The 1993 Carousel Revival

[esparza 333]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 5:22pm

I have heard so many raves about this production but don't know much about it. I know Audra won her first tony and love Shirley Verrite's tony performance but I was wondering if any poster could go into detail about the production (design, performances). I have heard people compare it to Lincoln Center's production of South Pacific in the sense that it really had everything going for it. Any information you can provide would be helpful.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 6:19pm

OMG. I absolutely adored this production. I got to go see it on my very first trip to NYC when I was pretty young, but very into theatre.

Everything about the show really magically came together to create a really amazing experience. Michael Hayden, Sally Murphy, Audra, Fisher Stevens, Shirley, Eddie Korbich (so underrated for an amazing job here!) - the cast was top notch. Hytner brought his spot-on production to the states and it was beautifully received. The design was beyond outstanding. The show curtain alone - the ring of fire - is a stunning piece and Bob Crowley's explanation of his design choice there is equally fascinating. Crowley's designs were very stylized but they worked. It evoked Americana yet was able to quickly expose the "other side of the tracks" and the automation was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

I really could go on and on and on about this show. I absolutely adored it.

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 7:03pm

I have to agree with greens...a wonderful production of R&H (just as South Pacific was). Critics called it a once-in-a-lifetime production, and it was! I loved the stylized set. For the "Clambake" number, I remember the ensemble on a large green hill with a beautiful twilight blue sky behind them..and a giant moon I believe.

Prior to seeing this production, I had only thought of the show as a sappy R&H museum piece (thanks to the movie version). However, this production allowed the darker themes to surface, and the characters were fully realized. This approach worked very well in this revival, but doesn't always (like the last revival of OKLAHOMA).

I remember getting emotional at the final number. I was thinking 'I can't believe that I am crying at "You'll Never Walk Alone.' That's what a wonderful reinvention this production was.

[Almira]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 7:12pm

It was truly once in a lifetime.


Here is a thread you should check out:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?boardid=1&boardname=bway&thread=988929#3761363

Updated On: 11/19/10 at 07:12 PM

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 7:26pm

Thanks, Almira! lol Here are my thoughts from the Jan. 09 thread:

Saw the 94 revival which WAS breathtaking. The scenic design was simply brilliant. The realism of the acting against the stylized set worked really well. I cried at the final number. One of the highlights of my theater-going life.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 7:35pm

I was in the same boat as you, esparza, about a year and a half ago and so I created a thread on this very production:
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=988929#3837151

I've literally spent the last year on and off researching this production and its history.

