Carousel :: Rodgers & Hammerstein :: Show Details Carousel Background The Theatre Guild, a theatrical producing organization which flourished on Broadway from the early ‘20s for over half a century, hit upon successful formula of turning a few of its classic plays into classics of musical theatre. Their production of Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS was based on their production of DuBose Heyward’s PORGY; likewise, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA! was based on Lynn Rigg’s GREEN GROWN THE LILACS. In 1921 The Guild presented the American premiere of a new play called LILIOM by the renowned Hungarian playwright, Ferenc Molnar. Benjamin Glaser was the translator (although a fascinating and never-proven rumor has suggested that an early translation of LILIOM was provided by Rodgers’ first partner, Lorenz Hart), and Eva Le Gallienne created the role of Julie to Joseph Schidkraut’s portrayal of the title role. LILIOM was a critical and popular success for the Guild; set on the outskirts of Budapest, its mix of whimsy and pathos, tragedy and fantasy, hit a chord with the American public.

The Guild knew they had a winner; more than that, they felt its potential could be further exploited. A preliminary request to Molnar that LILIOM be musicalized, following on the heels of PORGY AND BESS, was rejected; but a subsequent proposal, this time fresh on the heels of OKLAHOMA! and with the understanding that the authors of that musical adaptation would tackle this one as well, met with Molnar’s approval. LILIOM could sing, if Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote the score. However, there was yet another problem, this time on the American side of the equation: in 1945, at the height of World War II and the Nazi occupation of Europe, Budapest was not a romantic of uncontroversial setting for a musical. If LILIOM were to work, it would have to be relocated, and Rodgers and Hammerstein were reticent to do so. Theatre Guild producer Theresa Helburn suggested a New Orleans setting, with Liliom becoming a tough and exotic Creole character.

Hammerstein demurred on the grounds that his lyrics, always rife with dialect of the setting they were placed in, would be riddled with so many “ze’s” and “zose’s” as to make the songs sound like so manu buzz saws. Helburn was determined not to let the idea go, and she persisted. It was Richard Rodgers who came up with the concept of New England in the late 19th century—and suddenly the idea fell into place. While visions of clambakes and fishing boats danced in their heads, the authors went to work. The very first song they wrote for the score was the most daunting—Billy’s powerful and insightful “Soliloquy.” As daring as anything in the groundbreaking OKLAHOMA!, this number provided character, story, passion and heartfelt emotion—in an unprecedented eight-minute solo.

After the “Soliloquy” everything fell into place: the upbeat choral numbers ( “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “This Was a Real Nice Clambake”), the love songs (“If I Loved You,” “When I Marry Mister Snow,” “What’s the Use of Wond’rin,” and “When the Children are Asleep,”) and the haunting and inspirational “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” CAROUSEL proved that the extraordinary innovations of OKLAHOMA! were no one-time fluke; the opening scuttled the traditional overture and replaced it with a lush “Carousel Waltz” joined by a storied prologue in mime; and this was followed by the now-classic “Beach Scene” in which dialogue and snatched of song we intermingled to breathtaking effects. CAROUSEL shared with OKLAHOMA! its stellar creative team: authors Rodgers & Hammerstein of course, and director (Rouben Mamoulian) and choreographer (Agnes de Mille.) After tryouts in New Haven and Boston, CAROUSEL opened at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre on April 19, 1945, where it ran for 890 performances.

While not the spectacular success the OKLAHOMA! was, CAROUSEL managed to do the impossible—follow a mammoth success and stand on its own right. Audiences in the throes of World War II could not help but be moved by the story of a young widow raising a child without its father. The final scene, in which Bill comes back to Earth spiritually and reaches out to Julie and their daughter Louise, was played before countless war widows, parents, children and siblings who had lost a loved one overseas. The effect of CAROUSEL and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is haunting, to this day. The original Broadway cast featured John Raitt as Billy, Jan Clayton as Julie, and Jean Darling as Carrie. Winner of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award as Best Musical of 1945, the Broadway run was quickly followed by a two year national tour, as well as countless productions throughout the world. In 1950, CAROUSEL premiered at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it played for 566 performances, and in 1956 the motion picture version, starring Gordon MacRae as Billy and Shirley Jones as Julie, was released.

Written By: Bert Fink OKLAHOMA!, the first musical Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote together, wasn’t a mere success: it was a phenomenon. An artistic triumph that changed the course of musical theatre, it shattered box office records when it opened in 1943, outran every show before it, held Broadway's longevity crown for fifteen years, and launched the Rodgers & Hammerstein partnership as Broadway's Golden Team in Broadway’s Golden Era. Inevitably the question arose: what could possibly follow OKLAHOMA!? In his autobiography Rodgers recalls the sage advice he received from film mogul Sam Goldwyn: "This is such a wonderful show!" Goldwyn bubbled. "You know what you should do next? Shoot yourself!" Fortunately Rodgers & Hammerstein had other ideas in mind. Their first assignment after OKLAHOMA! was a new work in another medium altogether—writing the score for a movie musical called STATE FAIR (1945), a charming depiction of homespun Americana that introduced "It Might as Well Be Spring," the Academy Award winner for Best Song of the Year. Still, Hollywood was only a detour on the return to Broadway.

As with OKLAHOMA!, it was Rodgers & Hammerstein’s producers, Lawrence Langner and Theresa Helburn of The Theatre Guild, who provided the team with the source for their next musical. In two previous, successful instances Helburn and Langner had recycled Guild plays into Guild musicals (turning PORGY into PORGY AND BESS, and GREEN GROW THE LILACS into OKLAHOMA!). Now, the Guild wanted Rodgers & Hammerstein to make a musical out of LILIOM. Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnar’s elaborate fantasy had its American premiere under the auspices of the Theatre Guild, in a 1921 production translated by Benjamin F. Glazer that starred Joseph Schildkraut in the title role and Eva Le Gallienne as Julie. The property was rich with musical potential, but before it could be transformed Helburn and Langner had to convince not only their skeptical American authors, but also their Hungarian one. Molnar had already turned down several requests to turn LILIOM into an opera. And he was ready to resist again, until, at the Guild's invitation, he attended a performance of OKLAHOMA! and was instantly won over.

