What a time.... Thanks Sondheim

 "What a time to be starting out"


I lucked out this past weekend by being asked to join a friend, last minute, to watch the Broadway production of ‘Merrily We Roll Along’. If you’re not familiar with it; it’s one of the most talked about musicals Stephen Sondheim ever wrote, because, controversially, it was a big flop when it first premiered on Broadway. 


This production, wonderfully directed by Maria Friedman, is as close to perfection with this show as you can get in my opinion. The story is told in reverse. Meaning, at the beginning of the show you meet the three main characters at the end of their journey and gradually as the show progresses, they turn back time and reveal how their story began. That concept was always what made it a challenging show to execute well. 


Within the final scene - so the youngest we see the three main characters, and right at the very beginning of their careers as creative artists, they’re sitting on a rooftop, staring at the stars and the sky above New York City. Frank says, with a fire in his belly and a deeply relatable amount of optimism and excitement, “What a time to be starting out”.


There’s something about seeing the naivete of that moment after seeing their lives unravel that made ME think, ‘we don’t ever need to stop starting out. It’s ALWAYS a great time to be starting out’.


I’ve been fortunate as an actor to have experienced success in my career. But there have been multiple times where life has thrown a big curve ball my way - Moving to America, shows closing early, becoming a parent etc. That one line in Merrily made me feel proud and inspired. I have “started out” SO MANY TIMES within my life and career and I’m excited to continue doing that.


And you can too. 


Be mindful that your age, your experience or lack of experience, other people’s career trajectories, (etc etc etc) don’t convince you that your time has passed or that you don’t deserve the whole world and the moon and the stars. If you’re willing to work hard and be committed,it is ALWAYS a good time to be starting out and to KEEP starting out again and again and again. 


We’ll never have it all figured out, so let’s just keep starting out with more and more experience to pull from each time. 


Keep up the great work


Mark 


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