Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's "Merrily We Roll Along" Acclaimed London West End Musical to Be

Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's "Merrily We Roll Along" Acclaimed London West End Musical to Be Revived in U.S. Cinemas

NCM Fathom Events, CinemaLive and Digital Theatre to Bring Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Reverse-Time Musical to Select U.S. Movie Theaters on Oct. 23

CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bringing London's renowned West End theater culture to select U.S. cinemas this fall, NCM Fathom Events, CinemaLive and Digital Theatre presentMaria Friedman's award-winning production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's "Merrily We Roll Along" on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. local time. This one-night cinema event will also feature 20 minutes of exclusive backstage content including interviews with cast, crew and special guests.

Presented in 460 select movie theaters around the country through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network, tickets for "Merrily We Roll Along" are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

"This production of 'Merrily We Roll Along' is not only the best I've seen, but one of those rare instances where casting, direction and show come together in perfect combination, resulting in the classic ideal of the sum being greater than the parts," said Stephen Sondheim.

With music and lyrics by renowned American composer and lyricist Sondheim and book by George Furth, "Merrily We Roll Along"transferred to the West End's Harold Pinter Theatre following a sell-out run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. The production received more five-star reviews than any other musical in West End history and won the 2012 Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical.

Starting in 1980 and travelling backwards in time, this powerful and moving story - an emotionally charged journey through the lives of three friends - features some of Sondheim's most beautiful songs including "Good Thing Going," "Not a Day Goes By" and "Old Friends." Triple Oliver Award-winner Maria Friedman makes a thrilling directorial debut with this vibrant, full-scale production with an exceptional cast led by Mark Umbers, Jenna RussellandDamian Humbley.

Sondheim was recently awarded one of the top honours in the arts world: the Edward MacDowell Medal for lifetime achievement. He has won an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, six Olivier Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, an Oliver Special Award and the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

"'Merrily We Roll Along' brings the West End to America's big screens in a truly wonderful and vibrant way," said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. "Theatre fans will be wowed by this superb production."

"Merrily We Roll Along" has been awarded five star reviews by numerous respected UK media. The Independentraved, "It is, make no mistake, one of the great musical productions of this or any era." The Daily Telegraph described the production as "Hugely witty, tunefully inventive and brightly entertaining." The Metro asserts, "It's impossible not to be moved." The Sunday Express stated it is "Stunningly performed" and the Daily Express labels it, "Musical theatre at its most sophisticated." The musical debuted on Broadway during the 1981 season and appeared as an Off-Broadway revival in 1994.

"Merrily We Roll Along" was produced in the West End by Chocolate Factory Productions, Neal Street Productions,Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Bartner & Norman Tulchin, Debbie Bisno, Scott M. Delman, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Tanya Link.

About National CineMedia (NCM)

National CineMedia (NCM) operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation's largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYS: CNK) , Regal Entertainment Group (NYS: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM's theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 19,600 screens (approximately 18,800 digital). During 2012, over 710 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network ("DBN") is comprised of approximately 750 locations in 173 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 37 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NAS: NCMI) owns a 47.0%. interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com. (NCMI-E)

About CinemaLive

CinemaLive is one of the world's leading producers and distributors of premium Event Cinema for cinemas and big screen venues worldwide. Parent company, The Shooting Star Picture Company, has been producing high quality concerts and events for over 20 years and has a reputation for quality and global excellence. With offices in the UK and Australia, the CinemaLive subsidiary has quickly become one of the fastest growing theatrical distributors since establishing in 2008. It delivers the very best music, cultural and family entertainment via satellite and hard drive to over 70 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.cinemalive.com.

About Digital Theatre

Digital Theatre works in partnership with Britain's leading theatre companies to capture live performance authentically onscreen from multiple camera angles and makes productions available to a worldwide audience in high definition. Recent Digital Theatre releases include the 2011 Olivier Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. The Public Theater later transferred the production to New York's Central Park in the summer of 2012. Visit www.digitaltheatre.com.

For artwork/photos related to "Merrily We Roll Along," click here.

NCM Fathom Events
Michelle Portillo, 303-792-8651
michelle.portillo@ncm.com
or
Scoop Marketing for NCM Fathom Events
Erik Stein, 818-761-6100
estein@solters.com
or
BONEAU/BRYAN-BROWN for CinemaLive
Adrian Bryan-Brown, 212-575-3030
abrown@bbbway.com

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