CAROUSEL (2018) Reviews- Page 5

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 12:16pm

JBC3 said: "I am willing to wager big money against any insights Ben Brantley has about what romance looks like lol."

LOL

I wish it wasn't too late to change the costumes. Obviously it's Carousel so I wasn't expecting ballgowns but the concept and the lack of cohesion are... unfortunate.

[ncgator]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 1:07pm

FYI...looks like it's back as a Critic's Pick on the NYT website, both at the top of the review and if you go to the Critic's Pick list.

It has certainly been interesting seeing all the varied reviews of this production.  I have never seen a production of Carousel before, nor am I overly familiar with story, so I've decided to give it a shot during my May trip to NYC.  It was helpful reading everyone's comments on the board.

[Juggalo12]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 3:50pm

haterobics said: "Juggalo12 said: "The early negative feedback on this board was shameful, to say the least. I mean, people actually commenting and judging a show they have not even seen yet. And even those who have seen it were extra harsh on it for no reason. I saw it about 3 weeks ago and thought it was magnificent from start to finish. You get an evening of your money's worth without question"

Everyone who didn't have your experience was wrong?!

No. Just opinions from those who haven't even seen the show. 

 

[Juggalo12]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 3:53pm

JAS said: "Juggalo12 said: "Lindsay is a goddess said: "Moment of truth, people. Time to see if the early negative feedback was justified or not."

The early negative feedback on this board was shameful, to say the least. I mean, people actually commenting and judging a show they have not even seen yet. And even those who have seen it were extra harsh on it for no reason. I saw it about 3 weeks ago and thought it was magnificent from start to finish. You get an evening of your money's worth without question”



With all due respect, Juggalo, where do you get the nerve to say that criticism of this revival was “shameful “? *I* saw it two weeks ago and thought it was terrible. I have lived with this show since I was eight, and have performed in it as well. I adore this show. I found it shallow, poorly directed and horrifyingly cut, presenting a distortion of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s work. So maybe YOU got your money’s worth, but sure as hell didn’t. And guess what? My opinion isn’t shameful.

Of course your opinion isn't "shameful." I was referring to those of people who haven't seen the show. There was a lot of that on here on another thread. 

 

???

????

"

 

[Juggalo12]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 3:58pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "Juggalo12 said: "Um, FIVE stars. Not four. Can you count?"

Um, can you? They clearly gave it four out of five stars."

Well, the link above on the mobile site showed 5 black stars all in a row, next to "Time Out says." The desktop site shows 4 red stars out of the five. My apology, but that's what the link showed on my phone.  

 

[Juggalo12]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 4:08pm

bk said: "Juggalo or whatever your name is, are you twelve? What's wrong with you? First off, many people have corrected your more than obnoxious assertion that Time Out gave this five stars - so, you can just apologize for starters. Always amusing how one person, sitting alone in the fourth row, can know that every single person in the theatre had a smile on their face. Seriously, pal, stop before you make a complete nitwit of yourself."

Right, I'm just making things up. If I could attach a screenshot of the five stars, I would. The mobile site on my phone took me to a link that clearly showed 5 black stars in a row after it said timeout says. On the desktop site, I now see that it says 4 out of 5 stars, and the four stars are in red. Not really my fault, if two different sites say different things. I apologize for my initial snarky comment, but I'm not apologizing for what I saw. There were five black stars in a row. Go see for yourself on your phone.

 

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 4:59pm

I haven't seen the production YET but I'd like to mention a couple of observations:

- Some critics liked and some hated the new choreography. While Agnes De Mille's original choregraophy is iconic, it's of its time (1945). One could argue that new choreography could make us see this show with new eyes.

- As wonderful as the Hytner revival was, most people forget that Billy was played by Michael Hayden, a wonderful actor but not a singer at the level of Josh Henry. Sally Murphy who played Julie did a great job acting the part but she was not a Broadway "star." Most people remember the production for its great direction, the opening scene at the mill and for Audra McDonald's memorable rendition of "Mr. Snow." The orchestration was for a reduced orchestra and did not have the breadth of the original.

