CAROUSEL (2018) Previews- Page 27

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/25/18 at 6:33am

I saw the matinee yesterday, and tbe show clocked in at 2 hrs 40 minutes. I'll write more later, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. Act One was very strong. Act Two is somewhat of an unfocused mess. My quibbles with the second act are all directorial. A few missed opportunities.

[kmac23]

Posted: 3/25/18 at 7:31am

Saw the show Friday. It was ... okay. I honestly felt like at times I was watching a ballet that just happened to feature a musical. Too much dancing for my liking. And I love dancing. I love a good dream sequence.

also the actor who payed Jigger was not very good.

the pacing of the death scene felt SO off. Too fast. 

I’m just disappointed. I think that’s the word! I adore Joshua and Jessie and was super excited to see this — and while I think they give decent performances I feel like something is missing.’

[jenna2]

Posted: 3/25/18 at 8:21pm

mc1227,

Did you see a Sunday matinee? If so, that answers my question if anyone has a scheduled show off during the week.

Thank you for your review!

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 3/25/18 at 9:16pm

Saw yesterday. Was not into it after having read the disappointed fans on this board. Thought: why am I wasting time and money? But it wasn't a waste.

I enjoyed it with caveats.

Never saw Carousel ever so had no preconceived ideas of how wonderful it could be. This probably made me enjoy it more. I thought that Joshua Henry, Renee Fleming, and the supporting actors playing Carrie and Enoch were great. 

I was very surprised and delighted to see my favorite male NYCB dancer Amar Ramasar in this (as Jigger). He's not an actor, but he was certainly passable and I thought his dancing made his casting worth it. I loved that the production sprinkled something from the worlds of ballet and opera uptown onto this broadway stage....

I was disappointed in the staging, and set design. Also wondered who the starkeeper was - a man wandering around in a white suit in Act 1. We then learn he is someone up in heaven, the starkeeper or what have you. But what was he doing wandering around earlier? We were confused - who was he ? Billy's conscience? We had no idea.

My strongest memories though are that Joshua Henry gave a wonderful performance.  And that Renee's pipes blew the stage away. I thought - and I think someone else on the board said this too - that there was little chemistry between Joshua and Jesse....I know she can be wonderful but I thought she was the weakest of all in this.

Updated On: 3/25/18 at 09:16 PM

[mc1227]

Posted: 3/25/18 at 9:17pm

Jenna2, yes I did..

[Robbie2]

Posted: 3/25/18 at 9:18pm

jenna2 said: "Planning to see this in July. Does anyone know if any of the leads have any days off during the week? Wondering if a matinee purchase is a safe bet.

Thank you!"

That's 4 months away...it may not be around then after the reviews come out next month!

[Robbie2]

Posted: 3/25/18 at 9:21pm

GeraldJ2 said: "Hi Mr. Scarywarhol

What would you do to fix this CAROUSELproduction?

Who would you fire? Who would you try to hire to replace them?

After "If I loved you" there are not many chances for Julie and Billy to interact.
What is not coherent and how would you fix the script?

What are the other productions you are comparing this to?

Who would be your ideal Billy and Julie?

"

You must be one of Rudin's interns or Jack's ASsistant!

[JIMG3]

Posted: 3/26/18 at 7:16am

Did the loud woman sitting behind you identify herself as Jewish? Or are you simply relying on your own biased, assumptions? 

Updated On: 3/26/18 at 07:16 AM

[mc1227]

Posted: 3/26/18 at 8:58am

"Did the loud woman sitting behind you identify herself as Jewish? Or are you simply relying on your own biased, assumptions? "

 

As a matter of fact, she did identify herself as Jewish from her lengthy conversations with her companion prior to and during intermission when she spoke of things in her life that were identifiable as Jewish. I wasn't eavesdropping, but her conversation was loud enough for everyone around to hear. She also had a voice like Sylvia Miles, who I loved by the way, so it was pretty clear. The point of my post was not to be biased at all.  I had her Sylvia voice in mind as she kept asking, "Who is this guy" ? when I posted and I thought it was funny but I guess nothing is funny anymore.  My apologizes if you or anyone else were offended. 

