View source for Carousel (musical)

{{short description|Musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein}}
{{Infobox musical
| name = Carousel 
| image = Musical1945-Carousel-OriginalPoster.jpg
| image_size = 215px 
| caption = Original Broadway poster (1945)
| music = [[Richard Rodgers]]
| lyrics = [[Oscar Hammerstein II]]
| book = Oscar Hammerstein II
| basis = ''[[Liliom]]'' <br> by [[Ferenc Molnár]]
| productions =
  {{plainlist|
* 1945 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]
* 1947 U.S. tour
* 1949 Broadway [[revival (theatre)|revival]]
* 1950 [[West End theatre|West End]]
* 1992 West End revival
* 1994 Broadway revival
* 1996 U.S. tour
* 2008 West End revival
* 2017 London revival
* 2018 Broadway revival
<!-- Please do not add productions to infobox until they actually open; IB should note only major-market productions-->
  }}
<!-- Please do not include production-specific (acting, directing, etc.) awards -->
| awards =
  {{plainlist|
* 1945 [[New York Drama Critics Circle Award]], Best Musical
* 1992 [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival]]
* 1994 [[Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical]]
  }}
}}

'''''Carousel''''' is the second [[musical theatre|musical]] by the team of [[Richard Rodgers]] (music) and [[Oscar Hammerstein II]] (book and lyrics). The 1945 work was adapted from [[Ferenc Molnár]]'s 1909 play ''[[Liliom]]'', transplanting its [[Budapest]] setting to the [[Maine]] coastline. The story revolves around<!-- pun intended --> [[carousel]] [[barker (occupation)|barker]] Billy Bigelow, whose romance with millworker Julie Jordan comes at the price of both their jobs. He participates in a robbery to provide for Julie and their unborn child; after it goes tragically wrong, he is given a chance to make things right. A secondary plot line deals with millworker Carrie Pipperidge and her romance with ambitious fisherman Enoch Snow. The show includes the songs "[[If I Loved You]]", "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" and "[[You'll Never Walk Alone]]". Richard Rodgers later wrote that ''Carousel'' was his favorite of all his musicals.

Following the spectacular success of the first [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]] musical, ''[[Oklahoma!]]'' (1943), the pair sought to collaborate on another piece, knowing that any resulting work would be compared with ''Oklahoma!'', most likely unfavorably. They were initially reluctant to seek the rights to ''Liliom''; Molnár had refused permission for the work to be adapted in the past, and the original ending was considered too depressing for the musical theatre. After acquiring the rights, the team created a work with lengthy sequences of music and made the ending more hopeful.

The musical required considerable modification during out-of-town tryouts, but once it opened on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] on April 19, 1945, it was an immediate hit with both critics and audiences. ''Carousel'' initially ran for 890 performances and duplicated its success in the [[West End theatre|West End]] in 1950. Though it has never achieved as much commercial success as ''Oklahoma!'', the piece has been repeatedly revived, recorded several times and was [[Carousel (film)|filmed in 1956]].  A production by [[Nicholas Hytner]] enjoyed success in 1992 in London, in 1994 in New York and on tour. Another Broadway revival opened in 2018.  In 1999, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named ''Carousel'' the best musical of the 20th century.

== Background ==
=== ''Liliom'' ===
[[Ferenc Molnár]]'s Hungarian-language drama, ''[[Liliom]]'', premiered in [[Budapest]] in 1909. The audience was puzzled  by the work, and it lasted only thirty-odd performances before being withdrawn, the first shadow on Molnár's successful career as a playwright. ''Liliom'' was not presented again until after [[World War I]]. When it reappeared on the Budapest stage, it was a tremendous hit.<ref>Molnár, pp. ix–x</ref>

