’t think I was originally on the list to be seen for the show, so I had begged and asked if I could be seen, and I got an appointment. So, I was like, “I think they should know I’m about to give birth,” [laughs] I was huge. I went in, and of course they were lovely, and I was so grateful that they could see past my huge, pregnant belly. I was actually in early labor, I was having a lot of contractions. I had an audition and a callback within a two or three day period, so I was timing contractions with my husband. So I did the audition in early labor [laughs].  

You starred Merrily in its Off-Broadway run at New York Theatre Workshop, what are you most looking forward to in being able to bring this show to Broadway?

I think bringing it to more people, a wider audience. New York Theatre Workshop is this amazingly intimate space, it’s a tiny little jewel box theatre, so being able to bring it to an over 900 seat house, I’m excited for it to reach more people.

How does it feel to get back into the rehearsal room with this material?

It’s so amazing. Coming back to it after a little time away, it feels like it’s gotten deeper, and a little bit more settled into our bodies, and into our brains, and our hearts. So, coming back to it feels richer in a lot of ways. With the cast it’s like no time has passed. It’s been pretty magical.

What has it been like working alongside your incredible castmates?

Amazing! Lindsay Mendez and I have been friends for 10 years. The last time we were on Broadway together was in Wicked almost exactly 10 years ago. She’s been one of my closest friends, and so, to be in a room with her every day is sort of magical. Getting to do scenes with Jonathan Groff, and Dan is kind of surreal! And Reg Rogers and Krystal, it’s an embarrassment of riches.

You sing what is probably the most well-known song in the show, 'Not a Day Goes By'. How does it feel to have the opportunity to interpret this piece of music and put your stamp on it?

It’s one of my favorite Sondheim songs of all time. It's a huge honor to be able to sing it every night. I sort of have to not think about having any pressure on it, because you’re right, it is one of the most well-known pieces in this one. But I really am able to be present in that scene and in that song. It’s a really sweet moment with just Jonathan and I on a stage together, it feels really safe and really intimate. I really feel like I can just bring myself to that moment, and not have to worry about any pressure around that song, or that that is one of the more well-known songs in the show. And so, that’s really freeing.

How does it feel to be able to honor Sondheim through this show, and continue to carry on the legacy of his work?

That feels like such an enormous honor. But what’s so great about this is that we have Maria Friedman, and Joel Fram, and all these people on the creative team who knew Sondheim and worked with him. So, you feel like this is going to be preserved in amber, this precious thing you can’t have freedom with, but it’s not, it’s living and breathing. I think because our creative team knew Sondheim and worked with him, they have given us freedom to bring ourselves into it, and breathe our own lives into it. It’s not quite as precious as you think it would be. The thing about Sondheim is that he is such a genius that you just have to trust what’s written. You just trust the writing. It’s a real honor, any time you get the opportunity to do a Sondheim you just leap at it because you know it’s going to be unlike anything else.

Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to share?

It’s such an amazing honor to do a show like this that people are excited about, and Merrily itself has its own following like you said. But I think on a personal level, this team and this cast have become friends, we’re a work family. It’s a once in a lifetime experience to get to do a show like this, and I feel so honored, and so lucky, and humbled that I get to be in the room every day with this group.

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