For 22 years, Winnipeg’s Dry Cold Productions has presented innovative and stimulating musicals to Manitoba audiences, believing in the transformative power of a good story.
This season, they present the Manitoba premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along.
“Just getting the rights to Merrily We Roll Along was a miracle for us here in Winnipeg,” says Dry Cold Productions co-founder Donna Fletcher.
Premiering in 1981, the Sondheim musical was a flop which closed after 16 performances. The composer continued to tinker, edit and revise the work right up until his death in 2021. Currently, the musical is in the midst of a stellar Broadway revival starring the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez.
“We get to do our Winnipeg version of it,” says Fletcher, who directs the production. “It’s been a real dream come true. The show is a fabulous show and I think audiences are going to love it.”
Told in reverse chronology, the poignant and emotional drama tells the story of three friends’ lives and how their relationship changes over two decades.
“It’s a story of redemption and possibility and what could happen in your life if you made different choices,” explains Fletcher. “It’s finally found its place in the canon that it should have.”
In a cast that features both established actors and up-and-comers, the production stars Josh Bellan singing the role of Franklin Shepard, with Jillian Willems as Mary Flyn and Alex Menec as Charley Kringas.
Former Broadway performer Catherine Wreford makes her Dry Cold Productions debut, singing the role of Gussie Carnegie, Frank’s second wife.
“She’s kind of like the homewrecker,” explains Wreford, who describes the character as an opportunistic go-getter, one who seeks validation while also one who “takes and takes.”
Having previously performed with Fletcher in the mid-90s at Rainbow Stage, the reunion has been a welcome one.
“It’s really fantastic to be working together again,” says Wreford, who is, perhaps, best known for her triumphant and inspiring win on Amazing Race Canada.
Merrily We Roll Along runs from May 22 through May 26 at the RMTC Tom Hendry Warehouse.
For tickets and more details, visit: www.drycoldproductions.ca
