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| CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: sergius 12:06 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| One of the great achievements of the American musical theatre, CAROUSEL, was practically avant garde when it was first produced. Today, it can't be that surprising even with an African-American actor cast as Billy Bigelow. Whether this stands as a prominent example of the colorblind casting that has, finally, become more routine or as an attempt to further otherize Bigelow in relation to a community of which he is only a transient member seems immaterial. What matters most is that CAROUSEL have all the sweep and expansiveness of the American character. This production only partly succeeds in this regard. By and large, it's beautifully sung. Not everyone is working comfortably in their vocal range but, as demanding as the score is--most especially for Billy--this isn't opera and so, for me anyway, this matters less. But this is arguable and there will likely be a range of opinions regarding the performances here. Not so arguable are the decidedly shoddy scenic elements. They're not only outstandingly poor, they're antiquated. And the choreography, of which there is a great deal, is often congested and over articulate. Only the "Blow High, Blow Low" sequence fully succeeds. But, by virtue of its stunning, revolutionary craft, even a drab and crowded CAROUSEL is a wonder. It's the performances here that make it so. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: pagates 12:40 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: CAROUSEL Tonight - sergius 12:06 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| Thanks much for this concise, substantive and substantial review. I wonder did you see the Hytner Carousel production? Could you draw any comparisons? | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: lowwriter 11:09 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - pagates 12:40 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| The Hytner Carousel was thrilling with an amazing opening. The production was very moving by the end. But it had two weak singers as Julie and Billy though they were fine actors. I saw that version three times and got to hear James Barbour sing Billy and Lauren Ward sing Julie at separate performances. They both sang beautifully compared to Michael Hayden and Sally Murphy. Audra McDonald was terrific as Carrie. | |
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| re: Another Billy in the Hytner CAROUSEL | |
| Posted by: Ronsdivas 11:16 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - lowwriter 11:09 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| I also saw Marcus Lovett as Billy when they yanked him out of Phantom to learn Billy in 2 days. He was a superb actor and singer and brought the house down with his "Soliloquy"!! | |
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| re: Another Billy in the Hytner CAROUSEL | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 10:41 am EDT 04/07/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Another Billy in the Hytner CAROUSEL - Ronsdivas 11:16 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| Just wanted to say that I agree with lowwriter about James Barbour in ''Carousel''; one of the best Billys I've ever seen or heard. I missed Lovett in ''Carousel,'' but he got a front-page story in the N.Y. Times for his heroic, last-minute effort to save the show. However, I caught Lovett's lovely cabaret act at Eighty Eight's. Happy to see his name (and act) recently resurface at 54 Below. |
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| Brian d'Arcy James | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 02:46 pm EDT 04/06/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Another Billy in the Hytner CAROUSEL - Ronsdivas 11:16 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| As I believe I have posted before, Brian d'Arcy James's first Broadway credit was as a member of the ensemble in the Lincoln Center/Hytner CAROUSEL. Even if his singing voice then wasn't as fully developed, gorgeous, and powerful as it became by the time of TITANIC, I think it goes without saying that he would have sung the role of Billy in CAROUSEL far better than Michael Hayden, and would have acted it at least as well. I'd like to think that if Hayden hadn't come over with the production from London, Brian might have gotten the part; but on the other hand, according to ibdb.com, he is listed as an understudy for the roles of Jigger and Mr. Bascombe but NOT for Billy. So, go figure! | |
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| re: Brian d'Arcy James | |
| Last Edit: AlanScott 11:11 pm EDT 04/06/18 | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:11 pm EDT 04/06/18 | |
| In reply to: Brian d'Arcy James - Michael_Portantiere 02:46 pm EDT 04/06/18 | |
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| While I imagine James would have sung the role well, I don't see him as being very right for Billy. Perhaps more of a Mr. Snow but also probably a good choice for Jigger. Obviously not remotely a Mr. Bascombe at the time, but that just shows the insanity of these things sometimes. The understudy for Billy was Duane Boutté, who usually played Enoch Snow, Jr., and Orin Peesley. Odd to have Enoch Snow, Jr. understudy Billy. As you may recall, four performances were canceled when Hayden (according to the Times) "damaged his vocal cords by singing while suffering from a viral infection, and Duane Boutté, Mr. Hayden's understudy, developed a bronchial infection. With neither man able to go on, the Wednesday matinee and evening shows were canceled. The next day, the Thursday and Friday performances were canceled." The problems had actually started a couple of weeks earlier. Rumor at the time said that part of the problem was that Boutté was simply miscast, although it seems he was also genuinely unwell. He did get through one performance, but barely, and it was reported that 25 people asked for a refund after the performance. So, as mentioned above (and as you probably already knew), Marcus Lovett was brought in on two days' rehearsal to take over the role as necessary. Was James considered as a possible emergency replacement? I guess not, or it was decided that he wasn't really right for it. |
