Franklin Shepard, Inc. (from "Merrily We Roll Along") - Damian Humbley

My favourite cast. The BEST cast.
Menier Chocolate Factory, London, 2013.

[@maudesuzelle]

I love, love, love Damian Humbley as Charley. He portrays the character really well, with his clear voice, great articulation, natural acting. Perfection.

[@cufflink44]

@maudesuzelle I couldn't agree more. Humbley embodies Charley perfectly. I can't imagine anyone else in the role. But the whole cast in this perfect production is incredible. BTW, someone has put the entire thing on KZbin: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWTKf4uvapKffsU Don't know how long it's going to remain up, so catch it as soon as you can.

[@kbye2321]

@@cufflink44 We are lucky it’s still up!

[@jeanneragonese709]

I was lucky enough to see this production too. What a great casr!

[@roysonline]

Damien Humbly was utter perfection in this role.

[@peterobrien8245]

Humbley is a fantastic actor and a marvellous singer, both he and Mark Umbers deserve to be household names.

[@kellwillsen]

I love the reactions by the interviewer, and Frank himself. Obviously, Charlie is awesome.

[@johnmaddaloni1140]

He is FANTASTIC! Makes it look so effortless.

[@ThelouwseFD]

He's so good !!!

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

This song gets stuck in my head all the time!!! 😂🤣😆 me and my brother love this one

[@roysonline]

So pleased this amazing performance has been preserved.

[@andrescott2683]

I'm obsessed with this performance.

[@kara8374]

love this version！his performance is really perfect

[@jayboy60]

The best production of the show I have ever seen. And I have seen several.

[@palmereldritch7777]

Perfect rendition of this.......song(?).......... Can still remember hearing this the first time on the Original Cast recording (the only thing anyone had to hang on to back in the day).......and goint......What the F.....? What is this.......?(without the benefit of seeing the play, the acting, making hay of the backwards plot...on vinyl).... and uhmmm, yes, is this a song? About as much as rose's Turn i guess - it's a thoughtprocess set to an inner rhythm and tune.......and the brilliance is that even when there's no singing, no music....the song or whatever it is never stops......it's clockwork driving you insane. And you can't perform something like this, unless you live it on stage. Get every meaning of every syllable out, and not out of your mouth, but from your toes tapping till the top of your (by the end) exploding skull. Compliments to this amazing actor but also to all the ones who went before and dared to perform this. And the mad devil genius who wrote it.

[@leealvarez6857]

I always thought this song was Genious

[@xhaxha3423]

Masterful performance!!!

[@ericnyquist9755]

Wow! First time seeing that. What an outstanding and very specific version. Well done!

[@capfan4549]

I watched the full production of this on YT last week, will watch it again this weekend I think. I have a ticket to the New York upcoming production with Groffsauce, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez!

[@judyn8227]

Oooh nice! How did you get said ticket, that's a hard one!

[@capfan4549]

@@judyn8227 I bought the premier membership to New York Theatre Workshop so I could get priority access, I wouldn't have stood a hope of getting a ticket otherwise!

[@judyn8227]

@@capfan4549 I'm going to play the Today Tix lottery, and pray😆

[@capfan4549]

@@judyn8227 Wishing you the very best of luck! I'm just praying everything goes to plan and I get to see Groff on stage. I've read rumours of it transferring to Broadway with Radcliffe and Groff but who knows?

[@judyn8227]

@@capfan4549 That would be great! Let me know how you like the show

[@donaldgrove1972]

Fantastic performance. Wrenching.

[@Mabsss33]

Radcliffe was so great in this scene

[@mariannebrandon8891]

He was amazing.

[@celecha]

YES agreed!

[@laytonjones2093]

I concur

[@TheNjsb]

Fantastic performance!

[@MICHAELHUGHES-ik7iq]

Brilliantly and beautifully delivered!

[@kellymizell7619]

Brilliant .. perfection.

[@ruthedwards7775]

Thank you for putting this up. Saw this production in London, it was fantastic. 🙂

[@shabberto]

Much better without the synth! This Menier version of the show is PERFECT.

[@joshuakohlmann9731]

I actually have a soft spot for the synth, and the electric guitar, on the OCR...just because Sondheim so seldom does rock, it sounds so refreshing and original. But I agree with you about this production.

[@jenniferlapidus2229]

Really good, a wee bit too fast iMO, but that’s just because you can miss the jokes that come so fast and furious. (Altho if you’re watching this you are probably as obsessed as I am, and we all know the words by heart! lol)

[@absolute-stars.56]

Live laugh love this song

[@jayboy60]

This London production was amazing. It overcame most of the book problems that have plagued it since its 1981 premiere. The same director is helming the new revival this year and I'm very hopeful, despite the casting of Jonathan Groff as Franklin and Daniel Radcliffe as Charlie.

[@jodo__]

I hope you're eating your words about the Broadway staging. It's incredible.

[@Melissa-tw2gp]

This is so well performed that it’s a little hard to watch. Painful!

