Carousel

Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics). The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline. The story revolves around carousel barker Billy Bigelow (Nicholas McGough), whose romance with millworker Julie Jordan (Tizane McEvoy) comes at the price of both their jobs. He attempts a robbery to provide for Julie and their unborn child; when it goes wrong, he is thrust heavenward and given the chance to return to earth to make things right. A secondary plot line deals with millworker Carrie Pipperidge (Zaverr Doctor) and her romance with ambitious fisherman Enoch Snow (Kieran Maskell), who are destined to come as close to ''happily ever after'' as ''Carousel'' allows.

First performed in 1945, Carousel was a phenomenal hit, running for almost 900 performances. Critics hail it as Rogers and Hammerstein’s best work. Time magazine named it the best musical of the 20th century. Composer Richard Rogers declared that Carouselwas his personal favorite.

As the music begins and the curtains open on the stage at Playhouse Theatre’s opening night of Carousel we are immediately transported to the fairground in Maine, with the revolving carousel with authentic horses created by Kate Lang and Julie Dyson completed by picture perfect doll-like children taking the audiences breath away with ohhs and ahhs.

The crowd scenes are a joy to watch with the chorus gloriously "bustin' out all over" to the well-structured dance sequences thanks to the choreography of Clayton Curnow in elaborate vibrant costumes with swing skirts and boaters.

Pauline Vella’s production boasts some outstanding performances.  Tizane McEvoy as Julie Jordan is beautifully focused hitting the notes with ease in a well-developed and believable portrayal.   Zaverr Doctor as Carrie Pipperidge, was as required, funny, touching and charming.  Nicholas McGough played the troubled anti-hero Billy Bigelow sympathetically, though at times not yet quite convincingly: we need to understand exactly why Julie falls for him in that first brief encounter.  Zane Fleming's articulates the devilish sly lowlife Jigger superbly and Delwynne Winter (Nettie) sang “You'll Never Walk Alone” with grandeur and warmth bringing an overwhelming emotional charge that brought tears to my eyes.

The sequence in heaven, when Billy has a chance to redeem himself, remains odd and a strange element but that is a weakness of the book, not this staging.  However it is brought to life by the highlight of this production; the ballet performed with precision and dedication by Aimee Gray as the troubled teenage daughter Louise accompanied by Cameron Clayton bringing to life the cycle of domestic violence. 

Not without a few opening night jitters and technical issues namely the sound balance which meant often the dialogue and vocals were missed marring the audiences ability the follow the plot in what is an extremely long show. Whilst the decision to use an orchestra backing ensured the orchestration demands of this piece were met it did not allow for the piece to have cuts required to sharpening of the overall pace and streamline the length of the production.

Though it may end on a note of spiritual uplift, Carousel is memorable for finding the pain and the pleasure in the kind of love that will never run smooth.

Emma Bishop

Images: Carrie Pipperidge (Zaverr Doctor) & Julie Jordan (Tizane McEvoy); Nettie Fowler (Delwynne Winter ) & Julie Jordan (Tizanne McEvoy), and Louise Biggelow (Aimee Gray) - John Ferguson Photography.