LILIOM could sing, he decreed, if Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote the score. But Rodgers & Hammerstein had their doubts too. It was not the themes of domestic violence and fateful tragedy in LILIOM that deterred the authors—in fact these issues only served to whet their appetite for challenging work—but the play's locale: Budapest, Hungary. In 1944 Budapest was ravaged by war and setting a play there would only compete with the headlines or, worse, seem exploitative. If a musical of LILIOM were to work, they concluded, it would have to be relocated, and Rodgers and Hammerstein were reluctant to do so. Helburn suggested a New Orleans setting, with Liliom turned into a tough and exotic Creole character. Oscar Hammerstein II demurred on the grounds that his lyrics, which were always steeped in the dialect of their locale, would become riddled with the "ze's" and "zose's" of the Creole accent and end up sounding like a chorus of buzz saws. But then Richard Rodgers came up with the concept of New England in the late 19th century and everything fell into place.

Liliom would become Billy Bigelow, barker on a carousel in a small fishing village, and Julie would be featured as one of the local millworkers. While images of clambakes and lighthouses danced in their heads, the authors went to work. The very first song they wrote for the score was the most daunting—Billy’s powerful and insightful "Soliloquy." As daring as anything in the groundbreaking OKLAHOMA!, this number provided character, motivation, passion and heartfelt emotion—in an unprecedented eight-minute solo. Structurally, CAROUSEL proved as daring as OKLAHOMA! in style and form, while telling a story that was far more sophisticated. Here, in addition to Billy’s "Soliloquy," the innovations included the opening, which scuttled the traditional overture entirely and replaced it with a lush "Carousel Waltz" that underscored a storied prologue in mime; and the now-classic "If I Loved You" scene, in which dialogue and fragments of song were intermingled to breathtaking effects. CAROUSEL began rehearsals in early 1945.

Guiding it was OKLAHOMA!'s stellar creative team: authors Rodgers & Hammerstein, producers Helburn and Langner, director Rouben Mamoulian, choreographer Agnes de Mille and costume designer Miles White. Featured in the original cast were John Raitt as Billy, Jan Clayton as Julie Jordan, and Jean Darling as Carrie. After tryouts in New Haven and Boston, CAROUSEL opened at Broadway's Majestic Theatre on April 19, 1945, and eventually ran for 890 performances. Even the skeptics were confounded: while it could never be the unexpected revelation that OKLAHOMA! was, CAROUSEL did the impossible—it followed a smash hit by succeeding in its own right. Audiences in the throes of World War II responded deeply to its story of a young widow raising a child alone, and its spiritual imagery had a profound impact on those who had lost a loved one overseas. The effects of CAROUSEL and its authemn, "You’ll Never Walk Alone" are haunting to this day.

Winner of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award as Best Musical of 1945, the Broadway run was followed by a two year national tour. In London CAROUSEL followed OKLAHOMA! directly into the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, opening in June of 1950 and playing for over a year and a half. In 1956 the motion picture version was released by Twentieth Century Fox. Filmed on location in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, it was originally slated to star Frank Sinatra as Billy and Judy Garland as Julie. However, she withdrew prior to filming and he left over a contract dispute during the first weeks of shooting. They were replaced by the OKLAHOMA! movie co-stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones. CAROUSEL has been performed by hundreds of theatre and opera companies throughout the world. Notable productions include the Music Theater of Lincoln Center with John Raitt re-creating the role of Billy (1965); a television version starring Robert Goulet with choreography by Edward Villella, broadcast on ABC-TV (1967); and a summer run at the U.S.

Pavilion of the 1958 Brussels Exposition, with Jan Clayton re-creating the role of Julie. Director Nicholas Hytner, choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan and designer Bob Crowley collaborated on the revelatory 1992 Royal National Theatre production of CAROUSEL in London, which played to sold-out houses in the Lyttleton Theatre before transferring to the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End the following September, where it was presented by Cameron Mackintosh. In March 1994, CAROUSEL marked its first return to Broadway since the original run, playing for a year at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Presented by Lincoln Center Theater, this CAROUSEL went on to receive a record-setting five Tony Awards (the most of any show that season), including Best Director of a Musical (Hytner), Best Choreography (MacMillan), Best Scenic Design (Crowley) and Best Revival of a Musical 1994. A Japanese production played extended engagements in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka in 1995, and a U.S.

National Tour visited over 40 cities from February of 1996 through May of 1997, and starred Broadway stars to be Patrick Wilson, Sarah Uriarte Berry and Jennifer Laura Thompson. In 2002, Carnegie Hall hosted a concert performance with Hugh Jackman, Audra McDonald, Philip Bosco, Blythe Danner, John Raitt, Norbert Leo Butz, Jason Danieley, Judy Kaye and Lauren Ward. That same year, Emily Loesser appeared in CAROUSEL at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Shirley Jones played Nettie at the Reagle Theatre in 2005. In 2007, the Boston Pops' CAROUSEL featured Aaron Lazar, Liz Callaway, Jason Danieley and Marin Mazzie, while R&H opera star Lesley Garrett played Nettie in a 2008 West End revival. CAROUSEL had always been Rodgers & Hammerstein’s personal favorite; the latest turns on the CAROUSEL prove that their opinion is still shared by audiences everywhere.

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE "You’ll Never Walk Alone" (music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) was written for the 1945 Broadway musical play CAROUSEL. The song highlights a momentous plot turn early in Act II, and is reprised as the musical’s powerful and inspirational finale. From the very beginning, this song has always had a special resonance and meaning beyond its context and function within the score for CAROUSEL. During the musical’s original Broadway run, with the world at war, many in the audience who had a husband, a brother, a son or a lover fighting overseas, found solace in its meaning and its message.

In addition to numerous recordings of the song on CAROUSEL cast albums and the motion picture soundtrack, "You’ll Never Walk Alone" has been recorded by dozens of pop, rock, gospel, country western and opera stars, including: Louis Armstrong, Chet Atkins, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, Ray Charles, Perry Como, Michael Crawford, Placido Domingo, Aretha Franklin, Judy Garland, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Marilyn Horne, Mahalia Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Cleo Laine, Mario Lanza, Darlene Love, Jim Nabors, Olivia Newton John, Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, The Righteous Brothers, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Kiri Te Kanawa, Conway Twitty and Dionne Warwick. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "You'll Never Walk Alone" has a unique history in Great Britain where a 1963 cover version of the song by the Liverpool band Gerry and the Pacemakers was embraced by the locals (known as "scousers"), and lead to its adoption as the motto and anthem of the Liverpool Football Club. Subsequently, it has become ubiquitous at football (soccer) matches all over the world.

