Carousel - 1993 London Cast Recording
This marvelous 1993 London revival breathes new life into an old warhorse, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II'sCarousel. The voices of Joanna Riding as Julie Jordan and Michael Hayden as Billy Bigelow (a role he reprised in the1994 Broadway production) might not have the sheer beauty of Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae on themovie soundtrack, but they sound younger, thereby making this story of doomed romance more poignant and believable. This is especially true in "If I Loved You," which unfolds over a mesmerizing 11 and a half minutes as the pair tries in vain to convince themselves that they are not in love. This generous 79-minute recording includes all the other gems of the score, including the fabulous prologue ("The Carousel Waltz"), Billy's ode to his impending parenthood ("Soliloquy"), the inspiring anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone," and even the second-act ballet music and bits of connecting dialogue. In fact, listening to this CD is like spending a night at the theater. What else could you ask from a cast recording?--David Horiuchi