| Carousel -- at the Chicago Lyric yesterday |
|
| Posted by: |
BroadwayTonyJ 05:19 pm EDT 05/04/15 |
|
Saw the final performance -- I previously caught the show on Apr. 17. Pasquale was in fine voice yesterday and again delivered a powerful Soliloquy.
Both Hydzik and Emick made their portrayals more rounded and nuanced. Hydzik's Enoch was stuffy but endearing -- I think he got a laugh with every line he delivered and every gesture he made. Emick's Jigger was still a menacing villain but yesterday he was also a charismatic leader -- it's easier to understand how a misguided Billy tragically became his partner.
Some final thoughts on issues raised in earlier threads: the sexual repression theme was a key element in the original '45 production set in the 1880's. At that time women were chattel, couldn't vote, and had few rights. Class distinction seemed to be the rule in the CAROUSEL community with Bascombe (the mill owner) and Enoch (the successful entrepreneur) able to impose their puritanical idea of morality on those at the bottom rung like Julie and Billy. Julie's defiance of Bascombe is what sets the story in motion and makes the final outcome so tragic and poignant. Ashford's decision to reset the time frame to the 1930's really undercuts this important dynamic.
Although many purists hated it, I found Ashford's completely different take on the 2nd Act Ballet interesting. We see it through Billy's eyes. My interpretation is that Billy sees in the Carnival Boy (gentle with Julie, sensual with Mrs. Mullin, both tender and menacing with Louise) the duality of his own persona as a young man and is forced to acknowledge the truth about himself.
That being said, the emotional power of the basic story and almost ideal casting of Osnes and Pasquale made me overlook the production's flaws -- I was blown away by the performances -- I started tearing up during the Soliloquy and was strongly moved by the final scene. I'm glad I was able to see it twice.
|
|
|
reply |
|
|
| Previous: |
re: NYT on Celebs at Hamilton - manchurch03104 03:32 pm EDT 05/05/15 |
| Next: |
re: Carousel -- at the Chicago Lyric yesterday - StageStruckLad 01:11 pm EDT 05/05/15 |
|
| Thread: |
|