True to the song's intent, it has also provided inspiration in times of peril, and has served as a potent fundraiser for causes borne out of disaster. In 1985, a recording of "You’ll Never Walk Alone" featuring British pop and rock stars, was put together to raise funds for victims of the Bradford Stadium tragedy — and did: the song was a Number One single in Britain throughout the summer of 1985, and raised hundreds of thousand of pounds for the cause. In September 1997, on the eve of the funeral for Diana, Princess of Wales, scores of Londoners who had gathered for the event broke into spontaneous, subdued choruses of "You’ll Never Walk Alone." In happier times, BBC live coverage showed over 750,000 Britons gathered on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in June 2002, singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" during the 2002 Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

In the United States in recent years, "You’ll Never Walk Alone," long associated with Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy telethons, has also been adopted by such causes as Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Katrina relief and the annual national AIDS Walk campaigns. Marilyn Horne, Joan Baez and others have sung "You’ll Never Walk Alone" at AIDS Walk rallies in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago, and in 1992 Patti LaBelle made a new recording of the song for a national AIDS Walk public service announcement. Bringing the song full circle, at the 1994 AIDS Walk New York, Shirley Verrett and the cast of the Broadway production of CAROUSEL sang "You’ll Never Walk Alone" on the Great Lawn in Central Park before a crowd of 30,000. 17 years later, CAROUSEL co-star Audra McDonald sang the song, to a crowd now swollen to over 45,000. Rolling into the 21st Century, "You'll Never Walk Alone" continues to inspire the world at times of triumph and tragedy.

In 2002, opera great Renee Fleming sang it at Ground Zero as part of the first year anniversary commemorations of the devastating 9/11 attacks; in 2009 she sang the song for a worldwide audience once again, this time backed by the US Naval Academy Glee Club on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a globally-televised concert in honor of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Ewen, David. Richard Rodgers, Holt, New York 1957 _____. With a Song in His Heart (Richard Rodgers), Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York 1963 Fordin, Hugh. Getting To Know Him: The Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II, Random House, New York 1977 Green, Stanley. The Rodgers and Hammerstein Story, John Day, New York 1963; DeCapo Press paperback, 1980 _____. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Fact Book, Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 1980 Hammerstein II, Oscar. Lyrics, with an introduction by the author and a preface by Stephen Sondheim, Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 1985 _____.

A Real Nice Clambake, illustrated by Nadine Westcott, Little, Brown & Co., Boston 1992 Mordden, Ethan.Rodgers & Hammerstein, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York 1992 Nolan, Frederick. The Sound of Their Music, Walker, New York 1978 Rodgers, Richard. Musical Stages: An Autobiography, Random House, New York 1975; Jove Paperback, New York 1978 Taylor, Deems. Some Enchanted Evenings, Harper, New York 1953 AGNES DE MILLE: THE DANCES OF CAROUSEL Written By: Agnes DeMille In the last year of her life, legendary choreographer Agnes de Mille revisited her contributions to the original groundbreaking 1945 Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL, resulting in an extraordinary video of insight, commentary and recollection. Hosted by the composer’s daughter, Mary Rodgers, the video includes the dance sequences from “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “The Hornpipe,” and the Act II Ballet, recreated by Ms.

de Mille’s longtime associate Gemze de Lappe and performed by members of the Nashville Ballet. Commentary from Ms. de Mille and Ms. de Lappe includes analysis, discussion and demonstration, advice and suggestions for the director, and discussion of sets, costumes and lighting. This instructional video is included with the materials provided by R&H Theatricals for CAROUSEL and is recommended for viewing by your entire production team, cast and crew. The New York Times Written By: Oscar Hammerstein II Toward the end of January, 1944, Theresa Helburn and Lawrence Langner beckoned Dick Rodgers and me into a dark corner of Sardi's, put their fingers to their lips with a hushing gesture, looked from left to right to make sure no one was listening, and whispered, 'How would you like to do a musical play based on Molnar's Liliom?' We looked from right to left and whispered back at them in unison: 'No.' A pause. Then Lawrence asked, 'Why?' We took turns listing successive objections, all having to do with the original scene, Hungary. 'It's a beautiful story,' Terry commented wistfully. We agreed. 'Interesting set of characters,' volunteered Lawrence.

Granted. We had some cannelloni, and ice cream and raisin cake, and parted. The following week we met at my house and Miss Helburn was prepared to meet our locale objection: 'Move it from Hungary to Louisiana. You boys say you want to write about America. Louisiana is America$mdash;but it also has a European flavor. Liliom can be a Creole.' This sounded like a good idea. I promised to give it serious consideration. Well, I brushed up on my Creole atmosphere and ran bang into a disconcerting difficulty$mdash;the dialect. Meanwhile, however, Molnar's tender story and its strange characters had begun to hypnotize us. Dick and I kept telling each other why we weren't going to adapt 'Liliom,' and then we would drift off into a contemplation of all its attractive possibilities. The very difficulties of the job we knew would lead us into unusual devices. We knew we wouldn't wind up with a conventional musical comedy. It was obvious that we would have to mix in values from the dramatic stage and opera. The idea that really opened the way to it all was a suggestion by Dick that at first sounded downright silly.

This was to transplant the play to the New England coast. But it sounded silly only for a few seconds. I began to see an attractive ensemble$mdash;sailors, whalers, girls who worked in the mills up the river, clambakes on near-by islands, an amusement park on the seaboard, things people could do in crowds, people who were strong and alive and lusty. The poignancy of the story, I was certain, would not suffer from gaiety of background. It would enhance it. As for the two leading characters, Julie with her courage and inner strength and outer simplicity seemed more indigenous to Maine than to Budapest. Liliom is, of course, an international character, indigenous to nowhere. So now, for the first time, Dick and I felt that irrational enthusiasm that lures men into the harrowing project of writing a musical play. And away we went. from 'Turns on a Carousel' Percussion Notes CLARINET I and CLARINET II are both B-Flat Clarinets. The BASS CLARINET part in the BASSOON book has been double lined for BASSOON, if a doubler or an additional player is not available.