[[File:Liliom offers Louise a star.jpg|thumb|"A star—please, my dear—I must do something good." Liliom ([[Joseph Schildkraut]]) offers Louise (Evelyn Chard) the star he stole; 1921 [[Theatre Guild]] production]]
Except for the ending, the plots of ''Liliom'' and ''Carousel'' are very similar.<ref>Fordin, p. 226</ref> Andreas Zavocky (nicknamed Liliom, the Hungarian word for "lily", a slang term for "tough guy"),<ref name="Hyland, p. 158">Hyland, p. 158</ref> a carnival [[Barker (occupation)|barker]], falls in love with Julie Zeller, a servant girl, and they begin living together.  With both discharged from their jobs, Liliom is discontented and contemplates leaving Julie, but decides not to do so on learning that she is pregnant. A subplot involves Julie's friend Marie, who has fallen in love with Wolf Biefeld, a hotel porter—after the two marry, he becomes the owner of the hotel. Desperate to make money so that he, Julie and their child can escape to America and a better life, Liliom conspires with lowlife Ficsur to commit a robbery, but it goes badly, and Liliom stabs himself.  He dies, and his spirit is taken to heaven's police court. As Ficsur suggested while the two waited to commit the crime, would-be robbers like them do not come before God Himself. Liliom is told by the magistrate that he may go back to Earth for one day to attempt to redeem the wrongs he has done to his family, but must first spend sixteen years in a fiery purgatory.<ref name="liliom" />

On his return to Earth, Liliom encounters his daughter Louise, who, like her mother, is now a factory worker. Saying that he knew her father, he tries to give her a star he stole from the heavens. When Louise refuses to take it, he strikes her.  Not realizing who he is, Julie confronts him, but finds herself unable to be angry with him. Liliom is ushered off to his fate, presumably Hell, and Louise asks her mother if it is possible to feel a hard slap as if it was a kiss. Julie reminiscently tells her daughter that it is very possible for that to happen.<ref name="liliom">Molnár, pp. 1–185</ref>

An English translation of ''Liliom'' was credited to [[Benjamin Glazer|Benjamin "Barney" Glazer]], though there is a story that the actual translator, uncredited, was Rodgers' first major partner [[Lorenz Hart]].<ref name="n153" /> The [[Theatre Guild]] presented it in New York City in 1921, with [[Joseph Schildkraut]] as Liliom,<ref name="n153" /> and the play was a success, running 300&nbsp;performances.<ref name="h38">Hischak, p. 38</ref>  A 1940 revival with [[Burgess Meredith]] and [[Ingrid Bergman]] was seen by both Hammerstein and Rodgers.<ref name="n153">Nolan, p. 153</ref> Glazer, in introducing the English translation of ''Liliom'', wrote of the play's appeal:

<blockquote>And where in modern dramatic literature can such pearls be matched—Julie incoherently confessing to her dead lover the love she had always been ashamed to tell; Liliom crying out to the distant carousel the glad news that he is to be a father; the two thieves gambling for the spoils of their prospective robbery; Marie and Wolf posing for their portrait while the broken-hearted Julie stands looking after the vanishing Liliom, the thieves' song ringing in her ears; the two policemen grousing about pay and pensions while Liliom lies bleeding to death; Liliom furtively proffering his daughter the star he has stolen for her in heaven.&nbsp;... The temptation to count the whole scintillating string is difficult to resist.<ref>Molnár, p. xiii</ref></blockquote>

