Netflix resurrects a cursed musical

This is the story of a cursed musical. The story of a project that was longed for for years, finally came to fruition, but had a short lifespan, ending up in oblivion. Available on Netflix, Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened returns to Merrily We Roll Along, by the lyricist of West Side Story (1957) Stephen Sondheim in 1981, designed to be a resounding success on stage and even destined to have a life on television. The genesis of the show was in fact directly filmed, at the time, by the American network ABC, which mobilized a crew to shoot a documentary.

If the project was destined to be a hit, it was first and foremost thanks to the names attached to the piece. In the 70s, Stephen Sondheim composed some of the biggest hits in musicals, some of which were sung by Barbra Streisand or Frank Sinatra, as well as Sweeney Todd, adapted for the screen by Tim Burton in 2007. He is joined by Harold Prince, legendary producer and director ofFiddler on the Roof (1964) and Cabaret (1966). These two decided to adapt a 1934 play about a trio of friends, modernizing it and using actors who were not yet well known. Unfortunately, the project turned into a disaster : after sixteen performances, the play, which was often booed by the audience, closed.

Lonny Price, one of the play’s actors turned director, intends to pay tribute to this now-famous Broadway failure. Through never-before-seen footage from the never-before-released documentary on the play, as well as interviews with the people involved in the project, most of whom are still haunted by Merrily We Roll Along, the American offers an hour and a half of emotional storytelling. 

Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (2016), by Lonny Price, available on Netflix.