TROMBONE I, TROMBONE II and TROMBONE III are all Tenor Trombones. The HARP part may be played on a synthesizer with a harp patch if a real harp is not available, but the HARP part is essential cannot be omitted The PERCUSSION book is written to be played by one percussionist, with the exception of “The Carousel Waltz” which can be played by either one, two or three percussionists. The original string breakdown was 5 VIOLINS 1-A, 4 VIOLINS 1-B, 4 VIOLAS, 3 CELLOS and 2 BASSES. Trap Set, Timpani, Triangle, Bells, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Wood Block, Tambourine Carousel: From Stage to Screen � The Carousel Waltz On stage, this beautiful piece was presented instead of a traditional Overture. The opening strains have a somber and mysterious quality which seems to foretell the tragic love story of Julie Jordan and Billy Bigelow. In the film, the Carousel Waltz is heard over the opening credits following a short scene prelude introducing Billy Bigelow, already in Heaven and already dead! (more on that later).

The film version of the Waltz is abbreviated from the stage version, which ran over 7 minutes! On stage, an elaborate pantomime of all the various performers of the carnival is presented while the Carousel Waltz is played. In the course of this, we observe the Billy�s �barking� on the carousel, his observing Julie, his placing her on the carousel, and the intervention of the owner of the carousel, Mrs. Mullen, who is jealously in love with Billy. In the film, these events occur after the credits, as Billy, now dead and in heaven, relates the story to The Star Keeper. Most of the film is told in flashback, with occasional cuts back to Billy and the Star Keeper, and then Billy and the Heavenly Messenger. � You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan! Although recorded on the soundtrack recording, this song is not performed in the film. It is not documented whether it was cut prior to release, or whether it was ever filmed. On stage, it is a cute piece, giving the audience the opportunity to meet Julie and Carrie Pipperidge, Julie�s best friend. � Mr. Snow Carrie, who works with Julie at the cotton mill, confides to Julie.

She feels comfortable telling about her secret engagement to Mr. Snow now that Julie seems to have a �fella� in Billy Bigelow. Barbara Ruick as Carrie does a nice job with this one-dimensional character. � If I Loved You Billy arrives after having been fired by Mrs. Mullen for his friendly behavior to Julie. Carrie tries to convince Julie to leave with her lest they both lose their jobs at the mill by getting in too late from the mill boarding house, and no longer be �respectable�. Julie decides to stay. The owner of the mill arrives, along with a policeman. The policeman warns Julie about Billy�s reputation, in that he takes money from girls and is a drifter. The mill owner tries to convince Julie to return to the boarding house, and he will overlook her conduct of staying out so late. Julie refuses to leave Billy, and therefore loses her job. In the scene and song that follows, they each sing �If I Loved You� describing how they would feel if they did indeed love the other, although they claim otherwise. At the end of the song, they kiss, and walk off together.

The scene is truncated from the stage version with some dialogue which was sung on stage being recited on film. This was one of the scenes filmed on location in Maine. � June is Bustin' Out All Over! The action moves to the seaside spa owned by Julie�s cousin, Nettie Fowler. Julie and Billy have disappeared, and people think the worst. Nettie is trying to think the best, but is worried. Julie and Billy arrive, and Julie announces that she is now married to Billy. Nettie accepts Billy, but is cautious. A few months pass, and it is now June. Everyone is happy that June has arrived, and this number is the celebration. This is a major production number with lots of singing and dancing, also filmed on location in Maine. It doesn�t advance the story, but is a lot of fun. � Soliloquy Things are not going well for Julie and Billy. Billy can�t find work, and is living off Julie�s cousin Nettie. As a result, Billy is sullen and abusive to Julie. Nettie tells Carrie that Billy has even hit Julie. Julie defends her husband, and clearly loves him despite everything. Mrs.

Mullen arrives and offers Billy his old job back, and tempts him with a ruby ring. When Billy shows interest, thinking that he can go back and be married, Mrs. Mullen ridicules him. Julie interrupts them, and after Mrs. Mullen leaves them alone, Julie tells Billy that she is pregnant. Billy�s entire attitude toward her becomes caring and loving, as he thinks about being a father. He tells Mrs. Mullen to leave. He walks to the beach, and sings the famous �Soliloquy� in which he imagines what his son will be like, but then realizes Julie might have a daughter instead. With that thought, he realizes that as a �bum with no money�, he has little to offer a daughter. He vows to get the money to give his daughter a better life than he had. � Blow High, Blow Low This song was recorded for the film, and was filmed (according to the supplemental information on the DVD release of the film). However, it was cut prior to release. It is a great song about whaling, the lifeblood of this small Maine town.

� When the Children are Asleep Billy know decides that he wants to attend the big clambake on the nearby island, after originally scoffing at the idea. Now, he and Julie are sailing to the island with Mr. Snow and Carrie on Mr. Snow�s boat. Mr. Snow and Carrie are engaged, and are dreaming of their life together, and the many children that they will have together. � This was a Real Nice Clambake This song was borrowed from �Oklahoma� and was originally titled �This Was a Real Nice Hayride�. It is a nice ensemble piece, with the cast expressing their contentment with this clambake. � Stonecutters Cut it on Stone This is a somewhat truncated version of the stage song. Jigger Craigen has tried to get alone with Carrie, and they are interrupted by Mr. Snow. Mr. Snow accuses Carrie of being �free, loose and lallygagging�, and calls off the engagement. As Carrie breaks down in hysterical sobbing, Jigger leads the other men in this commentary on the misery that Mr. Snow and others like him who think they are good, cause the women they marry. � What's the Use of Wonderin'?

Billy has gone off with Jigger Craigen, supposedly to look for the treasure. But in reality, they plan to return to the town in order to rob the owner of the local mill as he deposits the payroll. Billy agreed to this reluctantly in order to obtain money for his daughter. Julie tries to stop them, sensing that there is danger. She sings this song to Carrie about the unwavering love that they have for their men despite their faults, and the other girls join in. � You'll Never Walk Alone Billy and Jigger return from the island, and try to rob Mr. Bascomb, the owner of the mill. However, Mr. Bascomb pulls a gun on them, and Jigger runs off. Billy tries to escape, and falls on his knife. Mortally wounded, he barely has time to say goodbye to Julie before he dies. Julie begins to sing this song of courage as she realizes that she will have to face the birth of their child alone, but breaks down in tears. Nettie picks up the song, and completes it, holding Julie and vowing to stay by her side to help her.

