CAROUSEL (2018) Previews — Page 12

If only they had hired Nicholas Hytner to come back and do an update of the Lincoln Center/NT production he directed back in the 90s. Only this time, let him cast actors who can sing. Let him recreate Bob Crowley's breathtaking design, and everyone would be very happy. That production was ravishing.

I had doubts about this as soon as I heard who the director was. I thought O'Brien's THE SOUND OF MUSIC tour was dull and unmoving. And it paled when compared to the Susan H, Schulman directed revival. And the less said about CHARLIE AND THE CHOC. FACTORY the better.

Perhaps I will just go to TOFT and watch the video of the Hytner production and just pretend it has a Billy who can sing.

Updated On: 3/4/18 at 07:37 AM

wish i were here2 said: "Have they added the two songs that weren’t at first previews? I’m debating if I want to try to rush tonight or wait for later in previews."



Nope.

Call_me_jorge said: "There hasn’t been much talk about Alexander as Enoch. How was he? He was great as KG3 in Hamilton, so I’m hoping he’s continuing his streak."

As always, his voice is gorgeous. He has very little to do, given some of his material has been cut from this production. It’s a fine performance, but unmemorable.

I thinks it’s safe to say that Jack O’Brien has given Carousel the same treatment he gave Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this time last year. He has taken a classic treasure and managed to find a way to pretty much destroy it limb for limb. This production of Carousel has two things going for it. The orchestra and the singing. That’s it. The rest is amateur and disastrous beyond belief in every area.

The cast is fine overall, but there are no standouts to speak of. There is absolutely ZERO chemistry between Henry and Mueller which is one of the many problems plaguing this Ill conceived production. The accents are terrible and must go. Renee Fleming is so out of place, and I understood *maybe* about one fourth of what she sang.

The set is basically nonexistent. It’s hard to believe this is the same scenic designer who brought us the beautiful and lush set that Hello, Dolly! had last season. The stage is oftentimes bare except for a few small pieces here and there. I have seen better sets in community theatres. The Carousel Waltz was especially disappointing. The roof of the carousel comes in and opens up, but that’s it. There is no “spectacle” or “wow factor” at all. It’s all so bland and unexciting.

Jack O’Brien made so many incredibly poor choices with this production that make no sense whatsoever. The worst choice was having the Star Keeper appearing out of the blue with his cheap looking wings. He would awkwardly pace around during scenes and there were even a couple scenes where he even stood right in between Billy and Jigger while they were talking. The spreading of his wings at the end was laughable. The strange dancers in heaven wearing what appeared to be ripped dirty pajamas were bizarre.

There were so many awkward moments. Billy’s death was so confusing and poorly staged. The lack of chemistry between Henry and Mueller was especially lacking in the scene where she held him as he died. There was no emotion. The slap scene on the porch was so rushed, and the cutting of some of the most important dialogue here is simply unforgivable.

It’s sad that after not having this classic gem on Broadway for years that THIS is the production we ended up with. I see a lot of Broadway shows, and it’s rare to see something that is this amateur in its execution. I honestly have to fault O’Brien with 95% of my problems with this production. What a missed opportunity for what could and should have been a brilliant revival of a beloved classic musical.

Updated On: 3/3/18 at 07:33 PM

Is there anyway they could bring in a show doctor? Or is it too late at this point? How does this happen to a show that's been workshoped by Rubin and this cast end up like this?

Call_me_jorge said: "All these negative reviews has me wondering what Scott Rudin was smoking when he brought Jack on. Seems very out of character for him to be producing such a mess."

My thoughts as well. I tend to think Rudin productions are of a very high caliber, so the negative reports for this are unusual.

For what it's worth, people have been expressing skepticism about Jack O'Brien directing for almost a year now—so it's not unbelievably shocking. Just very disappointing when there are so many other directors out there who could've done wonders with this show.

Miles2Go2 said: "Remember when there was all this speculation about why Betsy Wolfe was suddenly not attached to this production anymore? Anyone think maybe she smellled the hot mess train a-coming and decided to get as far away from it as possible? "

No. She was unable to fulfill the required workshop rehearsal commitments that the contract demanded due to her schedule with Waitress (specifically, rehearsing Jason Mraz).