Carousel

Those first few bars of music from the orchestra matched perfectly my sense of anticipation for what was about to unfold in front of me. Carousel is a notoriously difficult show to do well. From characters that are dripping with angst and emotion to fantasy scenes set in another world - not to mention the heavy dance requirements - the performers have to work incredibly hard to hold a connection with their audience. The setting of this production moved from the traditional coast of New England to America's deep south. I'm not altogether sure that this move was necessary, but most of the principles managed to place their accents in the right state, with a couple of iffy exceptions - with Nettie Fowler getting the award for best accent from me. Jigger (with his gruff, godfather voice) gets the award for most intimidating character, looming quietly in the back of scenes... Glaring... Ready to thump someone. I stayed hidden behind the rest of the audience! Carousel is a tearjerker by nature, but I was confident that it wouldn't get to me, particularly as the first act had some moments that dragged a little (Act One, Scene Two of Carousel can be something of an endurance test). But I was wrong. The director not only altered the location but also played with some of the established norms of the show by developing the backstory of anti-hero Billy Bigelow. The grand and sweeping overture played host to far more than the first meeting between the leading couple, but also told us a tale of anger and heartbreak that shaped young Billy's development as a child. A key part of this was a toy carousel, just bigger than a fist, that young Billy was given and carried with him the rest of his (short) life. It was this toy carousel that was returned to Billy by the Starkeeper instead of the scripted 'star' and when Julie discovered it on her porch all those years after Billy's awkward suicide, the audience and I wept with her. An excellent story-telling embellishment! A sparse but well designed set was enhanced by a good lighting plot which added to the darker atmosphere befitting the mood set by the very well performed Billy - do we love him, do we hate him. I just don't know! During the first act I was unconvinced at the relationship between Julie and Billy and I struggled to see why they were hooked on each other. But come the second act when Billy gets his darkness going and Julie starts trying to cling to the vestiges of their marriage, the dynamic between the two became much more powerful... and destructive. But a dark shadow would be nothing without a ray of sunshine to compare it to and balancing out the tormented leading couple were the epitome of jollity, the Snows. Carrie and Enoch were both played with gusto and frivolity (and I definitely detected a hint of kinkiness thrown in as well!). Carrie was one of the strongest performers on the stage and when she was teamed up with the hilariously baffoon-like Enoch they were a force to be reckoned with. It was a shame that a couple of their initial musical numbers were played far too speedily - they barely had time to get the words out, let alone perform them. One perfectly executed Snow moment in act two was the entrance of Enoch and his brood (nicknamed the 'Snowdrops'!), which drew delighted laughter from the audience as they trooped onto the stage in true von-Trapp style with a perfect 30 degree angle from oldest to youngest crowns! Mr Snow your laugh was infectious. Please keep it up in your regular life. Supporting the main action were a large company, with one or two strong performers catching my eye. The girls fighting over Jigger, the young man who ate a few too many clams and had to make a quick exit and the lady whose animated sweeping and facial expressions oozed with gossip and disapproval! The general company’s finest hour was in the opening of Act two. As the curtain raised we were greeted with a stage draped with the gorged, drunk and licentious merry-makers singing, dancing, twittering and generally inviting us to have a good time - and we did! Although the general company's dancing was a little weak, with some judicious trimming of music and simplification of movement made to compensate, some excellent choreography was performed in both the revised opening as well as the classic 'Ballet' sequence, with gold stars going to Louise and her carnival crush who successfully showed us all how messed up Louise was. A few technical issues with microphones didn't hamper the production too much, although a few ambient sound effects would have enhanced the atmosphere further. While the stage crew worked slickly with just one awkward pause. The costuming was strong with some stand-outs, including the transvestite Starkeeper in massive sparkly heels and his entourage in sexy power-suits and black lipstick, the glamorous heavenly friend in white nun's outfit with sparkly accessories and the fabulous Mrs Mullin who was sporting an incredibly striking ring master style outfit that would have made Billy Smart blush! Overall this was a solid production full of vibrant characters, soaring orchestration and a triumphant finale.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.