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| re: Brian d'Arcy James | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 08:38 pm EDT 04/07/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Brian d'Arcy James - AlanScott 11:11 pm EDT 04/06/18 | |
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| Yes, thanks, I remembered most of that. But I guess you and I disagree as to whether or not Brian would have been right for Billy. Of course we will never know, not having seen him play the role, but it seems to me he would have been almost perfect for it at that time. Can I ask in what way you think he wouldn't have been right for the part? | |
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| re: Brian d'Arcy James | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 10:40 pm EDT 04/07/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Brian d'Arcy James - Michael_Portantiere 08:38 pm EDT 04/07/18 | |
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| I'm tempted to plead the fifth, but that perhaps sounds worse. I just never saw him as having had looks that would make the local ladies swoon. And he doesn't seem physically intimidating in any way. I'm not saying he couldn't make up for these things. Hayden made up for the latter to some degree, as I presume Burgess Meredith did when he won high praise for playing Liliom and as Charles Boyer certainly does in the Lang film of Liliom. But perhaps the text of the musical ups the need for an actor who is both very good looking and has a physicality that looks like people would be a bit afraid (or a lot afraid) to get on his bad side. Anyway, I do think that James could have made up for the latter but not so much for the former. I'm not saying he's unattractive, but I also don't see him as having the exceptional good looks that Billy should have. If he had played the role, perhaps I would have felt that he pulled it off. But he hardly seems ideal or a natural for it to me. |
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| re: Brian d'Arcy James | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:47 pm EDT 04/07/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Brian d'Arcy James - AlanScott 10:40 pm EDT 04/07/18 | |
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| Thanks. I guess we disagree that he didn't have the looks for it, but of course that's tremendously subjective :-) And yes, as for being physically imposing in terms of brawn, I would say Hayden was pretty much the same in that regard, although maybe a bit taller? All I know is that a few years after CAROUSEL, when Brian was coming into his own as a performer (in TITANIC) and I realized that he had been in the ensemble of CAROUSEL, I thought it was unfortunate that he hadn't been tapped to play Billy. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: sergius 03:18 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - pagates 12:40 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| I did see the Hytner production. It was 25 years ago (!), but I remember it was thrilling and felt entirely new. The opening, as many here have noted, was transporting. The stage design was expansive and very beautiful. And still the show felt intimate and almost naturalistic; the various relationships between characters registered as more honest and sincere, stripped as they largely were of their musical comedy gloss. There really is no comparing the Hytner production with the present one. This one has its moments, but it isn’t cohesive; it lacks a point of view. And, as I mentioned, the design elements are peculiarly bad, unaccomplished as verisimilitude or as poetry. The current production is worth seeing for the performers but it isn’t nearly as expressive, as feelingful as the Hytner which blew by like a crisp, invigorating wind. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: pagates 05:48 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - sergius 03:18 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| Thanks, Sergius. I'll never forget it. Until Hytner I had no idea that Carousel was anything other than an audition opportunity for a singer to make us weep for the special someone who is watching over us (oh wait, that's a different play). Of course, all I'd seen were HS & other amateur productions along with the movie; but I'd seen plenty of them. Walk Alone being so well loved, everyone wanted to prove themselves with it. In the Hytner production I discovered that musical theater could actually speak truth about life's hard parts, as well as the joyful ones. It was so honest. And so much more moving for that. I've always contended that its putatively weak vocals were one of the production's strengths, and decidedly not a weakness. Soliloquy was devastatingly gut wrenching. Topping it all off, there was Audra Ann showing us (save a peculiar critic) that the important differences among Down Easters has nothing to do with color and everything to do with character. That, of course is still true (and not only in Maine). | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: sergius 07:56 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - pagates 05:48 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| Thanks for these thoughtful comments, pagates. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: liam44 01:12 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - pagates 12:40 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| I saw the Hytner production both in London and at LC. No comparison Hytner's was a brilliant well conceive production with Bob's Crowley amazing designs. Jack O'Briens is not very good revival especially in the design elements and his overall direction. If you watch the opening scene on youtube of the Hytner production you will see the magic he brought to that production, you can also see that Santo Loquasto seem to borrow freely from Bob Crowely's design. Watch how the top of carousel descends from the files and opens up, same setup on Broadway. Of course in that production we had a complete Carousel, here on Broadway, just one horse off to the side which makes no sense. | |