=== Inception ===
In the 1920s and 1930s, Rodgers and Hammerstein both became well known for creating [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] hits with other partners.  Rodgers, with Lorenz Hart, had produced a string of over two dozen musicals, including such popular successes as ''[[Babes in Arms]]'' (1937), ''[[The Boys from Syracuse]]'' (1938) and ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]'' (1940).<ref>Secrest, pp. 403–04</ref> Some of Rodgers' work with Hart broke new ground in musical theatre: ''[[On Your Toes]]'' was the first use of ballet to sustain the plot (in the "[[Slaughter on Tenth Avenue]]" scene), while ''Pal Joey'' flouted Broadway tradition by presenting a knave as its hero.<ref>Block (ed.), pp. 194–95</ref> Hammerstein had written or co-written the words for such hits as ''[[Rose-Marie]]'' (1924), ''[[The Desert Song]]'' (1926), ''[[The New Moon]]'' (1927) and ''[[Show Boat]]'' (1927). Although less productive in the 1930s, he wrote material for musicals and films, sharing an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for his song with [[Jerome Kern]], "[[The Last Time I Saw Paris (song)|The Last Time I Saw Paris]]", which was included in the 1941 film ''[[Lady Be Good (1941 film)|Lady Be Good]]''.<ref name="HOF">[http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C13 "Oscar Hammerstein II"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217193407/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C13 |date=2010-12-17 }}.  Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved on December 22, 2010</ref>

By the early 1940s, Hart had sunk into alcoholism and emotional turmoil, becoming unreliable and  prompting Rodgers to approach Hammerstein to ask if he would consider working with him.<ref>Layne, Joslyn. [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p84807|pure_url=yes}} Lorenz Hart Biography] at Allmusic. Retrieved on December 22, 2010</ref>  Hammerstein was eager to do so, and their first collaboration was ''[[Oklahoma!]]'' (1943).<ref name="Nolan1">Nolan, pp. 1–25.</ref> Thomas Hischak states, in his ''The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia'', that ''Oklahoma!'' is "the single most influential work in the American musical theatre.  In fact, the history of the Broadway musical can accurately be divided into what came before ''Oklahoma!'' and what came after it."<ref name="h202">Hischak, pp. 201–02</ref> An innovation for its time in integrating song, character, plot and dance, ''Oklahoma!'' would serve, according to Hischak, as "the model for Broadway shows for decades",<ref name="h202" /> and proved a huge popular and financial success.  Once it was well-launched, what to do as an encore was a daunting challenge for the pair.  Film producer [[Samuel Goldwyn]] saw ''Oklahoma!'' and advised Rodgers to shoot himself, which, according to Rodgers, "was Sam's blunt but funny way of telling me that I'd never create another show as good as ''Oklahoma!''"<ref name="shoot">Rodgers, p. 234</ref>  As they considered new projects, Hammerstein wrote, "We're such fools.  No matter what we do, everyone is bound to say, 'This is not another ''Oklahoma!''' "<ref name="Fordin, p. 224">Fordin, p. 224</ref>

''Oklahoma!'' had been a struggle to finance and produce.  Hammerstein and Rodgers met weekly in 1943 with [[Theresa Helburn]] and [[Lawrence Langner]] of the Theatre Guild, producers of the blockbuster musical, who together formed what they termed "the Gloat Club". At one such luncheon, Helburn and Langner proposed to Rodgers and Hammerstein that they turn Molnár's ''Liliom'' into a musical. Both men refused—they had no feeling for the Budapest setting and thought that the unhappy ending was unsuitable for musical theatre.<ref name="n153" /> In addition, given the unstable wartime political situation, they might need to change the setting from Hungary while in rehearsal.<ref name="tunnel">Fordin, p. 220</ref> At the next luncheon, Helburn and Langner again proposed ''Liliom'', suggesting that they move the setting to Louisiana and make Liliom a [[Louisiana Creole people|Creole]]. Rodgers and Hammerstein played with the idea over the next few weeks, but decided that Creole dialect, filled with "zis" and "zose", would sound corny and would make it difficult to write effective lyrics.<ref name="tunnel" />

