Groff originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the Broadway production of Spring Awakening since its debut on December 10, 2006. He also played the same role in the original Off Broadway production earlier during the summer of 2006. In 2007 he played the recurring role of Henry Mackler on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. His storyline about a school shooting on the long running soap opera was nixed due to the Virginia Tech shooting in April 2007. In April 2007, he was was nominated for Drama Desk award for his role in Spring Awakening. In May 2007, Jon was nominated for the Actor- Musical Tony for his role of Melchoir in Spring Awakening.
From 2010-2015, Groff played the recurring role of Jesse St. James on the musical comedy-drama, Glee.
In 2013, he was the voice of Kristoff in the movie Frozen.
In 2015, he returned to Broadway, playing King George in the smash hit musical Hamilton. He was nominated for a Tony for his role in Hamiton, but lost to his co-star Daveed Diggs.
Jonathan appeared in the role of Franklin Shepard in the revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along," and appears in the cast recording released in November 2023.
The Ballad of Flemmingrad
Jonathan Groff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For his manner was kind and his fungus did gleam
The ballad of old Flemmingrad
Beloved by each troll girl and every troll lad
They gifted him berries and moss cake and stew
He gobbled with zeal as he zealously grew
To such a large old Flemmingrad
He always got full and for that, he was glad
They loved to watch him roll, roll, roll
With laughter, he would roll, roll
Then one winter's day, humans crept up so fast
The trolls had to roll through a tight mountain pass
But dear old giant Flemmingrad
He tried to go through, but got stuck just a tad
The people were frightened and pulled out a sword
So, Flemmy, he blended right into the fjord
The ballad of old Flemmingrad
He never got out, and for that we are sad
Wedged but not forgotten
For Flemmy couldn't roll, roll, roll
Oh, Flemmy, won't you roll, roll
And that's why we have this tradition
Every December, we all gather round
To pay our respects to a troll so renowned
In remembrance of the friend we had
A jolly old soul we called Flemmingrad
We all dig deep down
And we uproot the past
We shove up its nostril a fistful of grass
In resemblance of the dear old lad, we forge the mould of Flemmingrad
We shape his likeness, bless his soul
Oh, Flemmy the fungus troll
The Ballad of Flemmingrad is a whimsical and bittersweet tale about a troll named Flemmingrad who was beloved by his fellow trolls. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of Flemmingrad's charm and good-natured personality. The trolls showered him with gifts of berries, moss cake, and stew, which he enthusiastically devoured, leading to his growth into a large and content troll.
However, a conflict arises when humans unexpectedly approach their territory. The trolls, including Flemmingrad, attempt to escape through a narrow mountain pass. Unfortunately, Flemmingrad becomes stuck along the way, and the humans, fearful of his size, brandish a sword. In an attempt to hide, Flemmingrad blends into the nearby fjord.
The song mourns Flemmingrad's fate, as he remains wedged in the fjord, unable to roll and bring joy to the trolls as he once did. The tradition mentioned in the lyrics involves the trolls gathering every December to honor their fallen friend and pay their respects. They uproot the past and create a mold in his likeness out of grass while reminiscing about the jolly soul they called Flemmingrad.
Overall, the song captures the essence of friendship, loss, and the enduring memory of a cherished figure in the troll community.
Line by Line Meaning
There once was a troll held in highest esteem
A troll was highly respected and admired
For his manner was kind and his fungus did gleam
He was known for being gentle and his fungus was shiny
The ballad of old Flemmingrad
The story of the legendary troll named Flemmingrad
Beloved by each troll girl and every troll lad
Loved and adored by all the trolls
They gifted him berries and moss cake and stew
They gave him various food as gifts
He gobbled with zeal as he zealously grew
He ate with enthusiasm as he grew bigger and bigger
To such a large old Flemmingrad
He became a huge troll
He always got full and for that, he was glad
He was always satisfied with his meals
They loved to watch him roll, roll, roll
They enjoyed seeing him roll with joy
With laughter, he would roll, roll
He would roll with laughter
Then one winter's day, humans crept up so fast
Humans approached quickly on a winter day
The trolls had to roll through a tight mountain pass
The trolls had to move through a narrow mountain path
But dear old giant Flemmingrad
The beloved giant troll called Flemmingrad
He tried to go through, but got stuck just a tad
He attempted to pass but got slightly trapped
The people were frightened and pulled out a sword
The humans were scared and took out a sword
So, Flemmy, he blended right into the fjord
Flemmy disguised himself in the fjord
He never got out, and for that we are sad
He remained stuck and it made us feel sorrowful
Wedged but not forgotten
Though stuck, he is still remembered
For Flemmy couldn't roll, roll, roll
He couldn't roll anymore
Oh, Flemmy, won't you roll, roll
Oh, Flemmy, we wish you could roll again
And that's why we have this tradition
This is why we continue this tradition
Every December, we all gather round
Every December, we come together
To pay our respects to a troll so renowned
We honor the famous troll
In remembrance of the friend we had
In memory of our dear friend
A jolly old soul we called Flemmingrad
A happy and kind troll known as Flemmingrad
We all dig deep down
We all search within ourselves
And we uproot the past
And we bring up memories of the past
We shove up its nostril a fistful of grass
We place grass into its nostril
In resemblance of the dear old lad, we forge the mould of Flemmingrad
We create a mold to resemble the old troll Flemmingrad
We shape his likeness, bless his soul
We mold his likeness and honor his spirit
Oh, Flemmy the fungus troll
Oh, Flemmy, the troll with shiny fungus
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kate Anderson, Elyssa Lynne Samsel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind