1994 Carousel

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1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 12:51pm

Does anyone have any memories to share of the 1994 revival of Carousel at Lincoln Center with Audra McDonald? I'm also curious to know if they cut "The Highest Judge of All" or if they just chose not to include it on the cast album and if there was ever any talk at the time from the creative team about why that decision was made. Any memories about the production would be appreciated.

Updated On: 10/28/17 at 12:51 PM

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 3:23pm

I saw the national tour of that production and it was exquisite, especially with actors who could also sing in the leads.

"The Greatest judge of All" was not used in this production. I believe it was because the song was originally needed to be done in front of curtain to cover a large scene change, and with scene automation this cover was no longer needed.

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 3:37pm

I actually hated it. Audra was incredible, but the other voices were very weak and some of the choices, such as cutting "The Highest Judge of All" were just stupid. Also, Billy literally couldn't sing.

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 5:11pm

^i like the Billy from what I can hear on the recording

My father (AIDS) My sister (AIDS) My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS) The gays and the straights And the white and the spades

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 5:23pm

^His voice was VERY thin, even on the recording. Enoch suffered from the same problem. In fact, nearly all of the vocals were thin, even the chorus. The set was stunning though. I grew up listening to the OBC and the other Lincoln Center recording, where all of the voices are stunning and full. I missed that in the 94 revival. The recent concert however with O'hara and Gunn, was stunning. Check that one out if you haven't yet.

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 5:27pm

The Carousel Waltz was probably the greatest opening number I ever saw.
The rest of the show wasn't particularly good. Though Sally Murphy was a touching Julie and Audra was charming, sang beautifully and her star quality was very clear. Michael Hayden was sexy but I've seen him give much more interesting performances, most recently in Lady from Dubuque at Signature.
Really did not like the set.
Many in the press inexplicably marveled that it was so very dark - as if that was some kind of innovation and CAROUSEL hadn't always been a tragedy.

Having said all that, I'm mindful that it was over 20 years ago and if I saw it today I mind feel quite differently.

Updated On: 10/29/17 at 05:27 PM

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 7:32pm

I don't care for Michael Hayden's voice, either, but I've seen Eddie Korbich (Enoch) in several shows and he has a terrific voice. Regardless, the production itself was magnificent and I absolutely LOVED the design and direction. It's the only Carousel I've seen that I've ever enjoyed (including the film). And Patrick Wilson was FANTASTIC as Billy in the national tour. His Soliloquy was perfection.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/28/17 at 7:33pm

The recent concert however with O'hara and Gunn, was stunning.

Except that Gunn can't even pretend to act.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/29/17 at 4:39pm

I remember talking to one of the ushers at intermission at the Beaumont. I said "what's up with Hayden's voice?' He said "think Al Jolson with a head cold" That about sums it up. But I recommend Nathan Gunn's Soliloquy. Beautifully acted and sung.

#10

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/29/17 at 8:19pm

Audra was definitely the best thing about it. The fact that they did the "bench scene" on a big mound of grass was new and different. As one of the other posters mentioned, the fact that they didn't need to stage the show traditionally because of advances in technology was a big selling point.

#11

1994 Carousel

Posted: 10/30/17 at 11:15am

I saw this production on a Wednesday matinee in September of 94. I enjoyed it, and was moved by it. At this point, Marcus Lovett was playing Billy---I thought he was very good, and liked Sally Murphy as Julie. At the performance I saw, Audra was out: her understudy, the late (and great) Lovette George played Carrie---I thought she was wonderfully original. David Warshovsky who had replaced Fisher Stevens as Jigger played the role very straight and intense---an actor, not a singer---and really made Jigger a flesh and blood character. Since I was familiar with the play from my childhood, I was really moved by the music, but for me, the production and the whole cast, worked.

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