Some highlights about the production (which I didn't get to see live, but did see the library recording as well as a bootleg):
-The Carousel Waltz was pure magic and undoubtedly ranks as one of the greatest staged pieces of musical theatre. Most productions start at the carnival in a one piece set. This production started at the mill (designed as a giant clock and a factory line of girls laboring mechanically with the music and Julie Jordan gazing at the roof), then when the carousel theme began, the bell ringed, the girls ran downstage to change out of their work clothes (a line of hats and jackets flew down), they then danced with each other in front of the mill gate (which had a giant circle on it),and twirled out, picking up their boyfriends at the boatyard. The boys did a wonderful cats cradle kind of maneuver with the planks of wood they were using to build a boat and then did a kind of jump rope with it and the girls. The turntable then turned and one by one we were seeing the attractions of the carnival come on as a slideshow as the mill girls and their boys made the rounds. First was an Uncle Sam on stilts, a bear and its tamer, tap dancing bearded ladies, a fire eater, a strong woman, a funhouse, a boxing match and then, finally the carousel. You didn't realize until the very last attraction that a crew of horses were making their way onto the turntable, finally assembled and just when Billy picks up Julie and puts her on her horse, the music swelled, a giant MULLINS CAROUSEL sign came down and the center piece of the carousel came down and opened like a giant umbrella. The turntable then turned and the ENTIRE stage was a carousel. Pure brilliance.
-"If I Loved You" was done without a bench. It was a giant green hill with a big yellow moon shining down from above and in the distance a church on a hill. There was a lot more physicality in this entire scene (right from Julie and Carrie's entrance) to the final chords of "IF I Loved You."
-Heaven was perceived as a much colder place, with everyone in Amish attire and reading bibles that lit in their faces.
-The ballet had two sections, first was the beach where Louise was with her friends. The second was when her friends decide to visit the remains of the old Mullins carousel, where the rest of the ballet took place.
-The dancing and the scenery were extraordinary. Bob Crowley made a great deal of use out of backdrops and simple set pieces. Most scenes only had one or two slid on set pieces, the rest were backdrops. The entire design had the theme of circles (the crimson circle on the curtain, the giant clock, the circle on the mill gate, the carousel, the green hill, the moon-which played a HUGE part of the production, the view of Earth and of course the turntable). Kenneth MacMillan's choreography had a great deal of energy and sexuality to it. It just burst off the stage (or in my case, the screen).
-Social structure played a HUGE part. You very aware of Julie and Billy's social standing in society (that being white trash).
-Audra McDonald shattered everyone's perception of Carrie. Before, she had always been played as an annoying, prissy bimbo bordering on mentally handicapped. Audra gave her sass and PLENTY of dry wit. Her Carrie had a great deal of spunk and vitality, which we saw stripped away 16 years later when she was married with 9 children and became a bitter ice queen.
-The casting of this production was very controversial. There was the issue of colorblind casting (many were not happy with this) and, of course, the age old debate of Michael Hayden. Fewer people disagree on Sally Murphy's Julie Jordan (her voice was stronger than Hayden's and despite everything, she completely broke your heart), but she is still a debatable piece of casting to some people. Hayden disappointed many because he lacked the operatic singing voice of John Raitt. On good days (as was the day they filmed the production for Lincoln Center), Hayden had a very pleasant sounding, if not dominating singing voice that worked well for "If I Loved You" if not on all of "Soliloquy." BUT, he brought a great deal of sexual charisma to the part as well as boy-ish quality that really emphasized Billy's frantic feeling of being lost and pressured. The dynamic between Julie and Billy post-"If I Loved You" was almost that of a mother and son, rather than battered wife and meathead husband.
-The production probably would have run longer had it actually not been produced by LCT. It had done extraordinary business its entire run, selling out almost every performance, but LCT was fearful of the oncoming January-March draught because they were nonprofit and Carousel had a high running cost. This was 16 years ago and while they were certainly VEry successful by that point, they didn't as large a pile of cash to pull out for slow weeks.
-A big reason for the production transferring to the states was Frank Rich. The London production opened at the National Theatre (with Hayden) in late 1992 to raves the likes of which we rarely see. Rich saw it and raved about it even more than the London papers. Nearly every review he wrote that following year mentioned Carousel and how Broadway productions weren't measuring up. There were some rights issues getting the production transferred to the West End, where it opened about 6 months after it closed at the National (to a much smaller theatre, losing cast members and scaling down set pieces). Finally, the buzz was just so great that Broadway almost demanded to have it. It was one of the highest anticipated productions that season, with every available theatre vying for it. Hytner and Cameron Mackintosh who helped financed it) decided on the Beaumont and working with LCT.

You wouldn't believe it now, because it's surprisingly not talked about a lot, but it was a bit of a controversial production. Most of it had to do with the casting and some of it had to do with the approach. A lot of purists felt that Hytner had put on his own concept of darkness to the piece, but many others thought that Hytner had actually brought out the darkness that always was a part of Carousel. For better and worse, it was a revival that really changed how the theatre perceives older musicals. It was what started the "let's find the darker side" to golden age musicals, but no "dark" revival following it has been able to match Carousel.

EDIT: Almira beat me to the link!