A breakthrough came when Rodgers, who owned a house in [[Connecticut]], proposed a [[New England]] setting.<ref name="h157">Hyland, p. 157</ref> Hammerstein wrote of this suggestion in 1945,
<blockquote>I began to see an attractive ensemble—sailors, whalers, girls who worked in the mills up the river, clambakes on near-by islands, an amusement park on the seaboard, things people could do in crowds, people who were strong and alive and lusty, people who had always been depicted on the stage as thin-lipped puritans—a libel I was anxious to refute&nbsp;... as for the two leading characters, Julie with her courage and inner strength and outward simplicity seemed more indigenous to Maine than to Budapest.  Liliom is, of course, an international character, indigenous to nowhere.<ref name="turn">Hammerstein, Oscar II. [https://www.nytimes.com/1945/04/15/archives/turns-on-a-carousel-an-account-of-adventures-in-setting-the-play.html?sq=carousel&scp=16&st=p "Turns on a Carousel; an account of adventures in setting the play 'Liliom' to music], ''The New York Times'', April 15, 1945, Arts and Leisure, p. X1. Retrieved December 20, 2010. Fee for article.</ref></blockquote>

Rodgers and Hammerstein were also concerned about what they termed "the tunnel" of Molnár's second act—a series of gloomy scenes leading up to Liliom's suicide—followed by a dark ending. They also felt it would be difficult to set Liliom's motivation for the robbery to music.<ref name="tunnel" /> Molnár's opposition to having his works adapted was also an issue; he had famously turned down [[Giacomo Puccini]]'s request to adapt ''Liliom'' as an opera, stating that he wanted the piece to be remembered as his, not Puccini's.<ref name="n153" /> In 1937, Molnár, who had recently emigrated to the United States, had declined another offer from [[Kurt Weill]] to adapt the play into a musical.<ref name="Hyland, p. 158" />

The pair continued to work on the preliminary ideas for a ''Liliom'' adaptation while pursuing other projects in late 1943 and early 1944—writing the film musical ''[[State Fair (1945 film)|State Fair]]''<ref>Nolan, pp. 144–45</ref> and producing ''[[I Remember Mama (play)|I Remember Mama]]'' on Broadway.<ref>Fordin, pp. 223–24</ref> Meanwhile, the Theatre Guild took Molnár to see ''Oklahoma!'' Molnár stated that if Rodgers and Hammerstein could adapt ''Liliom'' as beautifully as they had modified ''[[Green Grow the Lilacs (play)|Green Grow the Lilacs]]'' into ''Oklahoma!'', he would be pleased to have them do it.<ref>Fordin, pp. 221–22</ref> The Guild obtained the rights from Molnár in October 1943. The playwright received one percent of the gross and $2,500 for "personal services".<ref>Hyland, pp. 157–58</ref> The duo insisted, as part of the contract, that Molnár permit them to make changes in the plot. At first, the playwright refused, but eventually yielded. Hammerstein later stated that if this point had not been won, "we could never have made ''Carousel''."<ref>Secrest, p. 273</ref>

In seeking to establish through song Liliom's motivation for the robbery, Rodgers remembered that he and Hart had a similar problem in ''Pal Joey''. Rodgers and Hart had overcome the problem  with a song that Joey sings to himself, "I'm Talking to My Pal". This inspired "[[Soliloquy (song)|Soliloquy]]". Both partners later told a story that "Soliloquy" was only intended to be a song about Liliom's dreams of a son, but that Rodgers, who had two daughters, insisted that Liliom consider that Julie might have a girl. However, the notes taken at their meeting of December 7, 1943, state: "Mr. Rodgers suggested a fine musical number for the end of the scene where Liliom discovers he is to be a father, in which he sings first with pride of the growth of a boy, and then suddenly realizes it might be a girl and changes completely."<ref name="edsel">Fordin, pp. 156–57</ref>
[[File:Liliom prologue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The opening carnival scene in ''Liliom'' inspired the [[Mime artist|pantomime]] that begins ''Carousel''; 1921]]
Hammerstein and Rodgers returned to the ''Liliom'' project in mid-1944.  Hammerstein was uneasy as he worked, fearing that no matter what they did, Molnár would disapprove of the results.<ref name="Fordin, p. 224" />  ''Green Grow the Lilacs'' had been a little-known work; ''Liliom'' was a theatrical standard.  Molnár's text also contained considerable commentary on the Hungarian politics of 1909 and the rigidity of that society.  A dismissed carnival barker who hits his wife, attempts a robbery and commits suicide seemed an unlikely central character for a musical comedy.<ref name="Hyland, p. 158" />  Hammerstein decided to use the words and story to make the audience sympathize with the lovers.  He also built up the secondary couple, who are incidental to the plot in ''Liliom''; they became Enoch Snow and Carrie Pipperidge.<ref>Hyland, pp. 158–59</ref>  "This Was a Real Nice Clambake" was repurposed from a song, "A Real Nice Hayride", written for ''Oklahoma!'' but not used.<ref name="b162">Block, p. 162</ref>