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/26/18 at 9:31am

My thoughts on the show (Saturday matinee).

I purchased my ticket back in January, but after reading the posts on this thread I wasn’t too thrilled about what to expect.  I don’t know if it was because my expectations were lowered, but I actually liked this production of Carousel.

Let me start off with, hats off to the orchestra!!  They were thrilling.  Loved the strings as well.  Nothing will ever top the opening from the 1994 revival, but I wouldn’t expect someone to copy it either.  I was teary-eyed midway through the opening number, and the tears continued through the bench scene.

I thought Jessie and Joshua made a good pairing, and that their chemistry was fine.  If there is something lacking, I blame it in the direction.  Joshua Henry has a voice that cuts right through me.  His Soliloquy left a big lump in my throat.  I can’t wait for the cast recording to come out.

I have always been a fan of Amar Ramasar since he joined NYCB.  Although his acting was inconsistent, I was shocked to hear that he could sing!

I liked Justin Peck’s choreography though the dance breaks seemed to go on for quite a bit. 

I liked Lindsey Mendez as well, but it seems like Jack O’Brien reigned in what little of comedy there is in this production.

I thought Act 1 was quite good, but for me the troubles began when Clambake ended.

Geraniums in the Window should be put back in.  I missed the transition from that into What’s the Use of Wondrin’.  I kind of liked that What’s the Use of Wondrin’ became a duet between Julie and Nettie, but I missed the female chorus.  When Billy leaves with Jigger for the hunt, there was no sense of urgency from Julie to try to get Billy to stay.  She’s supposed to detect the knife in Billy’s jacket pocket, but that moment was not there (bad directorial choice).

SPOILERS SOMEWHAT AHEAD

The staging of Billy’s death was awkward to say the least.  From where I was sitting in the mezzanine, Josh’s legs were so disfigured that I actually thought he was a dummy.  I was trying to figure out when he left the stage after he died!!  Turns out it was him all along.

Louise in the ballet was good.  Unfortunately there is no musical ending for the audience to applaud (which I sensed they wanted to.  I certainly did).

When Billy slapped Louise, I wanted to see him react with a sense of regret to what he did.  That wasn’t there.

When Julie picks up the star that Billy left, there should be a moment or pause there, but instead, she exited quite quickly (again, another bad directorial choice).  I want to see a reprise of If I Loved You where Billy gets choked up singing to Julie, “How I loved you”.  Again for a sake of realization for his past actions.

I kind of liked the staging of the graduation and having Billy involved with the speech.  I was disappointed that the ensemble was left humming instead of singing most of the final You’ll Never Walk Alone.

I liked the set and costumes.  After reading this thread, I expected to see a bare-bones production of Carousel where the set is concerned.

I am very glad I didn’t give up my ticket to go see Grand Hotel (which I was very tempted to do).

The audience at Saturday’s matinee was very enthusiastic in their applause, and attentive and quiet when they should have been. 

Updated On: 3/26/18 at 09:31 AM

[Addipia94]

Posted: 3/26/18 at 9:44am

DottieD'Luscia said "When Julie picks up the star that Billy left, there should be a moment or pause there, but instead, she exited quite quickly (again, another bad directorial choice).  I want to see a reprise of If I Loved You where Billy gets choked up singing to Julie, “How I loved you”.  Again for a sake of realization for his past actions"

@DottieD'Luscia, I saw the show on Sunday and it's funny, I think some changes were made from when you saw it to Sunday. I saw the show maybe 10 days ago and noticed significant blocking/staging changes throughout the show. From what I saw yesterday, I believe there is more of a pause on Julie's end before she walks back into the house. I agree, it should be longer though, and the audience should be able to see Julie senses Billy's presence. However, Jessie's face when she see's Billy right before he disappears was heartbreaking.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/26/18 at 9:58am

"When Julie picks up the star that Billy left, there should be a moment or pause there, but instead, she exited quite quickly (again, another bad directorial choice).  I want to see a reprise of If I Loved You where Billy gets choked up singing to Julie, “How I loved you”."

