"Trying Again to Flip Sondheim's Flop," by Nelson Pressley
Stephen Sondheim famously loves puzzles, but maybe not this one: At the peak of his career, riding high on the success of <cite>Sweeney Todd</cite> and a landmark partnership with director Hal Prince, Sondheim wrote <cite>Merrily We Roll Along</cite>. The new musical flopped fast and has never really recovered. So why can't this flawed but accomplished tale of artistic compromise and blasted friendships get any trac…