You’ve got to hand it to any talent that can tackle the works of Stephen Sondheim with eagerness and skill. And in the case of Harry Potter cast vet Daniel Radcliffe, his part as the trio that’s currently making Merrily We Roll Along into a Broadway hit shows that dedication in spades.
His partner Erin Darke should be praised for her dedication as well, as she's had to put up with his rehearsals of such complex material for quite a while; a detail that gives some cute insight into the selectively public couple. Radcliffe sat down with Page Six with thoughts on his latest stage gig, as the Charley to Jonathan Groff’s Franklin and Lindsay Mendez’s Mary.
In a career that’s also included straight plays like Equus and musical legends like How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, this particular show is definitely a challenge for even experienced actors. For Daniel, that includes dedicated rehearsals at home that let to this beautiful story:
I knew I was doing the show for quite a long time before rehearsals. So I drove my girlfriend [Erin Darke] crazy with just the sound of me rehearsing that in the other room for months and months and months – and I still run it a lot during the day.
Daniel Radcliffe’s previous relationship comments pair perfectly with this story. What little we know about his life with Erin and their child is a sweet slice into the home they keep, while also not being too intrusive. But this isn’t any song we’re talking about here, as Daniel’s further discussion on his Merrily We Roll Along Experience invoked a quintessentially Stephen Sondheim song.
And thanks to his constant rehearsal of the number “Franklin Shepard Inc.”, the star of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story admits that Erin Darke could very easily step in for him if he ever had to miss a show. That claim is probably the strongest declaration of admiration and love the man could have given his partner.
Before you judge my words as hyperbole, listen to “Franklin Shepard Inc.” for yourself, sung by the man of the hour, below:
Forgive me for saying so, but I’m now pretty upset about those stories of “disappointed Harry Potter fans” meeting Daniel Radcliffe after shows of Merrily We Roll Along. To make it through that song, with few to no slip ups, eight times a day is practically magic in and of itself. So while the man may have grown up since his time as the Boy Who Lived, he’s still got it. And if I’m being honest, a little bit of that Weird Al energy creeps into this performance too; which just sweetens the deal.
Relationships like Erin Darke and Daniel Radcliffe’s are rather fun to observe, as long as all involved are comfortable. But what else would you call a couple as comfortable with each other as they are with filling the halls with Stephen Sondheim tongue twisters?
Those looking to catch Merrily We Roll Along should get moving, as the show’s current run must close on July 7th. But I’d assume there’ll be some sort of production mounted between now and the release of Richard Linklater’s film adaptation, which might hit as early as 2040. Which, on the plus side, gives Ben Platt a lot of time to bring his own fresh take to that role for the screen.