� Louise's Ballet This music does not appear on the soundtrack recording, but is a major part of the second act. Billy comes down from heaven to help his daughter, now 16 years old. He sees that she is rejected by her friends, bitter, and wild. In other words, she is very much like Billy was. � If I Loved You (reprise) Billy appears to Louise, and tries to help her, by giving her a star which he stole from Heaven. She is frightened and confused, and rejects the gift. In anger, Billy slaps her. Louise runs into the house to get her mother, and when Julie returns, Billy is there but not visible to her, but perhaps was visible for a moment. Louise tells Julie about the stranger, and how although she heard the sound of the stranger slapping her, it didn�t hurt. In fact, it felt like a kiss. Julie knows what she means, thinking of her life with Billy. When Louise leaves, Julie sees that star that Billy has brought. Billy sings a lovely reprise of �If I Loved You�, with the lyric revised to �Now I�ve lost you. Soon I will go in the mist of day�.

� You'll Never Walk Alone (finale) Billy and the Heavenly Messenger attend Louise�s high school graduation. The speaker, Dr. Shelton, �the most beloved man in town�, looks surprisingly like The Starkeeper, who gave Billy permission to return to Earth for one day. Dr. Shelton tells the graduates to stand on their own, and not be held back by the mistakes of their parents. Billy whispers into Louise�s ear to hear the message and believe it. The group stands and sings this song again, and Louise reaches out to embrace one of her classmates, having conquered her isolation. Billy whispers to Julie that he always loved her. Julie smiles and sings out as well. Billy leaves contentedly with the Heavenly Messenger as the sun sets on the sea. � From Stage to Screen There was an 11 year period between the 1945 premiere of the Broadway play �Carousel� and the 1956 20th Century-Fox film version. That was not unusual in itself, as the comparable period for �Oklahoma!� was 12 years. However, there were some subtle and some not-so-subtle changes made between the stage and screen version.

The most obvious change is the use of a flashback in the screenplay written by Henry and Phoebe Ephraim. While the stage play is told in chronological order, the film opens in Heaven, where we meet an already deceased Billy Bigelow sitting on a ladder polishing stars. In the play, this scene does not occur until Act II. It is not clear why this method was used, but perhaps it was an attempt to �lighten� a dark story in which the romantic leading character dies. This was a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, after all, and audiences were used to seeing happy endings like they saw in �Oklahoma!� the previous year. And �Carousel� was based on the dramatic play �Liliom�, and was considerably darker. In �Oklahoma!�, the only death was Judd Fry, and he was a villain, after all. By showing Billy already in heaven, the audience is not as shocked by his death later on. Unfortunately, it removes much of the dramatic impact of Billy�s death when it does occur. This always bothers me when I view this film, and it is unfortunate that the screenwriters did not follow the Oscar Hammerstein book more closely on this critical point.

Songs were omitted in the film. Some were filmed or recorded and not used in the final release print, and some were cut altogether. Recorded and not used songs are �You�re A Queer One, Julie Jordan�, �Blow High, Blow Low�. Songs that were never used were �Germaniums in the Winder�, and �The Highest Judge of All�. The �Carousel Waltz� is shortened from the stage version, and played over the opening credits (see �The Songs� section). Another important element is missing from the screen version. One of the ways that Rodgers and Hammerstein guaranteed that their �Carousel� would have the same chance as �Oklahoma!� to be a hit, was by keeping many elements the same. Both stage shows were produced by The Theatre Guild, both were directed by Rouben Mamoulian, and both were choreographed by the legendary Agnes de Mille. It was de Mille�s choreography which was most remembered, especially in the �Dream Ballet� in �Oklahoma!�, and �Louise�s Ballet� in Carousel.

A bit of trivia is that the original Louise in the Broadway �Carousel� (Bambi Linn), appears in the film �Oklahoma!� as the �Dream :Laurie. Agnes de Mille�s choreography is fully recreated on film in �Oklahoma!�. However, for whatever reason, de Mille was not involved in the film of �Carousel�. We get a taste of what the de Mille choreography was like in the �Louise�s Ballet� number in the film. According to the credits, Agnes de Mille�s original chorography in �Louise�s Ballet� is �recreated� by Rod Alexander. It is unfortunate that Agnes de Mille wasn�t directly involved for the other dance numbers, such as �June is Bustin� Out All Over�. � Carousel (Musical) Plot & Characters | StageAgent Overview Synopsis Richard Rodgers once wrote that of all the musicals he wrote, Carousel was his personal favorite.

This iconic American classic features some of the most powerful music ever written for the stage, including “If I Loved You”, “Mister Snow”, “June is Bustin Out All Over” and the iconic “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Carousel was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s second collaboration, and was adapted from Ferenc Molnar’s 1909 play Lilliom. They transferred the Budapest setting of Lilliom to the New England coastline, where Carousel takes place. The story tells of charming, roguish carnival barker, Billy Bigelow, and mill worker Julie Jordan, both loners, who meet and fall in love. Their marriage ends up costing both their jobs, and things go downhill from there. Billy’s desperation makes him violent against those he loves most, and drives him to commit crimes in order to provide for his family. When Billy falls in with con-man Jigger Craigin, he ends up getting caught in the midst of an armed robbery and takes his own life. Billy is allowed to return to earth for one day fifteen years later, and he encounters the daughter he never knew. Louise is a lonely, friendless teenager, her father's reputation having haunted her throughout her young life.

How Billy instills in both the child and her mother a sense of hope and dignity is a dramatic testimony to love’s transcendence. Voted the best musical of the 20th century by Time Magazine, Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Carousel is the classic American musical, spanning heaven and earth in its exploration of human frailty, resilience, and the power of forgiveness. Characters If I Loved You - Billy Bigelow and JulieJordan - Carousel. - YouTube If I Loved You - Billy Bigelow and JulieJordan - Carousel. Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Apr 16, 2012 Rogers and Hammerstein provide a beautiful duet between the two main characters, Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan."If I loved you" is the love song scene from act 1 of the show. Performed by Andy Quinn and Marie Madej.

