Conversation so far:
What was act 1 of the musical Carousel about?
Two young female millworkers in 1873 Maine visit the town's carousel after work. One of them, Julie Jordan, attracts the attention of the barker, Billy Bigelow.
What was interesting about act 1 of the musical Carousel?
Ethan Mordden described the opening: R & H not only skipped the overture but the exposition as well. They plunged into the most intense first scene any musical ever had.
Are there any other interesting aspects about the Wikipedia article for the musical Carousel?
The 1945 work was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline.

Question: Was the musical popular?
Self-contained rewrite: Was the musical Carousel popular?