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Carousel

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Carousel, playing Wednesday-Sunday through June 26th at Raleigh Little Theatre, is a moving musical fantasy about two star-crossed lovers -- carnival barker Billy Bigelow (Robbie Phillips) and millworker Julie Jordan (Kimberly Wagner) -- whose epic love story extends even beyond Billy’s untimely and ignominious death.

Billy’s a handsome ladies’ man, a penniless ne’er-do-well, a sponger, and something of a cad. By contrast, Julie’s a true innocent, a highly impressionable young lady, lovely and sweet, but hopelessly naïve about men.

Just when you think that Julie is about to become Billy’s flavor of the week, true love blossoms between this unlikely couple, much to the consternation of Billy’s employer, carousel owner Mrs. Mullin (Janice K. Coville), and Julie’s employer, mill owner David Bascombe (Phil Crone). (Mrs. Mullin knows that handsome Billy is the primary reason that scores of young ladies flock to her carousel, and Bascombe is an inflexible autocrat who sets an early curfew for all his “girls.”) When Billy and Julie defy their employers to go on their first date, late at night, they find themselves out of a job. Then, soon after they marry, Julie gets pregnant.

Unable to find steady employment because of his unsavory reputation and his hair-trigger temper, Billy succumbs to the not-so-gentle persuasion of his fair-weather friend -- jailbird-turned-sailor Jigger Craigin (Charlie McNeill) -- to participate in a risky payroll robbery scheme, which goes horribly awry. So, the scene for tragedy is set in this bittersweet musical fantasy, which TIME Magazine selected in 1999 as the greatest musical of the 20th century.

The current RLT production of this Carousel, set between 1873 and 1888 in a coastal village in Maine, has much to recommend it. Strongly staged by director Haskell Fitz-Simons and crisply choreographed by Freddie Lee Heath, this Carousel also turns to the beat of the spirited accompaniment provided by musical director Julie Florin and the RLT orchestra.

Scenic designer and lighting designer Rick Young’s multilevel set -- complete with video screen to simulate the carousel sequences and, later, the rotation of the constellations -- and his moody atmospheric lighting also enhance the production, and so do the vivid assortment of authentic 19th century outfits created by costume designer Vickie Olson.

RLT’s Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan -- Robbie Phillips and Kimberly Wagner -- are superb singers, but Phillips lacks the charisma that made Billy Bigelow so irresistible to women. Wagner’s passionate portrayal of Julie Jordan is much more convincing.

Blair Tecklenberg and Don Smith, on the other hand, are just about perfect as Julie’s perky best friend and confident, Carrie Pipperidge, and Carrie’s fiancé, handsome herring fisherman Enoch Snow. Tecklenberg’s Carrie is cute as a button, and Smith’s Enoch is a delight.

Alison Lawrence is charming as Julie’s cousin, big-hearted spa owner Nettie Fowler, who takes Julie and Billy in when they have no place else to go; Phil Crone is suitably gruff as the imperious David Bascombe; and Charlie McNeill plays Jigger Craigin -- the man Carousel audiences love to hate -- as a scallywag’s scallywag.

Janice Coville is less satisfactory as Mrs. Mullin; but Sarah Richardson is sweet as 15-year-old Louise Bigelow, a lonely child stigmatized by her father’s disgrace; and Triangle theater legend John T. Hall is simply splendid as the powerful Starkeeper, who gives Billy Bigelow the opportunity to return to earth for a single day to finish all his unfinished business with Julie and Louise.

Although there are a few performances that need a little polishing, overall Raleigh Little Theatre’s rendition of Carousel is a real crowd-pleaser. It is the type of musical play -- and the type of production -- that leaves audience members with a smile on their faces and tears in their eyes.

Note: Raleigh Little Theatre managing director Cate Foltin says RLT will donate 10 percent of every ticket sold to help restore the historic carousel in nearby Pullen Park. The carousel has been a principal attraction of the park since 1915.

Raleigh Little Theatre presents Carousel Wednesday-Saturday, June 8-11, 15-18, and 22-25, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 12, 19, and 26, at 3 p.m. on RLT’s Cantey V. Sutton Main Stage, 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, North Carolina. $14 Wednesday, $18 Thursday/Sunday, $21 Friday-Saturday evenings, and $12 Sunday for student and seniors. 919/821-3111 or click here. Note: All performances are wheelchair accessible. Raleigh Little Theatre: http://www.raleighlittletheatre.org/carousel.htm. R&H Theatricals: http://www.rnhtheatricals.com/show.php?show_id=85. Internet Broadway Database: http://www.ibdb.com/show.asp?ID=2419. Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049055/.