Director - Phil Simcox Carousel (1956) - Plot Summary - IMDb Carousel (1956) Plot Summary Showing all 2 plot summaries Billy Bigelow has been dead for fifteen years, and now outside the pearly gates, he long waived his right to go back to Earth for a day. But he has heard that there is a problem with his family, namely his wife Julie Bigelow née Jordan and the child he never met, that problem with which he would now like to head back to Earth to assist in rectifying. Before he is allowed back to Earth, he has to get the OK from the gatekeeper, to who he tells his story... Immediately attracted to each other, he and Julie met when he worked as a carousel barker. Both stated to the other that they did not believe in love or marriage, but they did get married. Because the shrewish carousel owner, Mrs. Mullin, was attracted to Billy herself, and since she believed he was only of use as a barker if he was single to attract the young women to the carousel, she fired him.

With no other job skills and unwilling to take just any job, Billy did not provide for Julie but rather lived off Julie's Aunt Nettie. But Billy figured he could be the breadwinner through his association with a criminal lowlife named Jigger Craigin, which led to his death. In going back to Earth, Billy not only hopes to help his child, but "tell" Julie of his true feeling for her. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel The Daily Telegraph The Story Set in a tight-knit fishing community on the New England coastline, Carousel revolves around the ill-fated love affair between charismatic Billy Bigelow, a travelling carnival man, and trusting Julie Jordan, a worker at the local mill. Having married against everyone's advice only weeks after they first met, their budding relationship hits a rocky road as Billy struggles with his temper, the constraints of settling down and financial difficulties. It is only after learning that he is soon to become a father that Billy vows to change his ways and provide for his family. But he falls in with the wrong crowd and dies in the aftermath of a robbery gone horribly wrong.

Sent to purgatory for 15 years after his death, Billy is given one day to redeem his soul before he is permitted to enter the Heavenly Gates. Trying to perform a single good deed, he seeks out his daughter, now a rebellious teenager destined to follow in his troubled footsteps. Billy reaches out to her, but is it too little too late, or will it be enough to change both their lives forever? 'Will have you choking back tears' ★★★★ First Look: Steven Pasquale and Laura Osnes as Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel New production directed by Rob Ashford onstage at Lyric April 10 – May 3, 2015; opening night April 11 – Showbiz Chicago Michael J. Roberts Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel runs April 10 to May 3 at the Civic Opera House (opening night April 11).

The production is directed and choreographed by Tony, Emmy, and Olivier Award winner Rob Ashford and stars Steven Pasquale as carousel barker Billy Bigelow; Laura Osnes as his true love, millworker Julie Jordan; Jenn Gambatese as Carrie Pipperidge; Matthew Hydzik as Enoch Snow; Denyce Graves as Nettie Fowler; Jarrod Emick, as Jigger Craigin; Charlotte d’Amboise as Mrs. Mullin; and Tony Robertsas the Starkeeper. Steven Pasquale Steven Pasquale and Laura Osnes Laura Osnes Steven Pasquale and Laura Osnes Pasquale most recently triumphed on Broadway in The Bridges of Madison County with Kelli O’Hara and is currently appearing on CBS’s The Good Wife. A two-time Tony nominee, Osnes most recently starred on Broadway in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Gambatese returns to Lyric after her highly praised portrayal of Maria in last season’s production of The Sound of Music. Matthew Hydzik recently starred on Broadway in the acclaimed revival of Side Show as song-and-dance man Buddy Foster and as Tony in the recent revival of West Side Story.

Internationally acclaimed opera star Denyce Graves will make her musical theater debut with this production, singing the iconic “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Emick is a Tony Award, Drama Desk, and Theatre Award winner for his portrayal of Joe Hardy in the 1994 production of Damn Yankees. Two-time Tony nominee d’Amboise recently closed a two-year run in the Broadway revival of Pippin, for which she won her second Astaire Award for excellence in dance on Broadway. Also a two-time Tony nominee, Roberts’s long list of Broadway credits include The Royal Family; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; Victor, Victoria; Cabaret, The Sisters Rosensweig; Jerome Robbins’ Broadway; Promises, Promises; and Play It Again, Sam. He can be seen on screen in Annie Hall, Play It Again, Sam, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and many others. Carousel will be directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford, who made his Lyric debut in the 2013-14 season directing a new production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. Ashford is the choreographer for the 87th Academy Awards, airing on February 22.

He recently co-directed Macbeth at the Park Avenue Armory with Kenneth Branagh and directed NBC’s recent live musical hits Peter Pan Live! and The Sound of Music Live!. Conductor David Chase makes his Lyric debut with Carousel, and will lead members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Chase is a regular collaborator with Ashford; he was music director for The Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live!, as well as the recent Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which was directed and choreographed by Ashford. Artist Paolo Ventura will make his theatrical debut as set designer. Tony Award-winning Catherine Zuber is costume designer, returning to Lyric after her company debut with Ashford’s Barber. Lighting will be designed by Neil Austin, and Michael Black will be chorus master. Carousel is the third Rodgers and Hammerstein musical to be presented as part of Lyric’s American Musical Theater Initiative. The King and I andSouth Pacific follow in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, respectively. Past productions were Oklahoma! in the 2012-13 season and The Sound of Musicin the 2013-14 season.

Carousel runs Friday, April 10 through Sunday, May 3, 2015 (26 performances, including one preview and one student matinee) at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $29, and are available at lyricopera.org/carousel or at 312-827-5600 . The official press opening forCarousel is Saturday, April 11 at 7pm. The April 11 opening night performance of Carousel will be broadcast on 98.7WFMT streamed on wfmt.com on Sunday, April 12 at 7:15pm. The new Lyric Opera production of Carousel is generously made possible by The Negaunee Foundation, an Anonymous Donor, Robert S. and Susan E. Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Reyes, Liz Stiffel, Mrs. Herbert A. Vance and Mr. and Mrs. William C. Vance, and Jim and Vicki Mills/Jon and Lois Mills.

About Lyric Founded in 1954, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form. Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent. Under the leadership of general director Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become the great North American Opera Company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility. Carousel (1956) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.

Error | Drama , Musical | 16 February 1956 (USA) Billy Bigelow has been dead for fifteen years, and now outside the pearly gates, he long waived his right to go back to Earth for a day. But he has heard that there is a problem with his ... See full summary » Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 26 titles created 05 Jan 2013 a list of 23 titles created 29 Nov 2013 a list of 43 titles created 13 Jan 2016 a list of 35 titles created 10 months ago a list of 34 titles created 1 month ago Search for " Carousel " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. In the Oklahoma territory at the turn of the twentieth century, two young cowboys vie with an evil ranch hand and a traveling peddler for the hearts of the women they love.