-

[wickedfan]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 5:31pm

BroadwayBaby6 said: "I haven't seen the production YET but I'd like to mention a couple of observations:
- Some critics liked and some hated the new choreography. While Agnes De Mille's original choregraophy is iconic, it's of its time (1945). One could argue thatnew choreographycould make us see this show with new eyes.

- As wonderful as the Hytner revival was, most people forget that Billy was played by Michael Hayden, a wonderful actor but not a singer at the level of Josh Henry. Sally Murphy who played Julie did a great job acting the part but she was not a Broadway "star." Most people remember the production for its great direction, the opening scene at the mill and for Audra McDonald's memorable rendition of "Mr. Snow." The orchestration was for a reduced orchestra and did not have the breadth of the original.-"

1. I agree that we don't need De Mille's originals. They were designed for a specific time in Broadway history and many new audiences would most likely not like them. What we need is choreography that is based on the same principles as De Mille's, that is to say character and plot driven. Why, for example, is Jigger Craigan, a rough sailor and thief who doesn't think twice about killing an innocent man and it is implied has killed before, dancing so beautifully and gracefully for 6 straight minutes? The Hornpipe might have worked in 1945, but audiences have changed and what they consider realistic on a Broadway stage has changed. The way the Hornpipe is choreographed, then, must accommodate that.

2. Hayden was not on the vocal level of Henry. But if his performance sucked, then that production wouldn't have worked. It wouldn't have worked at the RNT and wouldn't have transferred here. Same with Sally Murphy and Joanna Riding. Maybe now that production is most famous for its set design and Audra, but at the time it was revolutionary in taking a piece many considered dated and unworkable and suddenly making it relevant, as if it had been written recently. So what's changed now? Not Carousel, that's for sure. Also that production had an orchestra of 27 (this one has 25). Both are incredibly large for this day and age. You will never see a production of Carousel on Broadway again with an orchestra the size of the original. You just won't.

Updated On: 4/13/18 at 05:31 PM

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 5:34pm

Sorry if this has already been stated but what did critics think about Lindsay Mendez?

[R. GreenFinch]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 6:36pm

Brantley mentioned the "not hurt you at all" line, which defintiely was not in the show when I saw it last weekend. Has this been added back in?

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 2:43am

Here's my review after returning to see the final product. Intially, I thought it was a problematic production that would sort itself out. Apparently I'm an idiot who seemed to think that they would actually do any substantial work on the show in previews:

What. A. F*cking. Disaster.

This is Carousel produced by Max Bialystock. I saw the production early on in previews and just assumed that they would fix it. Nope. It's gotten worse.

The cast, except for Amar, is sensational. Josh and Jessie have built up their chemistry, but they're struggling through some of the worst direction that I have ever seen. Lindsay Mendez is lovely and funny and she's found her own take on the role. A lot of ya'll on here mentioned that Renee looks lost. I really disagree. In fact she's absolutely wonderful and has the audience eating out of the palm of her hand. Her You'll Never Walk Alone is stunning as is Jessie's performance of that scene. Jessie makes Julie the strongest character on stage. She plays her as a pillar of strength which is a brilliant take on the role. Alex Gemignani is unfortunately a victim of O'Brien's flat out incompetence. The cuts have destroyed his entire character. Amar just cannot act. Literally not at all. He's just so miscast. He was just cast for the absolutely bizarre, unnecessary 6 minute dance break in Blow High, Blow Low, but I'll come back to the choreography in a sec. Joshua Henry is brilliant much of the time. He sings the hell out of the role, has the right look, and the acting chops. He is clearly working under little to no direction, which is really the case for the whole cast. All of the performances are about 85% there. They're great, but they're messy. They all feel like they just started rehearsal and the director hasn't gotten their hands on them yet. This is a perfect cast and under a great director, this could have been the definitive cast of Carousel.

Anyways, the set is f*cking atrocious. It's so hideous that it's just absurd. Just ugly and clunky. It's high school quality. The only set that was nice was the heaven set and the dock set for Billy's death. Everything else was absolute eye rape. The lightening is also completely amateurish. It just looked horrible. The women's costumes are pretty. The men's are terrible. The orchestra is great and Tunick has done some great work there. He's able to reduce an orchestra, but keep it wonderfully full, textured, and colorful. Overall though, it's a hideous production.