[@sourskittles4187]

Could you possibly upload Now You Know? It's my favorite number from Merrily.

[@alzaiqafoods1110]

Very good video dear friend and beautiful recipe stay connected with the new friend 💕💕

[@lastofkin7134]

0:13 Sure. (leaping to his feet, over to the piano) He goes - ("plays" an arpeggio elaborately) And I go - ("types" in the same fashion) And soon we're humming along - Hmmm-Hmmm-Hmmm - And that's called writing a song - Hmmm-Hmmm-Hmmm - Then he goes - (makes an arpeggio motion) And I go - (makes a typing motion) And the phone goes drrrring! And he goes - (mimicking Frank's intense business calls into an imaginary phone) "Mutter mutter mutter mutter yes, Jeromoe, Mutter no, Jerome, Mutter mutter mutter mutter - " (to Jeffrey) - That's his lawyer, Jerome - (into phone) "Mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter do it, Jerome … " (hangs up, making a clicking sound, turns back to himself) "Sorry, Charley … " (makes the arpeggio) So I go - (types) And he goes - (arpeggion) And I go - (types) And soon we're tapping away - Hmmm-Hmmm-Hmmm - (mimicking an intercom) Bzzz! "Sorry, Charley … " Bzzz! (to Jeffrey) - It's the secretary - Bzzz! - On the intercom - (as Frank) "Yes, Miss Bzzz … " (as the secretary) "It's a messenger … " (as Frank) "Thanks, Miss Bzzz, Will you tell him to wait? Will you order the car? Will you call up the bank? Will you wire the coast? Will you - " Drrrrrring! "Sorry, Charley - " (into phone again) "Mutter mutter mutter mutter sell the stock Mutter buy the rights Mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter - " Bzzz! "Let me put you on hold … " Bzzz! "Yes, Miss Bzzz … " "It's the interview … " "Thanks, Miss Bizz, Will you tell him to wait? Will you wire the car? Will you order the coast? Will you send up the bank? … " And the telephones blink And the stocks get sold And the rest of us he keeps on hold, And he's gonna start producing. ("And he's into making movies.") And he's now a corporation. Right? And I play at home With my wife and kids And I wait to hear the movie bids, And I've got a little sailboat. And I'm into meditation. Right? He flies off to California. I discuss him with my shrink. That's the story of the way we work, Me and Franklin Shepard, Inc. 1:40

[@alansilver7849]

Is this production recorded?

[@theassortedhobbyist]

Yes it is. The full recording is on KZbin, but I'm unsure if it was taken down by now.

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

@@theassortedhobbyist awesome!!!

[@thomasciarlariello]

Typical since eventually especially with gold there is inflation.

[@robbey10]

I bought this from Digital Theatre and it was great, and then they took it down. I don't know why.

[@queenofzen6187]

I had the same experience.

[@airira]

Me too. Luckily I recorded it from my computer to my pvr. So I have a copy of it preserved.

[@williamgardiner2010]

Because the production has now moved to Broadway and the producers don’t want us to compare the New York cast with the far superior London cast?

[@Twentythousandlps]

Very smoothly done. Needs to be a little more manic, losing control.

[@foreignparticle1320]

I find this more convincing than Daniel Radcliffe's performance. In fact I think the (2024) Broadway cast is overrated. Definitely competent, but overrated and overpriced. I'd love to have been able to see this MCF production.

[@jellyrollnorton]

He is really good. Wow. I think I’m very much in the minority when I write that none of the clips I’ve seen from this musical intrigues me. It looks annoying and stressful, the plot.

[@danieltursi804]

The man playing Charlie is great Too bad the director did not know what to do with him. The woman over acted.

[@joshuakohlmann9731]

And let's take a minute to appreciate Frank's responses to this throughout. The controlled nervousness combined with his new-found showmanship, but the pain of knowing his dearest friend is about to shit on him on live TV....you can actually see it in the actor's eyes.

[@williamgardiner2010]

Pity Humbley couldn’t reprise his role in the current Broadway transfer of the Maria Friedman production. Yes, she’s cast another British actor in the part but it’s Daniel Ratcliffe who is simply too superficial and not up to the job. Not worth the sky-high Broadway prices.

[@erikafusco9063]

Damian did a great job here, but Daniel is so UNsuperficial (as a person). He's a master at songs like these! Wish I could afford to see the new performance! (Yes it IS overpriced!)

[@mariannebrandon8891]

Disagree. I saw Daniel on Saturday. He did a splendid job and is not superficial. Honestly smart of her to cast someone who will draw crowds (which it did) and to boot he is talented and did a wonderful job. I saw this show on Saturday and let me tell you the applause after Daniel finished this number was ongoing.

[@mariannebrandon8891]

I will say though that this man also is wonderful and I look forward to seeing the full production online.

[@unclealand]

This number needs more energy and better acting. It's flat, lifeless compared to even the audio of the original.

[@ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy]

He did that!

[@footstepsthroughhistory]