The CAROUSEL Appreciation Thread

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:04pm

One of the best musicals ever, I do believe.
I love Carousel sooo much.

I recently wrote a letter to Shirley Jones stating my love for her work in all of the movie musicals she starred in once upon a time, and she replied in a wonderful, personal letter ending with: "You'll Never Walk Alone, Shirley Jones" handwritten.

Now for my love of The Broadway Shirley Jones" as I like to call her, though not completely accurate, I know I know:
(((((!!Barbara Cook!!)))))

Agh. A beautifully talented woman. My favorite description of her voice is...I forget who should be thanked for this quote, but if anyone knows, thanks are due: "silvery soprano"

:)

Now for the CAROUSEL section:

Favorite Songs? Mine are "Mister Snow", "Soliloquy", and "You'll Never Walk Alone". I believe this is one of the many great scores for any musical.

EXCEPT FOR ONE SONG: "A Real Nice Clambake"....The song was originally written as "A Real Nice Hayride" for Oklahoma!, but was cut and reworked for CAROUSEL.
i wish they hadn't. It is not horrible, just...repetetive and pointless.


THOUGHTS!!!

-d.b.j-

Updated On: 9/3/04 at 05:04 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:14pm

I'm not wild about Shirley Jones, but I do love the score of Carousel. "If I Loved You," "The Carousel Waltz"- all of it is just great. And the "Soliloquy"- wow. Even if Jean Darling's voice on the OBC makes me want to break something. :)

[kec]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:22pm

I've only seen the film once or twice, and I really regret not being able to see the concert performance with Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald. But I do love a few of the songs from the show -- "If I Loved You" and "Soliloqy." As Plum says about the latter -- wow! I heard Hugh do a small portion of it on Inside the Actor's Studio, and really wished he would have done more. "You'll Never Walk Alone"... oh boy, that song chokes me up every time...

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:28pm

having down this show before, I can honestly state that when done well, this show can have SUCH power over an audience.

[zbigner]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:44pm

This reminds me of a thread several months ago about "Best Composers Ever" or something like that. It took over a dozen posts before somebody (me) mentioned Richard Rodgers. Anybody who doesn't put him among the best composers, Broadway or otherwise, of the 20th century should be forced to listen to the Prologue to Carousel until they come to their senses.

Thanks for reminding us that there were Broadway shows before Rent.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:47pm

Nick Hytner's production for NT/LCT a few years ago was an absolutely stunning production. One of the most effectively and creative way to stage an overture. And brought Shirley Verrett back to the stage and introduced me to the wonders that is Audra McDonald...

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:50pm

Rodgers and Hammerstein said the CAROUSEL was their favorite musical. It is a strange, wonderful journey. If we could just detour around that damn clambake!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:52pm

the revival was STUNNING.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 5:54pm

The building of the carousel during the Carousel Waltz... And that representation of Heaven as that blue room? Wow.

[mallardo]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 6:51pm

Yes, STUNNING is the word. I was a wreck by the time the houselights came up.

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 8:38pm

is this the one about the wife-beater who falls on his own knife?

[Plum]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 8:39pm

How eloquent, Marquise.

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 8:40pm

[bythesword84]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 9:12pm

I love Carousel, maybe because I did a production of it in High School, but I don't like the movie at all. It really bothers me that Blow High, Blow Low isn't in the movie.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 9:13pm

I have only seen the movie and I was BORED TO TEARS. I like the music but OMG, I kept finding reasons to turn it off.

[Plum]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 9:17pm

Bleh, don't trust those old movies of R&H musicals.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 9:26pm

Plum is right. Very right.

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 9:33pm

I LOVE CAROUSEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By far my favorite R & H show with King and I coming in a close second. I don't know what it is. I just love it. I am so glad this thread is here.

[magruder]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 9:33pm

The film of Carousel does the unthinkable, and blows the entire premise within the first five minutes. The show is easily my favorite of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but I think even Flower Drum Song makes a more satisfying film than Carousel.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 10:52pm

I loved most of the revival - I've known Sally Murphy since she was in high school (yes, 25 years ago).

I had one big problem with the new staging of the ballet. In the original, Louise basically offers herself to the Carnival Boy, and he turns her down - she is too young and innocent. he leaves her feeling alone and unwanted. In the revival, he is actually starting to make love to her when the Snow children arrive and chase him away. I htink this very changes the message. The original says "my daddy deserted me". The new version says "society took my daddy from me".

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 11:20pm

Has anyone seen the ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon for NYC Ballet, using the score? Comments?

[MusicMan]

Posted: 9/3/04 at 11:37pm

Sure, the clambake song in and of itself may be passe but its greater function is to re-establish the community in Act Two (as JUNE IS BUSTIN' OUT ALL OVER does in Act One)and present the tight-knit society from which Billy and, later, his daughter, outsiders both, are estranged.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 9/4/04 at 4:40am

Did you know that Clambacke wasn't written for Carousel but was from Oklahoma. It was taken out during previews and used later in Carousel. Changing Picnic to Clambake

[MusicalDirector109]

Posted: 9/4/04 at 9:56am

"Carousel" is a BRILLIANT musical and my favorite R and H work. The recent revival was a beautiful production. Another great musical that doesn't run as long as it should.

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/4/04 at 10:08am

The Nicholas Hytner version presented at Lincoln Center rekindled my waning interest in Broadway.
To my mind it is still the most stunning stage production I have even seen. (The recent NINE comes very, very close.)