Review of Carousel (2013) by David W — 08 Jun 2007

I hope I get to play Julie Jordan someday. I love this musical so much. I wrote the following for a school project:

Carousel is Rodgers & Hammerstein's second collaboration. Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the book and lyrics. Richard Rodgers composed the music. They previously worked together on their musical Okalahoma!, that changed the world of musical theatre forever. Both Rodgers & Hammerstein agree that Carousel was their favorite of all their work.

The show was based on a popular play of the time called "Lilliom" by Ferenc Molnar as adapted by Benjamin Glazer. Many times Lilliom had attempted to be made into an opera and Molnar always refused. When Rodgers & Hammerstein proposed the idea they gave him tickets to see their current show. When Molnar saw "Oklahoma!" he couldn't refuse. Now having permission to the play a few changes needed to be made. The locale was a big one. They wanted to move the setting from Hungary to New Orleans. Changing Lilliom into Billy. Then making Billy a tough and Creole character. Though the Louisiana accent was not pleasing in song so they moved the musical to New England.

The show opened on April 19th 1945, at the Majestic Theater. Rouben Mamoulian directed, with Agnes DeMille doing the choreography. Carousel was produced by: Helburn and Langer. The Costume designer was Miles White. The stars of the show were John Raitt as Billy, Jan Clayton as Julie, Jean Darling as Carrie, and Bambi Lynn as Louise. The show received good reviews with few criticisms. The New York Times said it was fast, rousing, nostalgic, and moving. They called "June is Bustin' Out All Over," a cheerful, and rousing number. Though they had a lukewarm feeling toward John Raitt playing Biggalow. They said: "He has an excellent and powerful voice, and is not afraid to use it. He perhaps is not as good an actor as a singer. He lacks the easy swagger, and arrogance, which goes with the character.?" The show rand 890 performances right across the street from the original cast of "Oklahoma!" nightly. Since the show opened before the Tony's existed, it won the awards show of the time. Carousel won best musical of 1945, from the New York Critics Circle.

"You?ll Never Walk Alone" is probably the most longstanding song from Carousel. It is now a graduation standard. Surprisingly, football leagues for their theme song picked up the song. First picked up by the Liverpool Football Club. Football clubs from The Netherlands, Scotland, Germany, and Japan, later picked it up and now sing it at all their games. In the song "Fearless" by Pink Floyd, a football crowd is heard singing "You?ll Never Walk Alone" in the end.

Popular vocalists also fell in love with the song. In 1945 Frank Sinatra reached #9 on the Billboard Charts for ?You?ll Never Walk Alone.? Following him Elvis Presley reached #90 in 1968. Other famous recording artist that have recorded this song are: Patti Labelle, Louis Armstrong, Chet Atkins, Pat Boone, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Michael Crawford, Doris Day, Aretha Franklin, Judy Garland, Bernadette Peters, Tammy Wynette, Jordin Sparks(On American Idol), and my grandmother?s favorite, Perry Como. In 1963 the band Gary and the Peacemakers reached #1 on the UK Pop Charts. British pop and rock stars came together in 1985 to raise money for victims of The Bradford Stadium Tragedy, and recorded the tune.

It also held deep meaning for housewives during World War II, which was when the musical came to Broadway. They found solace in it as they missed their husbands overseas deeply.

At AIDS rallies all over the U.S. it is played to give hope to families of, and, people living with AIDS. In 1997, at the funeral of Princess Diana, tons of Londoners broke out in song to "You'll Never Walk Alone.".

The film version was made in 1956. It originally starred Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland. After the first few weeks of shooting Judy quit over a contract dispute. They were replaced by: Shirley Jones, and Gordon MacRae. Who both starred in the movie version of Oklahoma!

Every year in the United States there are 300 performances of Carousel. The Broadway Revival took place in 1994. It was the first revival of the show since the 1954 original, forty years after the original run. It played at the Beaumont Theater, and was presented by the Lincoln Center Theater. That year Carousel took home four Tony awards. It won: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Scenic Designer: Bob Crowley, Best Choreography: Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and Best Director: Nicholas Hunter.

Carousel continues to hold a place in musical theater and American culture. People relate with the love, the pain, and the hardship that these characters feel. The brutal realism mixed with the amazing music, and intricate choreography, Carousel will continue to be a favorite musical in the theater world.