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| The Hytner production .. | |
| Posted by: jdm 05:00 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - liam44 01:12 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| had one of the most amazing beginnings of a show ever, the carousel coming together during the opening waltz. I believe Crowley won two Tonys that year, also for An Inspector Calls - another "wow" production! Jim |
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| re: The Hytner production .. | |
| Posted by: chamberlain 11:49 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: The Hytner production .. - jdm 05:00 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| An Inspector Calls was designed by Ian MacNeil, designer of the current Angels in America. | |
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| re: The Hytner production .. | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 05:31 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: The Hytner production .. - jdm 05:00 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| The entire opening section of the Hytner production was amazing, but in my memory, the most breathtaking moment of it was the transition from the very beginning -- with the girls toiling away at the looms in the factory -- into the rest of it, with the girl escaping the factory at closing time and running to the fairgrounds, etc. It was as if Rodgers had written those dark opening measures specifically to depict the drudgery of the mill workers, but of course that's not how the original production opened. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: pagates 01:46 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - liam44 01:12 pm EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| Thanks, Iliam I saw the Hytner production as well and also regard it as one of the great ones - which is why I asked Sergius for his thoughts on this. Very glad to hear yours as well. I think our views are not universally held about Hytner's. But I suppose the lack of universality is one of the reasons we have revivals. And I'm also very glad for that. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: schauspieler 12:46 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: CAROUSEL Tonight - sergius 12:06 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| Very glad I saw it too, was exhilarated by the music and most of the singing, particularly by Lindsay Mendez and Alexander Gemignani whose effortless, clear-as-a-bell tones were a delight. Justin Peck's choreography straddles ballet and Broadway, and is sometimes clumsy and sometimes revelatory, as when he transformed my least favorite song in the show, "Blow High..." into such an original and fun number. (Great surprise seeing Amar Ramasar from City Ballet as Jigger). Joshua Henry and Jessie Mueller had plenty of chemistry - don't get the complaints I've read here- but the role seems to be stretching her range uncomfortably. Nothing cringe-worthy, and maybe just stands out more in light of all the other fine singing. Agree the design is mostly badly done, though occasionally comes up with a bit of magic. Some of the dance costumes and those for the angels are hideous. The orchestra sounds marvelous and the sound design is first rate. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Posted by: lowwriter 12:52 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: re: CAROUSEL Tonight - schauspieler 12:46 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| The sound design is excellent. You're right about the angels' costumes. Ugly. But some of the other costumes are nice. | |
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| re: CAROUSEL Tonight | |
| Last Edit: lowwriter 12:34 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
| Posted by: lowwriter 12:27 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
| In reply to: CAROUSEL Tonight - sergius 12:06 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| I was there tonight as well. I thought the singing was splendid tonight. I also was enchanted by much of the dancing. Amar Ramasar from the New York City Ballet is especially strong. As far as the scenic design goes, I have was sitting in dead center first row rear mezzanine and the sets do not look shoddy up there. The costumes are fine. I don't think this was a great production but it is far from the disaster that I was expecting from reading several posts here. And it is good enough that I would definitely return to hear the score and watch the dancing. I thought Joshua Henry was mostly strong but he seemed uncomfortable in some of his scenes. Is this a problem with the direction? I had no problem with Jessie Mueller's performance though I wish she had had more to sing. Lindsay Mendez and Alexander Gemignani are wonderful as Carrie and Enoch though I can't say I was as over the moon about Mendez as some have felt here. There wasn't as much of the Starkeeper tonight but his brief appearances in Act One are distracting. The new Playbill features Joshua Henry in near darkness illuminated by a spotlight but Jessie Mueller isn't present at all. Weird. |
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