OPERA REVIEW: Glimmerglass’ ‘Carousel’

Offers Talent, Verve, Fine Conducting, Etc.

By ROBERT MOYNIHAN • allotsego.com

 The chief excellence of this production?  The young cast members, their talent and  verve  – with fine orchestral conducting, dancing, and vocal performances –

The Hammerstein dialogue, however, must have been written on his off days, with tedious near-rhymes and banalities meant to represent “the folk.”

One might disagree with the literate though highly optimistic (if not euphoric) interview with director Charles Newel1 in the Glimmerglass program. He waxes ecstatic about the musical’s book. To paraphrase the Marx brothers and S.J. Perelman about “waxing wroth,” let the book wax him, or in the original joke: “Let Roth wax him for a while.”

The Carousel dialogue is frequently wooden but cannot catch fire. Such as it is, the text requires much more rapid delivery. According to one history of the American theater, however, the original production resulted in tears of sympathy, not frustration.

This musical appeared in 1945 and created a minor sensation with its dances and superb songs, but closed before its rival show, Oklahoma, by the same authors. Some of the Oklahoma participants came to Carousel, including choreographer Agnes De Mille and director Rouben Mamoulian. One of the songs was also lifted  – “This Was a Real Nice Hayride” became a real nice clambake.

The other songs? The most famous is “You Never Walk Alone,” a superb pietistic ballad. After nearly three hours, it is repeated as a skillful, affecting reprise. Others include “If I Loved You” and “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over”  – all have become perennial favorites in the American songbook.

With that real nice clambake, others failed to survive independently: “You’re a Queer One, Julie Jordan,” “When I Marry Mr. Snow,” “What’s the Use of Wonderin”‘  – etc.

The excellent cast  – young, beautiful, handsome  – with fine voices—includes Ryan McKinny, Sharin Apostolou, Andrea Carroll. Conductor Doug Peck leads a responsive orchestra; Daniel Pelzig imaginative, spirited dancing.

The final paragraph of this review comes from the director, Charles Newell:

Julie Jordan “is an outsider, and she feels alone. At the same time, she has this steadfast faith about the possibility of a better future. She leans into this faith, despite the abuse. I find this to be a deeply human response.”

Or, despite a good deal of contrary evidence, you never walk alone.