Director: Fred Zinnemann On a South Pacific island during World War II, love blooms between a young nurse and a secretive Frenchman who's being courted for a dangerous military mission. Director: Joshua Logan Farm family Frake, with discontented daughter Margy, head for the Iowa State Fair. On the first day, both Margy and brother Wayne meet attractive new flames; so does father's prize hog, ... See full summary » Director: Walter Lang A widow accepts a job as a live-in governess to the King of Siam's children. Director: Walter Lang Harold Hill poses as a boys' band leader to con naive Iowa townsfolk. Director: Morton DaCosta The story of the great sharpshooter Annie Oakley , who rose to fame while dealing with her love/professional rival, Frank Butler. Directors: George Sidney, Busby Berkeley Stars: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great ...

See full summary » Director: George Sidney Matchmaker Dolly Levi travels to Yonkers to find a partner for "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder, convincing his niece, his niece's intended, and his two clerks to travel to New York City along the way. Director: Gene Kelly In 1850 Oregon, when a backwoodsman brings a wife home to his farm, his six brothers decide that they want to get married too. Director: Stanley Donen An Iowa pajama factory worker falls in love with an affable superintendent who had been hired by the factory's boss to help oppose the workers' demand for a pay rise. Directors: George Abbott, Stanley Donen Stars: Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney In New York, a gambler is challenged to take a cold female missionary to Havana, but they fall for each other, and the bet has a hidden motive to finance a crap game. Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Chinese stowaway Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) arrives in San Francisco with her father to meet her fiancé, wealthy nightclub owner Sammy Fong (Jack Soo), in an arranged marriage, but the groom ...

See full summary » Director: Henry Koster Edit Storyline Billy Bigelow has been dead for fifteen years, and now outside the pearly gates, he long waived his right to go back to Earth for a day. But he has heard that there is a problem with his family, namely his wife Julie Bigelow née Jordan and the child he never met, that problem with which he would now like to head back to Earth to assist in rectifying. Before he is allowed back to Earth, he has to get the OK from the gatekeeper, to who he tells his story... Immediately attracted to each other, he and Julie met when he worked as a carousel barker. Both stated to the other that they did not believe in love or marriage, but they did get married. Because the shrewish carousel owner, Mrs. Mullin, was attracted to Billy herself, and since she believed he was only of use as a barker if he was single to attract the young women to the carousel, she fired him. With no other job skills and unwilling to take just any job, Billy did not provide for Julie but rather lived off Julie's Aunt Nettie. But... Written by Huggo Curtain up...on a wonderful new world of entertainment!

See more » Genres: 16 February 1956 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel See more » Filming Locations: 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)| 6-Track Stereo (premiere only)| 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) Color: Did You Know? Trivia This film was originally meant to be filmed in both standard 35mm CinemaScope and CinemaScope 55 (55mm). Early in production it was discovered that both prints could be made from the one negative, and so it was filmed in 55mm CinemaScope only. Standard 35mm CinemaScope prints were made for release, and like The King and I (1956), this film was never shown theatrically in the 55mm format. See more » Goofs As everyone leaves for the clambake in sailboats, we can see, for a full fifteen seconds or so, several men in one of the boats wearing very modern-looking caps and sunglasses. See more » Quotes Billy Bigelow : [impatiently] Well, what'd I do now? Heavenly Friend : Nothing.

I just thought you'd wanna know - there's trouble. Billy Bigelow : Huh! Thought you said I didn't do nothin'. See more » Crazy Credits A star hurtles downward and explodes in mid-air; out of this appears the credit "Twentieth-Century Fox presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'". The other credits all appear in a straightforward fashion. See more » Connections The very finest of Rodgers and Hammerstein! 1 January 2003 | by hamlet-16 The film of this classic musical is a joy to watch and listen to. The music is undoubtedly the finest Rodgers and Hammerstein score. Of the many fine moments in the film two astounding highlights must be Billy's Soliloquy and the Shirley Jones' and Gordon MacRae's lover's duet "If I loved you". To this is added two great ballet sequences "June is Bustin' out all Over" and Louise's ballet. The film is Rogers and Hammerstein at their most dark and introspective, which may account for the film's relatively lacklustre reception at the time of its initial release but the at the same time explains the ongoing appeal of this truly timeless classic film.

It is a fine memorial to both composer and lyricist and to the artistry of Gordon MacRae whose performance of the soliloquy is the benchmark against which all performances are judged. The film was produced in Cinemascope 55 a large film fomat which overcame many of the problems that were inherent in early Cinemascope films (even though the film was actually released only in standard 35mm form ..a bit like a 35mm print of a 70mm film this still results in a far better image) and gives the film its immaculate look.

Dolter directing one of his favorites, 'Carousel,' for first time as Moonlight Musical | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Dolter directing one of his favorites, 'Carousel,' for first time as Moonlight Musical Van Meveren presents Billy Bigelow character as complicated, lacking self-respect Gerald Dolter Fellow mill workers Carrie Pipperidge (played by Desiree Soto), left, and Julie Jordan (Katrina Wilson) occasionally hide smiles while sharing stories about their dreams during the East Coast town's clam bake in the popular Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "Carousel," which will close the 2016 summer season of outdoor Lubbock Moonlight Musicals. Keegan Peck co-stars as Jigger, a law breaker and bad influence busy planning crimes in the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel," being staged Friday, Saturday, and again Aug. 12-13 and 19-20 at the Moonlight Musicals Amphitheater, 413 E. Broadway.

Mill worker Julie Jordan (played by Katrina Wilson), left, is unimpressed when local criminal Jigger (Keegan Peck) attempts to impress her with his skill at card tricks during the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel," making its Moonlight Musicals Amphitheater debut Friday, with performances slated for three weekends. Katrina Wilson co-stars as sweet and naive Julie Jordan, a 15-year-old mill worker who falls for the advances of a much more experienced carnival barker in the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's popular "Carousel." Closing the 2016 summer season of Lubbock Moonlight Musicals is Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel," being staged at 8 p.m. on the next three consecutive Fridays and Saturdays at the Moonlight Musicals Amphitheater at Mackenzie Park on East Broadway. Fisherman Mr.