Well, that's right there in the score.

"I was disappointed that the ensemble was left humming instead of singing most of the final You’ll Never Walk Alone."

The ensemble, as written, should be singing the lyrics, according to the score, not humming.

Cutting/altering things like these merely shows a lack of respect for, or trust in, the authors' work. If the creative team doesn't like Carousel as written, they should consider writing the show they would like to put up (of course, they don't have that talent). The dilettante point of view is that the work of creative artists is nothing more than raw material for them to cut and paste into their own magnificent collage.

Updated On: 3/26/18 at 09:58 AM

[Addipia94]

Posted: 3/26/18 at 10:14am

I will say, there were significant staging changes to the death scene that felt off. Julie just sits there, hands in lap, as she gives her final speech to Billy. Then bursts into tears. It felt weird. When I saw it before, Julie cradled Billy's head (similarly to the Lincoln Center production), and now there's absolutely no chemistry here.

I will say Mrs. Mullin's reaction to Billy's death is toned down, which is better because her hysterics before seemed totally out of character.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/26/18 at 10:30am

Cutting/altering things like these merely shows a lack of respect for, or trust in, the authors' work. If the creative team doesn't like Carousel as written, they should consider writing the show they would like put up (of course, they don't have that talent). The dilettante point of view is that the work of creative artists is nothing more than raw material for them to cut and paste into their own magnificent collage."

I couldn't agree more!

I could have done without the "busy-ness" regarding the bows.

 

Updated On: 3/26/18 at 10:30 AM

[JustAFan3]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 10:38am

I am seeing this April 14, after reading all the posts on here, my expectations have been lowered.  I was really looking forward to this show.  The feedback I read on social media is much more favorable.  I am interested to read the critics reviews.  We shall see!

[lady_luck]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 12:07pm

Had to pop on here to say that I absolutely LOVED this production. I know that many on this thread are not huge fans of the creative direction of this revival, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a long-time Broadway fan, but have never listened to or seen this production before. I went in with zero expectations, and now have added it to my top 5 shows of all time. 

The talent in this production is ridiculous, every single voice is exceptional and I felt perfectly matched to the characters. Renee Fleming...it is worth it to see this show just to hear her sing. I thought Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry had great chemistry, and I felt like Joshua disappeared into his character (in the best way). In my opinion they both deserve a Tony nod. Yes, the dance numbers are long and sometimes seem to slow down the plot. They honestly were my favorite part, choreography was pristine I thought they were lively and fun. The ballet number was breathtaking, I wasn't expecting it and was literally in tears by the end. 

Just my two cents, but I wanted to offer a different opinion. I think it is worth seeing this season, and hats off to the whole cast for putting on a spectacular show! 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 12:48pm

I saw this on Sunday and was a little apprehensive going in, having read some unfavorable reviews here. I purposely wanted to go later in previews because I expected the show would have lots of early changes. I really enjoyed it an honestly feel that some improvements have been made since the beginning. That's not to say that I don't agree with many of the issues already pointed out, mainly directorial. While I love Carousel, I'll admit that I haven't seen many productions so I cannot speak with the same level of expertise that others can. The dancing was breathtaking, but at times just too long and it slowed things down. As Lady_luck said there is an overwhelming amount of talent on this stage, both singing and dancing.