WHAT: Robert's Reviews is a FREE weekly e-mail theatrical newsletter, featuring previews and reviews by Robert W. McDowell and reviews by Alan R. Hall, Todd Morman, and Scott Ross. (For brief bios of our contributors, see http://www.cvnc.org/about/critics-bios.html.) John Lambert and Classical Voice of North Carolina reprint our previews, reviews, theater calendar, and theater and film links online at http://www.cvnc.org/. Robert’s Reviews previews and reviews are now listed under “Performance Reviews” on the CVNC home page. (Just click on the show title for the preview, which will be followed on the web page by the review.) For a comprehensive list of Triangle “Theatre Openings,” see http://www.cvnc.org/calendar/openings.html. For our extensive list of “Theater and Film Links,” go to http://www.cvnc.org/links/theatre.html. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? E-mail RobertM748@aol.com.

DONATIONS: If you value the comprehensive, in-depth Triangle theater coverage that Robert’s Reviews provides, please use your credit card to donate online via PayPal: http://www.cvnc.org/support/index.html; or mail a generous check today to Classical Voice of North Carolina, 3305 Ruffin Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-4025. Because CVNC is a 501(c)(3) organization, all financial contributions are tax-deductible. Be sure to indicate that you want to support continued online publication of Robert’s Reviews.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE: E-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE ROBERT’S REVIEWS in the Subject: line. To have your name removed from our mailing list, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type UNSUBSCRIBE ROBERT’S REVIEWS in the Subject: line.

COPYRIGHT: Editorial content and all formats © 2004 CVNC and the respective authors. Reproduction in any form without authorization of Classical Voice of North Carolina and the respective authors is prohibited. CVNC will maintain an archive of standard previews and reviews from past issues for at least a year, at http://cvnc.org/reviews/archives.html. To request copies of web articles from 2003 and earlier, e-mail cvnc1@earthlink.net.

 


You are here: Home > Reviews and articles about the theatre's productions > Carousel

Carousel

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Carousel, playing Wednesday-Sunday through June 26th at Raleigh Little Theatre, is a moving musical fantasy about two star-crossed lovers -- carnival barker Billy Bigelow (Robbie Phillips) and millworker Julie Jordan (Kimberly Wagner) -- whose epic love story extends even beyond Billy’s untimely and ignominious death.

Billy’s a handsome ladies’ man, a penniless ne’er-do-well, a sponger, and something of a cad. By contrast, Julie’s a true innocent, a highly impressionable young lady, lovely and sweet, but hopelessly naïve about men.

Just when you think that Julie is about to become Billy’s flavor of the week, true love blossoms between this unlikely couple, much to the consternation of Billy’s employer, carousel owner Mrs. Mullin (Janice K. Coville), and Julie’s employer, mill owner David Bascombe (Phil Crone). (Mrs. Mullin knows that handsome Billy is the primary reason that scores of young ladies flock to her carousel, and Bascombe is an inflexible autocrat who sets an early curfew for all his “girls.”) When Billy and Julie defy their employers to go on their first date, late at night, they find themselves out of a job. Then, soon after they marry, Julie gets pregnant.

Unable to find steady employment because of his unsavory reputation and his hair-trigger temper, Billy succumbs to the not-so-gentle persuasion of his fair-weather friend -- jailbird-turned-sailor Jigger Craigin (Charlie McNeill) -- to participate in a risky payroll robbery scheme, which goes horribly awry. So, the scene for tragedy is set in this bittersweet musical fantasy, which TIME Magazine selected in 1999 as the greatest musical of the 20th century.

The current RLT production of this Carousel, set between 1873 and 1888 in a coastal village in Maine, has much to recommend it. Strongly staged by director Haskell Fitz-Simons and crisply choreographed by Freddie Lee Heath, this Carousel also turns to the beat of the spirited accompaniment provided by musical director Julie Florin and the RLT orchestra.

Scenic designer and lighting designer Rick Young’s multilevel set -- complete with video screen to simulate the carousel sequences and, later, the rotation of the constellations -- and his moody atmospheric lighting also enhance the production, and so do the vivid assortment of authentic 19th century outfits created by costume designer Vickie Olson.

