I Streamed Merrily We Roll Along, And Got Emotional About Jonathan Groff's Years Of Performances

Jonathan Groff is a Tony-winning star of screen and stage, first coming onto the scene for playing Melchior in the Original Broadway Cast of Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening. Since then, he's starred in both TV and film, while also regularly going back to his roots in the theater. There's plenty of Groff projects to stream, with the newest being a pro shot of Merrily We Roll Along, the show that earned him a Tony. While renting it, I got emotional about how much his projects have meant to me over the years.

I'm a theater kid who was obsessed with Spring Awakening when it debuted on Broadway back in 2006. The offbeat musical has a cult following, and it's been thrilling to see Jonathan Groff's career skyrocket over the last two decades. So as Merrily We Roll Along tells a story of friends across 20 years, I couldn't help but think about how long I've been watching Groff, and his projects that have made me feel seen.

Merrily Tells A Story Across Years, And I Got Emotional About How Much Jonathan Groff's Career Has Meant To Me

Merrily We Roll Along also starred Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, and the show's narrative moves backwards across 20 years to show how a trio of friends' relationships were formed and ruined. This meditation about time and the entertainment industry admittedly made me misty about how long I've been following Groff's career-- both on the stage and screen.

While his acclaimed performance in Hamilton (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) helped make Jonathan Groff a household name, musical theater nerds had been watching his talents for years. That includes him in Spring Awakening, which was groundbreaking for its depiction of young people (and queer folks). I've also seen him in other musicals like Hair and A New Brain, although his full-time TV gig is one that I still love to this day. Namely, the queer dramedy Looking, which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription.

Looking ran for two season (and one movie) starting in 2014, and told a story about a group of gay friends living in San Francisco. The show was felt super authentic and made me feel seen long before we started talking about the importance of LGTBQ+ representation on screen.

I regularly re-watch Looking to this day, largely thanks to the epic love story between Jonathan Groff's character Patrick and Raúl Castillo's Richie. In the years since that show ended, Groff has continued booking big gigs like Netflix's Mindhunter, The Matrix Resurrections, as well a playing notable queer characters in A Nice Indian Boy and Knock at the Cabin. Coming out might have been difficult for him as a young person, but he continues to deliver authentic LGBTQ+ characters over the years across various genres.

While his character Franklin in Merrily fails to be there for his friends, Jonathan Groff's career has consistently moved me, as well as other queer fans. And although a Merrily We Roll Along movie is in the works by Richard Linklater, I doubt I'll be quite as moved. I just feel super thankful for Groff's career, and the ways he's shown up for gay folks throughout the years.

Merrily We Roll Along can be rented or purchased on Amazon and Apple TV.