#1
Posted: 2/10/04 at 12:07am
Does anyone know if the 1994 revival was a limited run. I was surprised to see that it didn't run at least a year.
#2
Posted: 2/10/04 at 12:41am
Carousel is another show...like Gypsy...that is probably too dark for the general audience for a long run. (Interesting that the 94 Carousel and the current Gypsy will have had about the same 11 month run). I vaguely recall that a lot of the cast in Carousel was departing at a certain point, and it was determined that business didn't warrant recasting.
"Gif me the cobra jool!"
#3
Posted: 2/10/04 at 2:52am
Less than a year's worth of audiences for Carousel, Gypsy and Oklahoma, but Grease runs for more than 1500 performances. It does look like James Barbour had replaced Hayden though. Did Hayden leave early because he had vocal problems? Even if he didn't have it all vocally for the Soliloquy, I found him much more moving than Patrick Wilson's beautifully sung but rather bland Billy.
#4
Posted: 2/10/04 at 7:51am
There was also an incident where Hayden couldn't go on, and the understudy was indisposed, and Marcus Lovett (who I think was in Phantom) was rushed in to play Billy for a brief period.
"Gif me the cobra jool!"
#5
Posted: 2/10/04 at 8:48am
I seem to remember this scenario too, magruder. Marcus was with POTO about 6 mos. At the time we kept in touch. He was wisked off to do Carousel. Much later he did ALW's "Whistle Down the Wind" in London. He's a name I've not heard for a while. Nice guy.
www.pbentertainmentinc.com
BWW regional writer "Philadelphia/South Jersey"
#6
Posted: 2/10/04 at 12:03pm
I think the last time I saw Lovett was in the ALW birthday bash. Does anyone remember hearing about a performance of The Goodbye Girl where Peters was out, Joslyn, her standby, was on but couldn't make it through the whole show so then the understudy had to finish.
#7
Posted: 2/10/04 at 1:48pm
Don't know where he's been recently. But he sure knows how to rock! He sang the title song from JCS at ALW's party. I'm picturing him as a good Judas...maybe even Jesus. I'll have to snoop around for him. :)
www.pbentertainmentinc.com
BWW regional writer "Philadelphia/South Jersey"
#8
Posted: 2/10/04 at 7:36pm
I was disappointed by the Carousel revival. Didn't think it deserved all the praise.
I DID like the Oklahoma and Gypsy revivals.
I DID like the Oklahoma and Gypsy revivals.
#9
Posted: 2/10/04 at 7:51pm
I saw Marcus Lovett as The Man in WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND in London. His first association with an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical was in ASPECTS OF LOVE, where he took over from Michael Ball after Michael left the Broadway run. Marcus was in the original ensemble of ASPECTS.
Re Carousel - it is a pity that no video or audio recording was made of the CAROUSEL concert at Carnegie Hall with Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald.
Jo
Re Carousel - it is a pity that no video or audio recording was made of the CAROUSEL concert at Carnegie Hall with Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald.
Jo
Updated On: 2/10/04 at 07:51 PM
#10
Posted: 2/10/04 at 7:58pm
I was fortunate enough to see "Carousel" in London prior to its being exported to the US. In the West End, it was a truly magical show, that while dark, was also mesmerizing.
I agree, the B'Way/Lincoln Center production was not as good. I think Sally Murphy was way too mousy, and as much as Audra was incredible, the London version had a black Mr. Snow, which seemed to work better than the other way round. Also, I think the Beaumont Stage overwhelmed the show and the actors.
I agree, the B'Way/Lincoln Center production was not as good. I think Sally Murphy was way too mousy, and as much as Audra was incredible, the London version had a black Mr. Snow, which seemed to work better than the other way round. Also, I think the Beaumont Stage overwhelmed the show and the actors.
#11
Posted: 2/10/04 at 8:00pm
Right you are jo! I saw Aspects too! Would have loved to have seen Marcus as "The Man" in Whistle. Marcus brought me back the souviner program from London. Now that's what I call a classy program.
Speaking of Carousel, any favorite Billy Bigelow's... anyone? It's a role lots of actors seem to have done and loved.