Time for the choreography. Holy f*ck. It's just flat out terrible. The dancing is good and all, but it tells no story. It's basically just people flailing around on stage for no reason. That 6 or 7 minute dance break in Blow High, Blow Low is unforgivable. 25% of the show has been cut to make room for a completely unnecessary dance break in everyone's second to least favorite song in the show. It's absurd. The act two ballet is lovely though and it's beautifully danced.

We have got to talk about Jack O'Brien. He has past his expiration date. This is some of the worst direction that I have ever seen. He's directing Carousel like it's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Carousel requires deep analysis and O'Brien hasn't done any. He just doesn't understand the show, so he just started hacking away. He clearly hates Carousel and has the audacity to think that he (of all people) can fix it. This should have been given to George C. Wolfe or Joe Mantello or literally anyone else. The cast is so good and he just ruined it. The cuts are ridiculous and the ending was just absolute garbage. It was so awkward. I can't even describe it. My body went into shock when it happened. Nettie, Julie, and Louise are all awkwardly scrunched up on the benches on the far side of the stage and they sing the first few lines of You'll Never Walk Alone in the most treacly, cliche, sentimental way as the rest of the cast sits awkwardly next to them and hums. Wtf?!?! O, and they're sitting infront of an absolutely hideous backdrop that's covered in all kind of messy, fake, plastic grass. O and also Billy's death scene. He awkwardly slits his throat and then falls from the tower. The cast catches him and carries him a la Jesus Christ Superstar style. It's terrible. It was all just so bad.

If you love Carousel, skip this. It will make you feel so angry. Stay home and watch the recent concert with Kelli O'Hara on Amazon Prime instead. I need Sondheim to see this and write another article like he did for Porgy and Bess. The Hammerstein estate should sue Rudin for absolutely destroying this great work.

Also, the lack of a Carousel is ridiculous. If you can't afford the Carousel, just don't do Carousel.

Also, fix the f*cking playbill.

[FranklinDickson2018]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 9:19am

Brilliant review GeorgeandDot. Should be required reading for the production team and many of the NY area critics who really missed a lot of the obvious problems! Thanks for a great read!

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 9:35am

What is the rush like for this? What time are people showing up and where at the seats located?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 10:11am

GeorgeandDot, you managed to perfectly put into words how I felt about this production. I tried, but it was so bad I could not even find the words to articulate it.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 10:32am

GeorgeandDot, bravo!

[Musical Master]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 10:39am

My Fair Lady! Full speed ahead! 

[Skip23]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 3:38pm

I didn't think it was a disaster, but I didn't come away thinking: "this was a fine revival".   Just glad we get to hear the music again.  But Carousel will always be a problematic show.  How do you convince an audience that these two people have any bond at all?  How do you make giant dance numbers work with such sketchy concepts behind them?  How do you justify and make work a totally separate story of otherworldly redemption? 

Yes, direction was not strong and when it was, it was mostly bad choices.  But the casting was a bigger problem.  Henry was all jumpy frustration and no nuance.  And his voice is strained for these songs.  Mueller also lacked nuance and quiet strength.  She wasn't so much queer as she was willful and contrary.  You never quite see why these two are attracted to each other.  If it's only for sex, the audience is cheated out of a whole other level of connection.  It's a difficult task, explaining their bond, but it has to be done.  The movie comes the closest.  Those sensitive closeups help a lot.  Mendez was too modern for my taste.  Her line readings would work for Mean Girls but not here.  Gemignani was OK, but again, a bit modern and kinetic for a priggish Mr Snow.

The choreography seems just so showy for no reason.  And folks, it did have a carousel.  And the dancers were fine horses, but the choreo just is so messy and pointless.  Nice partnering in the beach dance, tho.

 

Not so much high school scenery, but did it have to be so boring and lumbering?


But just when you think all the mashed potatoes proceedings are going to grind on ad nauseum, up comes little Renee Fleming to sing (beautifully, I may add) one of the most glorious songs in the Broadway canon.  And, for all its messiness, this production rights itself for a moment and you breathe and smile and get chills.  God bless Rodgers and Hammerstein.