Molnár's ending was unsuitable, and after a couple of false starts, Hammerstein conceived the graduation scene that ends the musical.  According to [[Frederick Nolan (writer)|Frederick Nolan]] in his book on the team's works: "From that scene the song "[[You'll Never Walk Alone (song)|You'll Never Walk Alone]]" sprang almost naturally."<ref name="n157">Nolan, p. 157</ref>  In spite of Hammerstein's simple lyrics for "You'll Never Walk Alone", Rodgers had great difficulty in setting it to music.<ref>Block (ed.), p. 184</ref>  Rodgers explained his rationale for the changed ending,
<blockquote>''Liliom'' was a tragedy about a man who cannot learn to live with other people. The way Molnár wrote it, the man ends up hitting his daughter and then having to go back to purgatory, leaving his daughter helpless and hopeless.  We couldn't accept that.  The way we ended ''Carousel'' it may still be a tragedy but it's a hopeful one because in the final scene it is clear that the child has at last learned how to express herself and communicate with others.<ref>Block (ed.), p. 180</ref>
</blockquote>

When the pair decided to make "This Was a Real Nice Clambake" into an ensemble number, Hammerstein realized he had no idea what a clambake was like, and researched the matter.  Based on his initial findings, he wrote the line, "First came codfish chowder".  However, further research convinced him the proper term was "codhead chowder", a term unfamiliar to many playgoers.  He decided to keep it as "codfish". When the song proceeded to discuss the lobsters consumed at the feast, Hammerstein wrote the line "We slit 'em down the back/And peppered 'em good". He was grieved to hear from a friend that lobsters are always slit down the front. The lyricist sent a researcher to a seafood restaurant and heard back that lobsters are always slit down the back.  Hammerstein concluded that there is disagreement about which side of a lobster is the back.  One error not caught involved the song "June Is Bustin' Out All Over", in which sheep are depicted as seeking to mate in late spring—they actually do so in the winter. Whenever this was brought to Hammerstein's attention, he told his informant that 1873 was a special year, in which sheep mated in the spring.<ref>Fordin, pp. 227–28</ref>

Rodgers decided early on to dispense with an overture, feeling that the music was hard to hear over the banging of seats as latecomers settled themselves.<ref>Fordin, p. 222</ref> In his autobiography, Rodgers complained that only the brass section can be heard during an overture because there are never enough strings in a musical's small orchestra. He determined to force the audience to concentrate from the beginning by opening with a [[Mime artist|pantomime]] scene accompanied by what became known as "The Carousel Waltz".<ref>Rodgers, p. 239</ref> The pantomime paralleled one in the Molnár play, which was also used to introduce the characters and situation to the audience.<ref name="h161" /> Author [[Ethan Mordden]] described the effectiveness of this opening:<blockquote>Other characters catch our notice—Mr. Bascombe, the pompous mill owner, Mrs. Mullin, the widow who runs the carousel and, apparently, Billy; a dancing bear; an acrobat.  But what draws us in is the intensity with which Julie regards Billy—the way she stands frozen, staring at him, while everyone else at the fair is swaying to the rhythm of Billy's spiel.  And as Julie and Billy ride together on the swirling carousel, and the stage picture surges with the excitement of the crowd, and the orchestra storms to a climax, and the curtain falls, we realize that R & H have not only skipped the overture ''and'' the opening number but the exposition as well.  They have plunged into the story, right into the middle of it, in the most intense first scene any musical ever had.<ref>Mordden, p. 75</ref></blockquote>

