Carrie in Carousel--Spoiler Warning!!!!!!!!!- Page 2

[chinto1984]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 4:08pm

Because the show centers more on Julie and Billy, the Snows relationship is not as detailed as Julie and Billy. Carrie and Enoch are not "enlightend" with their emotions and that is mainly because they are not the stars. The Snows represent institutions of their society. The way who had a family and presented your wealth and stature. I never got the fact that Enoch loved Carrie as Billy loved Julie. Enoch seemed to want Carrie because she fit his dream, and Carrie liked it as well. It doesn't mean they are not in love, but their marriage is coventional.

[Kalimba]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 4:39pm

I always looked at Julie and Billie's relationship as one of co-dependence and enabling.

[jo]

Posted: 8/16/07 at 6:40pm

And considering that CAROUSEL was written in the middle of the 20th century, an anti-hero type like Billy Bigelow was quite a daring character, especially in a musical.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 11:30am

First, thank you to everyone who reminded us to consider the time when the musical was written. To apply todays norms and mores, is to take the piece drastically out of context. It was written in a time when marriages almost always were 'til death do us part', regardless, and the Snows were there to establish the standard to give us the basis to acknowledge the unconventional.

This thread also calls to mind another all too common problem. The dream ballets in shows like this and Oklahoma are usually the first thing that community and school directors all too often hack or cut completely. This discussion reminds us of how important story elements are lost when this occurs. Oh, and if you DO include a dream ballet, it's really not necessary to have your cast tug and wiggle the cyclorama to make things look wavy and dreamy. Seriously. Please don't. You know who you are. That's why God made scrims.

[Calvin]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 11:33am

Adding a bunch of frivolous harp arpeggios is fine, however.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:12pm

OK, I'll bite - what's a cyclorama?

[Calvin]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:14pm

The scenery curtain at the back of the set.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:23pm

Thanks, Calvin. Is that what it's really called? I've never heard of that.

[Jon]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 1:45pm

The cyclorama is usually pale blue (and sometimes called a "sky cyc) and often is on a curved track so it wraps partially around the sides as well as covering the back of the stage.

It can be either made of canvas fabric, or may now be made of transluscent plastic, so it can be used for rear projection.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 4:40pm

I read in a book about R&H's shows that Mr. Snow represents the society that causes Billy's downfall. I always sort of wondered why that was (note that I haven't seen the show performed live.)

[chinto1984]

Posted: 8/17/07 at 5:59pm

I agree with all these past comments. The time when Liliom was written and takes place and the time when R&H wrote the muscial also need to be considered. The idea of what the Snows represent is not necessarily describing Enoch but his character is used to represent society.