"Carousel" 2018 Broadway revival
I saw the 1994 revival when I was 9 years old and it holds personal significance for me (not completely because of the actual show, but who I saw it with). I think I want to see the new revival, but I wonder if 32-year-old self would be too analytical for me to enjoy it.
"Carousel"'s strength is the famous score, which is rapturous, especially when sung by Audra McDonald's Carrie. I can't imagine another Billy besides Michael Hayden, who wasn't even nominated for a Tony Award for his performance, but the new Billy is black (Joshua Henry, "The Scottsboro Boys") and this does change the show - even if it's not supposed to. Carrie was a supporting character and Audra took a bland role and made it - through being Audra - into the show's biggest role. Billy, however, is a lead - and he's always been white, at least in major productions of the show. I love the idea of color-blind casting - it's worked very well in the past - but "Carousel" is one heck of a show to do it in - because of the new racial dynamics when Billy is black and Julie is a white girl being beaten by him. The show - now under new assessment because of the revival - is being criticized for its book (the spoken script).
Keep in mind that this show is not set in the present, its set in New England shortly after the Civil War ends - so it takes a leap.
A show like "Kiss Me Kate" where Brian Stokes Mitchell plays the lead is a little different because "Kiss Me Kate" is more easily transferable to an abstract present day setting. "Carousel" is dated, it's undeniably 19th century.
Anyway - i'd just like your opinions on the current revival and if maybe some of you have seen it or are planning on seeing it, or if you're just familiar with the show and want to talk about how it could work. The consensus seems to be that while "Carousel" has a beautiful score, it is getting harder for it to "fit" into the 21st century.
Here are some Carrie Bradshaw-esque questions for you: Are some revivals better left behind in the past? Or is every musical potentially a good revival? Are there real limits to color-blind casting? For example, can Tony from West Side Story really be played by an Asian --- on the Broadway stage? (he probably has been in high school productions) If you were mounting a revival of your favorite musical, what would you change? What would you keep? How would you make it fresh for a new generation?
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | December 12, 2018 9:21 AM
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I loved that 1994 revival as well, OP. Particularly the sets and lighting. Felt so contemporary at the time; not sure what another revival will bring to the production design.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | April 13, 2018 11:08 PM
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I loved the sets too. It seemed so cutting edge - and different. Actually one of the things that's being criticized in this show is the set design, but from the new pictures on the website, they don't seem bad... just not a highlight of the production
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | April 13, 2018 11:12 PM
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Expect a protest from the black community.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | April 13, 2018 11:16 PM
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I prefer the timeline stay the same - where in this century would there be a carousel barker? The title would make no sense.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | April 14, 2018 12:00 AM
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I saw the 1994 revival. It was spectacular. The new revival is beautifully sung and horribly directed. This is my favorite show and I was terribly disappointed.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | April 14, 2018 2:14 AM
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There are some savage reviews popping up online for this show. I doubt it will get any Tony love.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | April 14, 2018 12:08 PM
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Was Kevin Spacey your memorable escort in 1994, OP?
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | April 14, 2018 12:18 PM
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Seems to be a microcosm of the criticism. PC hits:
In a recent American Theatre article, Diep Tran looks at a crop of Broadway revivals full of default sexism that are being staged by middle-aged white male directors. It’s not that shows like Carousel, My Fair Lady, and Kiss Me Kate should be put out to pasture, but that in all their abundance of compelling and contentious material, they’re starving for fresh perspectives. With O’Brien’s production, Carousel has been revisited, but it hasn’t truly been revived. For the merry-go-round to be worth another ride, someone has got to bring some new ideas along.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | April 14, 2018 1:06 PM
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I loved this production and the flaws that I see are small when compared to it's successes. It has received excellent reviews in The Wrap, Broadway News, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Beast, the Hollywood Reporter, the New York Daily News and the New York Stage Review.
It's not surprising that in this "Me Too" era when male chauvinism and violence against women is once again being given a hard look in the culture generally that nearly all reviewers reference this aspect of the story in their reviews. Several which feature this problem prominently also include many superlatives for the artistic strengths of this production. Those include Deadline, Newsday, the New York Times and Vulture. One of the more critical reviews was in Entertainment Weekly.
Most of these reviews were written by men. If I recall correctly, of the four reviews that featured a discussion of violence against women prominently, three were written by women and one by a man. In the category of mostly positive reviews that featured this discussion less prominently all but one were written by men.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | April 14, 2018 2:13 PM
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