Screening Room: ‘Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened’

In 1981, Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince were the kings of Broadway. After a decade of shows fromCompanytoSweeney Todd that reinvented the American musical form, they were embarking on another venture:Merrily We Roll Along. Things didn’t go as planned.

Directed by Lonny Price, one of the original cast members, Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened is the up-close account of one of Broadway’s most infamous flops. It’s opening this week in limited release and will probably show up on...