Speaking of Carousel, any favorite Billy Bigelow's... anyone? It's a role lots of actors seem to have done and loved.
www.pbentertainmentinc.com
BWW regional writer "Philadelphia/South Jersey"
#12
Posted: 2/10/04 at 9:54pm
The Papermill production of CAROUSEL with Matt Bogart was far superior in textured performance and emotional impact than the LCPA production. Matt had a great swagger and bluff, fantastic voice, very good actor, too. Michael Hayden completely fades from memory in this role, bland and not at all exuding masculinity. As for Ms. McDonald, not being at all a fan, I'll leave it said that she was in the LCPA production.
CAROUSEL is one of the greats of the American musical canon.
Yours for more magic of CAROUSEL on Broadway!
CAROUSEL is one of the greats of the American musical canon.
Yours for more magic of CAROUSEL on Broadway!
Updated On: 2/11/04 at 09:54 PM
#13
Posted: 2/11/04 at 9:56am
I agree with you BB about Carousel. Many people say 'blaaah' about it but it's a classy classic! I'm sure Matt Bogart was a good Billy. He was very happy about that role in his interview. I also beleive Brad Little(POTO) played an impressive Billy Bigelow, though I failed to ask him when and where. I've seen his soliloque live and it impressed me. Brad's another very talented, versitile leading man type.
www.pbentertainmentinc.com
BWW regional writer "Philadelphia/South Jersey"
#14
Posted: 2/11/04 at 12:45pm
I have appeared In Carousel before.. I played Enoch Jr. when I was 15. It is one of my favorite pieces. I will never forget a particular Sunday matinee.
At the finale of the piece, the entire cast is holding that last note as Billy slowly walks away and the lights are fading to black. We cut off and are not greeted by the usual applause of an audience, but by absolute dead silence for three seconds (the stage manager counted it according to her stopwatch that she used to track running time). The only sound you could hear in the theatre was faint sobbing. The lights came back up for our curtain call and the audiencs rose as one and gave us a standing ovation. It wasn't a trite "required" one at all. You could feel that is was genuine and that they had been very moved by the show. That was such a fulfilling moment.. one of the things we performers live for.
At the finale of the piece, the entire cast is holding that last note as Billy slowly walks away and the lights are fading to black. We cut off and are not greeted by the usual applause of an audience, but by absolute dead silence for three seconds (the stage manager counted it according to her stopwatch that she used to track running time). The only sound you could hear in the theatre was faint sobbing. The lights came back up for our curtain call and the audiencs rose as one and gave us a standing ovation. It wasn't a trite "required" one at all. You could feel that is was genuine and that they had been very moved by the show. That was such a fulfilling moment.. one of the things we performers live for.
Updated On: 2/11/04 at 12:45 PM
#15
Posted: 2/11/04 at 10:14pm
Great story BWG2.
CAROUSEL is a marvelous and magical piece of theatre art.
You have first hand perspective of its ability to move an audience.
Perhaps one of the reasons that it is such a terrific musical story is that by the time R&H wrote CAROUSEL they had already had decades of individual experience writing shows. Compare the with today's creators who write one or two shows (which rarely compare with the greats of the canon) and are instantly declared brilliant and genius. Lets forget that their show was a flop.
As with performers, there is little opportunity for all the creative contributors to practice and build their talent and craft.
We'll never see the likes of consistly high level of shows like CAROUSEL again because those that participate in creating them have no place to do so time after time.
Yours for more creative work on Broadway!
Broadway Bulldog
CAROUSEL is a marvelous and magical piece of theatre art.
You have first hand perspective of its ability to move an audience.
Perhaps one of the reasons that it is such a terrific musical story is that by the time R&H wrote CAROUSEL they had already had decades of individual experience writing shows. Compare the with today's creators who write one or two shows (which rarely compare with the greats of the canon) and are instantly declared brilliant and genius. Lets forget that their show was a flop.
As with performers, there is little opportunity for all the creative contributors to practice and build their talent and craft.
We'll never see the likes of consistly high level of shows like CAROUSEL again because those that participate in creating them have no place to do so time after time.
Yours for more creative work on Broadway!
Broadway Bulldog
Updated On: 2/11/04 at 10:14 PM
Tickets From $59
Tickets From $95
Tickets From $95
Tickets From $73