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WATCH: Steven Sondheim Revisits One of His Most Brilliant Failures

One of the highlights of the recent New York Film Festival was the premiere of Lonny Price’s documentary “Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened,” which goes behind the scenes of one of Broadway’s most legendary failures, “Merrily We Roll Along,” directed by Harold Prince with a score by Steven Sondheim. Though Sondheim’s score holds a cherished place among Sondheim fans, the show, told in reverse order and based on the play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, closed in 1981 after 52 previews and just 16 performances. The young cast included Jason Alexander, Abigail Pogrebin and director Lonny Price. The documentary will be released on November 18.

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