 

 

Updated On: 4/15/18 at 03:38 PM

[natashalost]

Posted: 4/15/18 at 4:27pm

R. GreenFinch said: "Brantley mentioned the "not hurt you at all" line, which defintiely was not in the show when I saw it last weekend. Has this been added back in?"

I went the day after opening night and the line is not in the show.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/20/18 at 11:14pm

Finally made it to this. Holy cow. What a train wreck. Nicely done, Jack O'Brien, you destroyed a masterpiece.

The production is just straight-up hideous. Unflattering costumes and ugly sets galore. The lack of a carousel made me legitimately depressed. It's almost like they had a plan to bring it in but the delivery truck got lost somewhere, so now they're just trying their best. The heaven sequences were so laughably bad that I spent most of them looking around the audience to see if I was the only one actually aware that we were being fed such garbage. The choreography is nice and very ballet-y, but...why? You could clearly see the producing team who sat down and were like, "Let's do Carousel...but with ballet!!!" 

Also, the direction of the Starkeeper... why?!?!? I'm familiar with the show so I knew what they were "trying" to do during Act I. However, my friend who is unfamiliar with Carousel said at intermission that he had no idea what was happening and was genuinely concerned that a man got lost on 45th Street and wandered onto the Imperial stage.

Joshua Henry and Jessie Mueller were miscast. Henry is way too aggressive and jumpy for Billy Bigelow, and I wondered why any girl would fall for him. I feel like he could be so much better with a director who offered him better notes on moments of self-restraint. Mueller, who I've adored in everything else I've seen her in, totally lacked soul. The two of them sang nicely (even though I think Mueller often went way into her head voice to the point of sounding like she was struggling), but that's largely it. I think they were miscast in the first place, but I fully blame O'Brien for not pulling anything better out of these gifted actors. 

Lindsay Mendez is the only saving grace of this production and, quite frankly, is almost a revelation. I'll be rooting for her for the Tony.

I won't be rooting for Carousel in any other Tony categories, though. Garbage fire. Shame on Jack O'Brien. Take GeorgeandDot's advice, stay home, and watch the Lincoln Center concert instead.

[Elegance101]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 1:42am

Interesting to point out two moments from Joshua Henry's interview on Show People from this week:

He says they didn't change the book, music, or lyrics. I know he was referring to Billy and his race specifically, but it did jump out at me:

https://youtu.be/gLhnT45zmeY?t=6m7s

Here he says they don't shy away from the violence or abusive nature of the relationship between Billy and Julie, which I'm going to say isn't totally accurate. They have cut pivotal lines about that abuse instead of creating a new interpretation, which to me is clearly shying away from it.

https://youtu.be/gLhnT45zmeY?t=6m49s

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 9:00am

It's a shame that Jessie and Josh weren't under better direction. I could see so many possibilities there, but they were just squandered by poor direction.

Still hoping we get a cast album. The singing was divine. Until that completely bats*t ending that is.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 10:00am

I'm hoping a cast recording gets made as well.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 11:35am

Just back from NYC where I saw 13 plays/musicals in 10 days and this was by far the worst thing I saw.

The singing and orchestrations were wonderful, but holy ****e the rest of it was terrible.

It looked cheap, ugly and was just horribly directed.

As a massive Great Comet fan I felt like I was cheating on greatness as I walked into the Imperial.

I felt even worse walking out...

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 1:17pm

It's only been about a week since they opened but since Broadway Records is already recording My Fair Lady and there hasn't been an announcement yet from any other label regarding Carousel I'd say a cast album is looking less likely with each passing day. The cast is admirable though. If they do record a cast album, and include the cut songs, the flaws of the production could be largely minimized and it could end up being one of those albums where threads get started here for years after in which posters listen to the cast album and wonder what went wrong.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 1:34pm

I have a theory with this production that they had a ton of investors on board and they were planning on this being a lush production, but many of them jumped ship after the #metoo movement. I could see where they would pull their investments over a show like Carousel in our current political climate. Too much of a risk. That might explain the absurdly cheap production values and the lack of a cast album announcement.