Best Of: 'Merrily We Roll Along'; MSNBC Host Ali Velshi

Fresh Air

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Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2024

⏱️ 53 minutes

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Summary

Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along flopped when it debuted in 1981. But its Broadway revival has been a hit, garnering seven Tony nominations. We talk with director Maria Friedman, who was a friend of Sondheim's, and actor Jonathan Groff.

MSNBC host Ali Velshi traces his family's migration across three continents, from a village in India to South Africa — where his grandfather crossed paths with Mahatma Gandhi — to Kenya, Canada and the U.S. Velshi's new memoir is Small Acts of Courage.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Rachel Martin. After hosting Morning Edition for years, I know that the news can wear you down.
0:05.8	So we made a new podcast called Wild Card, where a special deck of cards and a whole bunch of fascinating guests help us sort out what makes life meaningful.
0:15.0	It's part game show, part existential deep dive, and it is seriously fun.
0:20.0	Join me on Wild Card wherever you get your podcast, only from NPR.
0:24.0	From WHYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend.
0:29.0	I'm Dave Davies.
0:31.0	Stephen Sondheim's 1981 flop is now a Broadway hit.
0:35.3	The revival of Mary We Roll Along is nominated for seven Tony Awards.
0:40.0	Today we hear from two of those nominees, Jonathan Groff, one of the show's stars, and Maria Friedman, the director.
0:47.0	Groff has performed merrily about 300 times, but he still gets emotional just talking about the songs.
0:54.0	I'm thinking about a specific dialogue line.
0:57.0	It's just after...
0:59.0	Can't talk about it without crying.
1:02.0	It's like...
1:02.8	It's so beautiful.
1:04.8	Also, MS NBC host Ali Velshi talks about his ancestors' migrations.
1:09.8	From a village in India through South Africa, Kenya, and Canada.
1:14.0	One of the figures in the story is Mahatma Gandhi, who knew Velshi's grandfather and had a powerful
1:19.0	influence on the family.
1:21.9	That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.
1:25.0	This is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Dave Davies.
1:28.0	Terry has today's first interview.
	...

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