"Soliloquy" from Carousel

I was discussing “Carousel” with a friend last night, and when we were talking about “Soliloquy” she mentioned she even knew the story about why the girls verse was added to the song.

I have to admit, I thought I knew my R&H, but if there’s a story there about Soliloquy, I’ve never heard it. I know I should have asked this friend just what she meant by that, but I’m supposed to be the one who Knows All about theatre. So I didn’t (I know, very very lame).

I know there are some extra verses that sometimes aren’t performed, but I would have thought the basic format of the song (boy vs. girl) was the way it is from the beginning.

So….anyone? IS there a story like that about Soliloquy? (and in this case, Google is NOT my friend. )

---

This is very interesting but of all the songs ever written by R&H this one foreshadows the subsequent events more than any other. It is incomprehensible to me that those two geniuses would not have made the female verse part of the original song from the very beginning.

If I'm wrong, I'd also love to know.

It's true. Early in the writing proceedure Hammerstein wrote the lyric "My Boy Bill" but Rodgers, a proud father of two daughters asked Hammerstein to expand it to include the possibility that Julie might give birth to a girl. So, a 3 minute song grew into the famous 7-minute Soliloquy.

The missing verse ("When I Have a Daughter...") was cut prior to Broadway but restored for the original cast recording (the Soliloquy was given two 78-Rpm sides and with the extra time available, Rodgers restored the section.) As far as I know it is not in the published score nor has it ever been performed in any of the Broadway revivals.

---

Wow, that's fascinating to know.

---

Yes, the lyric (which follows the line "A kind o' sweet and petite little tintype of her mother, what a pair!) is :

When I have a daughter
I'll Stand around in Barrooms
Oh! How I'll boast and Blow!

Friends'll see me comin'
And empty all the barrooms
Through ev'ry door they'll go.

Weary of hearin'
Day after day
The same old things that I always say.

My Little girl... (ETC)

(This was replaced by the spoken line: "I Can just hear myself braggin' about her!")

On the original recording, the first side of the record ended with the line "My Kid ain't even been born yet!" Then you had to flip it to get the rest of the number. A 12-inch 78-rpm record could only hold about 5 minutes per side. CAROUSEL was originally issued as a set of five 12-inch records. This is why the middle section of The Carousel Waltz is missing and why the famous bench scene is reduced to just the main "If I Loved You" section. This album is out on CD on the Decca Broadway label.

Noice how most of the songs arearound 4 1/2 minutes.

Originally "Blow High Blow Low" (1:25) and "A Real Nice Clambake" (2:25) were together on one side. Decca Broadway put the numbers back in show order for the CD.


CAROUSEL OBCR

---

Updated On: 5/30/08 at 12:02 PM

Yes, thanks for sharing

---