RLT’s Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan -- Robbie Phillips and Kimberly Wagner -- are superb singers, but Phillips lacks the charisma that made Billy Bigelow so irresistible to women. Wagner’s passionate portrayal of Julie Jordan is much more convincing.

Blair Tecklenberg and Don Smith, on the other hand, are just about perfect as Julie’s perky best friend and confident, Carrie Pipperidge, and Carrie’s fiancé, handsome herring fisherman Enoch Snow. Tecklenberg’s Carrie is cute as a button, and Smith’s Enoch is a delight.

Alison Lawrence is charming as Julie’s cousin, big-hearted spa owner Nettie Fowler, who takes Julie and Billy in when they have no place else to go; Phil Crone is suitably gruff as the imperious David Bascombe; and Charlie McNeill plays Jigger Craigin -- the man Carousel audiences love to hate -- as a scallywag’s scallywag.

Janice Coville is less satisfactory as Mrs. Mullin; but Sarah Richardson is sweet as 15-year-old Louise Bigelow, a lonely child stigmatized by her father’s disgrace; and Triangle theater legend John T. Hall is simply splendid as the powerful Starkeeper, who gives Billy Bigelow the opportunity to return to earth for a single day to finish all his unfinished business with Julie and Louise.

Although there are a few performances that need a little polishing, overall Raleigh Little Theatre’s rendition of Carousel is a real crowd-pleaser. It is the type of musical play -- and the type of production -- that leaves audience members with a smile on their faces and tears in their eyes.

Note: Raleigh Little Theatre managing director Cate Foltin says RLT will donate 10 percent of every ticket sold to help restore the historic carousel in nearby Pullen Park. The carousel has been a principal attraction of the park since 1915.

Raleigh Little Theatre presents Carousel Wednesday-Saturday, June 8-11, 15-18, and 22-25, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 12, 19, and 26, at 3 p.m. on RLT’s Cantey V. Sutton Main Stage, 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, North Carolina. $14 Wednesday, $18 Thursday/Sunday, $21 Friday-Saturday evenings, and $12 Sunday for student and seniors. 919/821-3111 or click here. Note: All performances are wheelchair accessible. Raleigh Little Theatre: http://www.raleighlittletheatre.org/carousel.htm. R&H Theatricals: http://www.rnhtheatricals.com/show.php?show_id=85. Internet Broadway Database: http://www.ibdb.com/show.asp?ID=2419. Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049055/.

WHAT: Robert's Reviews is a FREE weekly e-mail theatrical newsletter, featuring previews and reviews by Robert W. McDowell and reviews by Alan R. Hall, Todd Morman, and Scott Ross. (For brief bios of our contributors, see http://www.cvnc.org/about/critics-bios.html.) John Lambert and Classical Voice of North Carolina reprint our previews, reviews, theater calendar, and theater and film links online at http://www.cvnc.org/. Robert’s Reviews previews and reviews are now listed under “Performance Reviews” on the CVNC home page. (Just click on the show title for the preview, which will be followed on the web page by the review.) For a comprehensive list of Triangle “Theatre Openings,” see http://www.cvnc.org/calendar/openings.html. For our extensive list of “Theater and Film Links,” go to http://www.cvnc.org/links/theatre.html. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? E-mail RobertM748@aol.com.

DONATIONS: If you value the comprehensive, in-depth Triangle theater coverage that Robert’s Reviews provides, please use your credit card to donate online via PayPal: http://www.cvnc.org/support/index.html; or mail a generous check today to Classical Voice of North Carolina, 3305 Ruffin Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-4025. Because CVNC is a 501(c)(3) organization, all financial contributions are tax-deductible. Be sure to indicate that you want to support continued online publication of Robert’s Reviews.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE: E-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE ROBERT’S REVIEWS in the Subject: line. To have your name removed from our mailing list, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type UNSUBSCRIBE ROBERT’S REVIEWS in the Subject: line.

COPYRIGHT: Editorial content and all formats © 2004 CVNC and the respective authors. Reproduction in any form without authorization of Classical Voice of North Carolina and the respective authors is prohibited. CVNC will maintain an archive of standard previews and reviews from past issues for at least a year, at http://cvnc.org/reviews/archives.html. To request copies of web articles from 2003 and earlier, e-mail cvnc1@earthlink.net.

 

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