Updated On: 11/19/10 at 07:35 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 8:49pm

I only had one real complaint with this version - a small change to the narrative of the ballet which completely changed the meaning:

In the original De Mille staging, Louise basically offers herself to the Carnival Boy, but he rejects her (she is too young, I guess). She is left alone, feeling unloved, then the Snow Family arrives on the scene.

In the revival staging, the Carnival Boy is ready and eager to make love to her, when the Snow Family interrupts them. He runs off.

The original symbolized Louise's belief that her father essentially deserted her and her mother. The revival version blames society for the loss of her father.

[Contributor]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:44pm

Read what Eddie Korbich (Mr. Snow) had to say about it:
(last few paragraphs of this story)

https://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/article/Eddie_Korbich_Like_a_Phoenix_20051217_page1

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 10:47pm

Here is an article from the New York Times when Marcus Lovett was hired as an emergency replacement for Billie Bigelow.


Carousel's Marcus Lovett

[tellybox]

Posted: 11/20/10 at 2:29pm

I wish there were videos of the Carousel Waltz. It sounds incredibly moving.

[mallardo]

Posted: 11/20/10 at 3:21pm

The whole show was incredibly moving - as it should be. Poor Michael Hayden got slated by some for not being John Raitt but I loved him and Sally Murphy. They had wonderful chemistry and made that heartbreaking relationship powerful and true.

[ErikInTheCity]

Posted: 11/20/10 at 3:30pm

Another favorite bit of staging in this revival (aside from what has been mentioned) is the ending of the first act. Soliloquy took place on a long pier stretching from upstage left to downstage right, a forced perspective lighthouse sitting upstage left. After Soliloquy, the cast came down the pier with little red boats, got in and the turntable rotated as the pier was pulled offstage from the upstage left corner, creating the illusion of the boats sailing off to the clambake. The lights went black on a final bump in the orchestration. Perfection.

I also loved the use of the blue box the show took place within. Rather than using typical side masking, the physical production utilized blue sliders perpendicular to the audience, almost like the bamboo curtains of Saigon. These would slide open and scenic elements would slide in and out. I loved this idea of the characters being trapped within their own reality/world.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 1:42am

I used to have an Opening Night Live in L.A. special of that production, which featured extensive interviews with theatre critics, cast members, relatives of R&H, and lots of video clips. Unfortunately, it apparently infringed on copyright and was removed twice from my previous 2 accounts. This is why I have next to nothing up currently on my 3rd account--too worried I'll be removed again. lol.

I saw that production and loved it. However, I liked the recent production by Reprise! at the Freud Playhouse in L.A. so much more.

[Sean2]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 3:26am

I was at the opening night of 'Carousel' when it premiered at the National Theatre. One of the most extraordinary nights I've ever had in the theatre.

[chiuptown]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 6:35am

Thank you all for the incredibly informative posts. It jarred my memory. I was in the park one day with a friend, who said he thought he would go over to Lincoln Center for the matinee. I said I wasn't really interested, but would go. That production, and everything about it, was (and still is) the most memorable time I've had at the theatre. Stunning.

[matineeidol2013]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 9:48am

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9E0CEFD61E3CF934A25751C1A964958260

a link to Frank Rich's review of the National Production =D

[sparrman]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 1:29pm

Hayden doesn't have to sing like John Raitt, but he does have to sing on pitch, and he didn't the night I saw it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 1:46pm

"Hayden doesn't have to sing like John Raitt, but he does have to sing on pitch, and he didn't the night I saw it."

He didn't the night I saw it either. He was really struggling to get to the end of "Soliloquy".

1994 and 1995 were crappy years. We had Hayden trying to sing "Carousel" and Boyd Gaines trying to sing "Company". Neither one of them were suited to sing the score.

[BruceWayne5148]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 2:56pm

My Oh My- That video was one of my favorites on youtube. I wish I had downloaded it while it was still up. I search for it every now and then in hopes it will appear. I especially loved John Raitt and Patrick Wilson singing together.

It's such a shame there's not more documentation of this beautiful production for us youngsters.

