Carousel in 1994

[wiggum2]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 4:32pm

Hi
I've read about the 94 Lincoln Center revival of Carousel being totally re-imagined. What was different about this version and the original? Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

[Jon]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 5:55pm

Well, let's start with the entire prologue being different: In the original, it all took place at the carnival. In the revival here's what happened (using the exact same music):

The curtain went up to reveal a row of girls, including Carrie and Julie, woring at their looms at the mill, with Mr. Bascombe watching over them. A large clock overhead strikes five, anf the girls all jump up tsake of their work smocks, get their hats and dance off through the gates of the mill. As they walk down the road they meet some young men who are reparing a boat. Finally, they arrive at the carnival and the carousel appears. The carousel is actually created onstage by having eight chorus members each roll in an individual horse and put it in position on the revoilving stage. Then a sort of giant umbrella thing flies down from above and opens up, forming the center column and the roof, all covered with lights. The stage strarts to revolve, and the carouisel is in motion.

Basically, they took the essential action - Billy meeting Julie, Mrs. Mullins being jealous - and squeezed it into the second half of the "Carousel Waltz", adding new action to the first half to establish locale and mood.

There were many other changes - the multi-ethnic cast, new chreography for the ballet, and harsher, less "folksy" version of heaven, the depiction of Billy as a boyish punk rather than a swaggering man, the depiction of Carrie as a sassy smart aleck rather than an airheaded ditz, etc.

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 6:09pm

Is the 1994 recording worth purchasing?
-d.b.j-

[Glebb]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 6:13pm

Thanks for describing it Jon. Gives me chills to think about it.
This is the show that rekindled my love for Broadway.

And yes NuggetMonkeys, the recording is worth it.
One word - Audra!

[Justice]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 6:10pm

Yes! Especially to hear Audra's beautiful rendition of "Mister Snow"

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 6:17pm

I ADORE that song.
-d.b.j-

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 6:17pm

Definitely worth the money. Audra and Sally were wonderful.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 6:25pm

Yes, it was a very special production. Please note that wehn the carousel was created onstage, there were chaser lights throughout the auditorium that created the illusion that the entire theater was the carousel.

Sadly, I felt that Michael Hayden (who I've seen do much better work since) and the female lead were totally lackluster. The female was so bland that I had trouble finding her during the graduation scene. Audra was wonderful. So was Shirley Verrett.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 7:10pm

Dollypop:
The female lead was Sally Murphy ("A Man of No Importance", "The Wild Party", "Fiddler on the Roof", the upcoming "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" at Encores!). I thought that she was terrific and robbed of a Tony nomination.

[Jon]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 7:46pm

Hayden was also robbed of a nomination. Unfortunately there are a lot of "opera queens" out there who think it is essential for Billy to have a huge, booming baritone.

Sally Murphy is an old friend of mine. I talked to her right after she was cast as Julie. She said the director was definitely more interested in strong acting than huge voices.

By the way, it's prety amazing that Sally is still playine ingenue roles at 41!

[Glebb]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 7:55pm

Sally Murphy started with Steppenwolf Theatre.
I think she was in their production of GRAPES OF WRATH that also went to Broadway.

[eslgr8]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 8:32pm

Thank you Jon for reminding me of that extraordinary opening number. I have never been as moved as I was when I saw the touring company perform this reinvisioned Carousel at the Ahamanson in LA. I've seen two other traditional productions since and blah... When people say that Carousel is overrated, I wish they could have experienced this revival. It should never be done traditionally again! And by the way, Billy Bigelow in the tour was PATRICK WILSON, who was a Billy liked I've never seen before. Just wonderfu!

[Glebb]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 8:50pm

Saw it at Lincoln Center and at the Music Center (Ahmanson).
Loved Hytners realization of the show.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 8:55pm

Sally's 41!!!!!!!!!
She still looks 25!
In both "Fiddler" and "Man", I would have sworn she was just out of college!
I simply can't believe it!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/22/05 at 9:40pm

What was great about the revival was that it was visually interesting to look at. I agree with Dollypop that I didn't think the leads were that strong. Audra was great as Carrie. She was played more demanding and shrewish.

The Heaven scene was costumed in a puritanical way. (Think of costumes from The Crucible.) The people were very quiet and solemn and I thought (by I might be mistaken) that in the background there was solemn music (like at a funeral parlor). Stage left there was a column of drawers and when they give the star to Billy to take to Earth, the star is pulled out of one of the drawers. If I remember correctly, the star was more like a light bulb rather than a star.

The Blow High, Blow Low number took place in a dive bar.