Radcliffe, Groff or Mendez: Which "Old Friend" is the real star of NYTW's Merrily We Roll Along?

Two on The Aisle's regular critic, Charles Gross, & guest critic, Diane Snyder, wrangle w/ this question. And their answer might surprise the many fans of this oft-revived play.
[Critic Leslie (Hoban) Blake will be returning to active theater duty in early Spring.]
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[@paulrandall9705]

Thank you Leslie and co. I look forward to more of your discussion and analysis of theatre events. As you’ll know there are a few tasty Sondheim shows coming up in London this autumn. Paul.

[@swimmerindc]

From what you have said, the show surely evolved to something amazing. Look at the clothes worn by Mary and Charlie. They correspond to each other. To me, the 2 characters elevate Frank to bring him to the fore. Frank is the main character. In this production, he is more than a one-dimensional character. Giving Gussie greater importance also adds to Frank as a person. I'd like to hear what the 2 reviewers thought after actually seeing the show on Broadway. I think some of their comments might change.

[@Gisechan]

Well, this aged badly since at the end Groff and Radcliffe got a Tony and Mendez didn't but ok... 🤷🏻‍♀️