[daredevil]

Posted: 11/21/10 at 5:19pm

I saw the show on a Wednesday matinee in September, about 6 months into the run. Marcus Lovett was playing Billy, and he was great---had nice chemistry with Sally Murhphy throughout the show.
Some interesting cast changes, Audra was out, but her understudy, the late (and extremely talented) Lovette George, played Carrie. She was quite wonderful, quirky and energetic---a very warm performance. Also, David Warshovsky, who had replaced (I am blocking his name) was Jigger. He was quite remarkable, very intense and focused. It was a very solid performance; I am not sure that I share everyone's passion for the production, but I do agree that the idea was to take Billy away from the "stolid leading man" type, and make him more of a wild boy. All in all a meaningful afternoon in the theater.

[mallardo]

Posted: 11/22/10 at 5:03am

Fisher Stevens was the original Jigger in the production.

[bryan2]

Posted: 11/22/10 at 10:00am

I hated this production. Carousel need a strong male singer -there is no debating this and no excuse not to have one. Audra was out the night I went as she was a lot in this show..the theater itself is like a airline hanger it was all painted blue ...very strange
Michael Hayden was ok as an actor but when you basically talk sing these songs it is like having Emile in South Pacific not be able to sing..it ruined on of my favorite shows..I was soooo dissapinted they said it was a "darker" version why because the lead could not sing..stupid
But i got to sit next to secretary from the Bob Newhart show
she hated it too LOL

[bryan2]

Posted: 11/22/10 at 10:00am

I hated this production. Carousel need a strong male singer -there is no debating this and no excuse not to have one. Audra was out the night I went as she was a lot in this show..the theater itself is like a airline hanger it was all painted blue ...very strange
Michael Hayden was ok as an actor but when you basically talk sing these songs it is like having Emile in South Pacific not be able to sing..it ruined on of my favorite shows..I was soooo dissapinted they said it was a "darker" version why because the lead could not sing..stupid
But i got to sit next to secretary from the Bob Newhart show
she hated it too LOL

[Jon]

Posted: 11/22/10 at 10:26am

Strangely enough, it was Fisher Stevens, with his earring, leather pants, and gravelly singing voice, who emerged as the sex symbol of the show (at least that was the consensus of several women in the cast, based on what their girlfriends had told them after seeing it). At the time, he was basically known as "the guy from Short Circuit" or "the nerdy guy who dated Michelle Feiffer".

Now, he's "Oscar winner Fisher Stevens" (he produced an Oscar winning documentary).

[wickedfan]

Posted: 11/22/10 at 10:31am

Wow. I respect your opinion, but half of that was just blindly ignorant. People considered it darker because "the lead could not sing?" Yeah, that's EXACTLY why. You hit the nail on the head.

No one said Hayden was a strong singer. He was wildly inconsistent. He had good nights and he had really bad nights. For some people, that was a dealbreaker. I prefer someone who can act rather than sing. It'd be great to have someone who can do both, but you rarely find that. I'm sorry, but that's just my preference. I saw the London revival recently where the Billy could sing and act like John Raitt (meaning he had a gorgeous voice but was as interesting as a plank of wood). Of a 2 hour 45 minute musical, I was distracted from his awful acting during the total 20 minutes that he sang. The rest of the 2 hours and 25 minutes I had to deal with him talking. If that's the Billy you want, then go for it.

Hayden's acting was beautiful. His Billy was complex and tortured. Even if you didn't root for his Billy, you at least understood him. That's a feat most actors who have played Billy (and I'm including Raitt and Gordon MacRae) have not been able to do.

On a side note, it's interesting where we stand now in accepting actors' vocal performances. CZJ sang "Send in the Clowns" like a lounge singer, Alice Ripley's voice was on the verge of extinction throughout all of Next to Normal, and when LaChanze was actually IN The Color Purple, she was screaming more than she was actually singing. And yet, all three won Tony Awards for those performances. Just something to think about.