Snow (played by David Staggers), left, and mill worker Carrie Pipperidge (Desiree Soto) find themselves attracted to one another before, during and after their Maine community's entertaining clam bake in Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel," being staged for the first time as a community theater production by Lubbock Moonlight Musicals. David Staggers portrays confident and reliable fisherman Mr. Snow, above, who has no trouble winning the heart of mill worker Carrie (not pictured) in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "Carousel," being staged by Lubbock Moonlight Musicals. Van Meveren For both Nettie Fowler (played by Candice Aipperspach), standing, and Julie Jordan (Katrina Wilson), lyrics to the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" are deeply felt during emotional scenes from the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals production of Rodgers & Hammerstein "Carousel," Time magazine named 1945's "Carousel" the best musical written and produced in the 20th century.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II first collaborated on 1943 hit musical “Oklahoma,” after which movie producer Sam Goldwyn’s advice to Rodgers was, “Just shoot yourself.” Rodgers said this was “Sam’s blunt, but funny, way of telling me that I’d never create another show as good as ‘Oklahoma.’ ” After all, “Oklahoma” ran for 2,212 performances on Broadway. It won a Pulitzer Award, a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, and the absence of Tony Awards was because the Tonys would not exist for another four years. Rodgers and Hammerstein, of course, would work together on several more wonderful musicals. The duo took risks when adapting Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnar’s 1909 “Liliom,” and also moved its setting to the coast of Maine in their 1945 Broadway musical “Carousel.” Despite its dark moments, “Carousel” was honored by Time magazine as “the best musical of the 20th century.” Or as Stephen Sondheim put it, “ ‘Oklahoma’ is about a picnic.

‘Carousel’ is about life and death.” The latter’s many memorable songs include “If I Loved You” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” “Carousel” will receive its Lubbock Moonlight Musicals debut with performances at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Aug. 12-13 and Aug. 19-20 at the Moonlight Musicals Amphitheater in Mackenzie Park, 413 E. Broadway. This production quickly attracted the attention of several entertainment leaders, with stage direction by Gerald Dolter, music direction by William Ballenger and choreography by Yvonne Racz Key. Dolter pointed out, “I think of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ coming on the heels of Billy Bigelow’s (death). “None of the characters want him to die. ... It is a tragic death, a heavy scene to present, and we have to treat it with love and caring. We have had many tears at rehearsals. The show is full of big, energetic production numbers.

The sound of this show will wash over the audience just like ‘Titanic’ did.” Then again, Dolter recalled, “My first personal contact with the show was in 1982 in Richmond, Virginia. I played Bill Bigelow. “I fell in love with ‘Carousel’ then. And every show I fall in love with, I want to direct.” The play depicts two love stories, that between carnival barker Billy Bigelow and mill worker Julie Jordan, and another in which Julie’s friend from the mill, Carrie Pipperidge, falls for fisherman Enoch Snow. It will take longer for both Billy and Julie — portrayed by Luke Van Meveren and Katrina Wilson — to say, “I love you.” Dolter examined the story’s long-lasting popularity, crediting “the sadness of the fallen human condition, balanced and overcome by the determination to move forward, and the acknowledgement of a higher being and heaven. Both of the main characters, Billy and Julie, are lost. They are 15 years apart in age, yet they complete each other. “Billy is attracted to Julie because she is not fearful. He is terribly full of paranoia. He was never loved as a child.

To say he is troubled is a vast understatement. Julie also lacks parental love, being an orphan. And she is 15. As strong as she is, she still is 15 and trying to figure out life, as all teenagers must.” Van Meveren, explained Dolter, began training as an athlete and actor at an undergraduate school in Iowa. Having recently completed his master’s degree in vocal performance at Tech, the performer said he now feels equally skilled in music and theater. The director pointed out the troubled character’s specific vocal needs, adding that Van Meveren, 25, previously played Billy in an Iowa production. Meanwhile, the actor calls Billy “an exceedingly complicated character. There is plenty to like and dislike about the man. From an actor’s standpoint, there really is a lot to wrestle with. Billy can come off as very confident, cocky and sure of himself, but his heart has absolutely no self-worth. To some extent, his lack of self-worth drives his recklessness as a person. Until Julie enters his life, nobody seems to believe there is any good in him. “From an outside view, it is hard to respect a man that degrades and intimidates people.

It is through understanding Billy as a damaged person that one sees the goodness he is capable of.” Nevertheless, Van Meveren feels a need to try to generate audience empathy for Billy. Making Billy likeable is difficult, he said, when the actor must “simultaneously project confidence on the outside and complete lack of self-respect on the inside.” Dolter said the Julie Jordan character “needs to have the sweetest, most innocent voice. She also has to have power when the music demands it. It is best if the actress is around 21 or 22 — but then, she has to play a character who is 15 and sometimes 30, and that can be difficult to switch on and off. He said, “Katrina Wilson was ready. She played Laurey last year in ‘Oklahoma’ and really moved me.” Wilson, 19, was bitten by the performing bug while acting in musicals at Frenship High School. She indicated that a separation of happiness and sadness sets “Carousel” apart from “your typical happy-go-lucky Broadway (musical). ... This story is a tough one to tell, but it is done so beautifully.

My character, Julie, is different from most women of that era, and even many women today. She is strong, thoughtful and compassionate. “Julie always sees the good in others, especially Billy. The more I get to know Julie as a character, the more she inspires me to be a better woman in my day-to-day life.” She feels that a scene in which she sings “If I Loved You” allows audiences “to see the softer, more reflective side of Billy, and shows a lot more of who Julie is at her core. The scene is quite intimate for Billy and Julie, as well as for the audience.” Also important, noted Dolter, is choreography by Yvonne Racz Key — to the point, he added, “We actually began rehearsing all of her dances first, and we began earlier than usual. The ballet in Act II is extremely emotional to watch. I am so proud of what Yvonne tells with it. The kids dancing, Sydney Mora and Theo Spencer, are fantastic. They are 15 and 16, respectively, yet mature enough to get it.

“We also have a wonderful dance captain in Marcos Antonio, who really cracks the whip.” Mark Martin portrays an angel who meets Billy in the prologue and, later, will witness his death and guide another character. Experimenting to a point, Dolter revealed, “Mark is the only character we allow to speak with his native West Texas accent. I think it works.” Follow William on Twitter @AJ_WilliamKerns Advertisement

Question: Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan are characters in which stage and screen musical?
Answer: CAROUSEL