Today in theatre history: On April 19, 1945, Rodgers and Hammerstein鈥檚 Carousel premiered on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre. Eighty years later, the musical remains a beloved-yet-controversial stalwart in the musical theatre canon.
The original production, which starred Jan Clayton as Julie Jordan and John Raitt as Billy Bigelow, introduced the classic show tunes 鈥淚f I Loved You,鈥� 鈥淛une Is Bustin鈥� Out All Over,鈥� and 鈥淵ou鈥檒l Never Walk Alone.鈥� Centering on the stormy relationship between the brash carousel barker Billy Bigelow and the quietly devoted millworker Julie Jordan, Carousel was the second major collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. Choreographer Agnes de Mille provided an impactful dream ballet, as she had done with R&H's runaway success, Oklahoma!.
Jan Clayton and John Raitt
John Raitt and Cast
Jan Clayton and John Raitt
Robert Byrn, Franklyn Fox, J. Clayton, and John Raitt in Carousel
As Ted Chapin, the former President of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, said to 半岛体育 in 2021, "Carousel was Richard Rodgers鈥� favorite musical. Boldly, he stated in his autobiography, 'One of the most frequent questions I am asked is: 鈥榃hat is your favorite of all your musicals?鈥� My answer is Carousel. Oscar never wrote more meaningful or more moving lyrics, and to me, my score is more satisfying that any I鈥檝e ever written.' Well, that鈥檚 pretty clear!"
"Billy is one of the musical theatre鈥檚 great anti-heroes. His music is glorious, but he is full of flaws, not all of which he sees or admits to. Yes, we are told, he hit his wife, provoked by an argument she won. Whoa! That was bad behavior in 1945 and nothing in the changing of the world has made that moment any less reprehensible. He doesn鈥檛 see what all the fuss is about鈥攚e can, and do. But we also see Julie鈥檚 complete devotion to him, and that鈥檚 what makes the story so interesting. There is a chemistry between those two that is explosive and solid. She has chosen him as the one for her, and in her own quiet and determined way, she is going to stick it out. That makes for highly dramatic moments, and yet it鈥檚 a sentiment that has caused push back."
Carousel's original Broadway production ran for 890 performances before becoming a film in 1956, with Oklahoma! film stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones stepping into the leading roles. While there were two brief City Center engagements of the show in the 1950s, a full revival did not return to Broadway until 1994, when Nicholas Hytner's revelatory production transferred following a hit run in England's Royal National Theatre.
While the Tony Awards did not exist in 1945 to honor the original production, the 1994 revival swept its competition away, winning every award for which it was nominated: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical for Hytner, Best Choreography for Kenneth MacMillan, Best Scenic Design for Bob Crowley, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for an actress then-known as Audra Ann McDonald. The revival would launch McDonald into the upper stratosphere of musical theatre actors, kicking off the winning streak that would lead her to become the first person to earn six Tony Award wins for acting, with at least one win in every category for which she is eligible (Best Leading Actress in a Musical and in a Play, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical and in a Play).
In 2018, Carousel returned to Broadway once more, this time under the watchful eye of Jack O'Brien. While this revival was not as glowingly received as the 1994 supernova, it still got 11 Tony nominations, with wins for Best Choreography for Justin Peck, and once again, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Lindsay Mendez, playing the same role (Carrie Pipperidge) that had won McDonald her first Tony.
As audiences and creatives alike continue to grapple with the complex relationship at the center of Carousel, one can never deny the immense impact it has had over the last 80 years. Whether you're a John Raitt purist, a Gordon MacRae diehard, a Michael Hayden fan, or a Joshua Henry stan, chances are there is at least one performance of Billy Bigelow's "Soliloquy" that can bring a tear to your eye. Check out photos from all three of Broadway's major productions above and below!
Visit the 半岛体育 Vault to learn what other theatrical events occurred on April 19.
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