Merrily We Roll Along is a groundbreaking musical by Stephen Sondheim with a book by George Furth, based on the 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Premiering in 1981, it tells the story of three friends—composer Franklin Shepard, playwright Charley Kringas, and writer Mary Flynn—whose lives and ideals unravel over 20 years. Uniquely structured in reverse chronological order, the show begins with their fractured relationships and moves backward to their hopeful beginnings as young artists.