Lindsay Mendez was just fantastic. I knew she had a wonderful voice, but I was actually taken aback by how beautiful she sounded singing Mister Snow the first time. She also brings levity whenever it's possible in this production. Give the woman a Tony. Jessie Mueller was in fabulous voice with a flawless soprano. I also think some changes have been made to her performance based on earlier reviews. She is less wooden, more magnetically attracted to Billy and her dramatic scenes are very powerful, especially in the second act. Joshua Henry's singing sounded wonderful but there was just something not right about his Billy. I agree there are chemistry issues and I lay them more at the door of his portrayal, and perhaps the direction he has been given. He wasn't giving Julie enough reason to be smitten with him. He's attractive, no doubt, but just seemed too angry (I know he's supposed to be but that felt like the only characteristic) and didn't take over the stage in a way that should captivate. 

The primary ballet dancers just aren't good actors. Not sure what else to say about that. They have clearly not been given enough direction or cannot take what they've been given. I don't know how much more this will change before opening night and I think there are issues that can't be fixed. I will probably see it again just to hear those voices singing some of the most beautiful music ever. 

[JustAFan3]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 2:18pm

So glad to read more favorable experiences.  No denying the talent on that stage!

[Lindsay is a goddess]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 2:21pm

JustAFan3 said: "So glad to read more favorable experiences. No denying the talent on that stage!"

It certainly makes me really interested to see how the critics react.

[TNick926]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 2:22pm

lady_luck said: "Had to pop on here to say that I absolutely LOVED this production. I know that many on this thread are not huge fans of the creative direction of this revival, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.I am a long-time Broadway fan, but have never listenedto or seen this production before. I went in with zero expectations, and now have added it to my top 5 shows of all time.

The talent in this production is ridiculous, every single voice is exceptional and I felt perfectly matched to the characters. Renee Fleming...it is worth it to seethis show just to hear her sing. I thought Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry had great chemistry, and I felt like Joshua disappeared into his character (in the best way). In my opinion they both deserve a Tony nod. Yes, the dance numbers are long and sometimes seem to slow down the plot. They honestly were my favorite part, choreography waspristineI thought theywere lively and fun.The ballet number was breathtaking, I wasn't expecting it and was literally in tears by the end.

Just my two cents, but I wanted to offer a different opinion. I think it is worth seeing this season, and hats off to the whole cast for putting on a spectacular show!"

This review thrills me!  I saw the Lincoln Center production in 1994, and have not seen a production since. I am looking forward to seeing the show Thursday night, now more so, due to your review - thanks! :)

[greensgreens]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 2:32pm

I'm noticing a trend that people are really going overboard on their negative assessment of many shows this season, giving a lot of us buyer's remorse after we purchase our tickets early. I was a victim of this as well. I guess maybe we should all take the reviews posted here a little less seriously when making show choices.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 2:36pm

Absolutely no one has panned the talent in the show. Most of the bad reviews have pointed out the singing is incredible and the talent great. But even great talent can't distract from what ultimately is a bad director. Personally, I can't stand the cutting of songs or lines of a classic show. That's what has me angered me the most about this production.

[JustAFan3]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 2:55pm

broadwayboy223 said: "Absolutely no one has panned the talent in the show. Most of the bad reviews have pointed out the singing is incredible and the talent great. But even great talent can't distract from what ultimately is a bad director. Personally, I can't stand the cutting of songs or lines of a classic show. That's what has me angered me the most about this production."

 

I agree - it seems the remarks have been more geared to the director and I too do not see the sense of cutting lines and songs of a classic show.  I often wonder what the actors think of this - when lines get cut etc, poor direction etc.  I was so excited with this cast.  I am keeping an open mind and still am excited to see the show. One poster said the show might not be around that long when commenting on another scheduled July ticket purchase.  Could that happen?  I guess anything is possible.  Again, I am just a fan and do not know or profess to know the business intricacies of a broadway show. 

 

[Trish2]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 5:15pm

With all the current cuts, etc., does anyone have an updated running time? Thanks!

[Addipia94]

Posted: 3/27/18 at 5:16pm

2 hrs 45 min. That's what's posted at the box office.