=== Casting ===
The casting for ''Carousel'' began when ''Oklahoma!'''s production team, including Rodgers and Hammerstein, was seeking a replacement for the part of Curly (the male lead in ''Oklahoma!'').  Lawrence Langner had heard, through a relative, of a California singer named [[John Raitt]], who might be suitable for the part.  Langner went to hear Raitt, then urged the others to bring Raitt to New York for an audition.  Raitt asked to sing "[[Largo al factotum]]", Figaro's aria from ''[[The Barber of Seville]]'', to warm up.  The warmup was sufficient to convince the producers that not only had they found a Curly, they had found a Liliom (or Billy Bigelow, as the part was renamed).<ref name="Block ed., p. 122">Block (ed.), p. 122</ref>  Theresa Helburn made another California discovery, [[Jan Clayton]], a singer/actress who had made a few minor films for [[MGM]].  She was brought east and successfully auditioned for the part of Julie.<ref name="n157" />

The producers sought to cast unknowns.  Though many had played in previous Hammerstein or Rodgers works, only one, Jean Casto (cast as carousel owner Mrs. Mullin, and a veteran of ''Pal Joey''), had ever played on Broadway before.<ref name="n157" />  It proved harder to cast the ensemble than the leads, due to the war—Rodgers told his casting director, [[John Fearnley]], that the sole qualification for a dancing boy was that he be alive.<ref>Secrest, p. 277</ref>  Rodgers and Hammerstein reassembled much of the creative team that had made ''Oklahoma!'' a success, including director [[Rouben Mamoulian]] and choreographer [[Agnes de Mille]].  [[Miles White]] was the costume designer while [[Jo Mielziner]] (who had not worked on ''Oklahoma!'') was the scenic and lighting designer. Although ''Oklahoma!'' orchestrator [[Russell Bennett]] had informed Rodgers that he was unavailable to work on ''Carousel'' due to a radio contract, Rodgers insisted he do the work in his spare time. He orchestrated "The Carousel Waltz" and "(When I Marry) Mister Snow" before finally being replaced by [[Don Walker (orchestrator)|Don Walker]].<ref>Fordin, p. 231</ref>  A new member of the creative team was [[Trude Rittmann]], who arranged the dance music.  Rittmann initially felt that Rodgers mistrusted her because she was a woman, and found him difficult to work with, but the two worked together on Rodgers' shows until the 1970s.<ref name="h161">Hyland, p. 161</ref>

=== Tryouts ===
[[File:Hammerstein.jpg|left|thumb|upright|alt=Photo of Hammerstein in middle age, seated, wearing a suit|Oscar Hammerstein II]]
Rehearsals began in January 1945;<ref name="Hyland, p. 158" /> either Rodgers or Hammerstein was always present.<ref>Fordin, p. 232</ref> Raitt was presented with the lyrics for "Soliloquy" on a five-foot long sheet of paper—the piece ran nearly eight minutes.  Staging such a long solo number presented problems, and Raitt later stated that he felt that they were never fully addressed.<ref name="god">Secrest, p. 276</ref>  At some point during rehearsals, Molnár came to see what they had done to his play.  There are a number of variations on the story.<ref name="Block ed., p. 122" /><ref>Fordin, pp. 231–32</ref> As Rodgers told it, while watching rehearsals with Hammerstein, the composer spotted Molnár in the rear of the theatre and whispered the news to his partner.  Both sweated through an afternoon of rehearsal in which nothing seemed to go right.  At the end, the two walked to the back of the theatre, expecting an angry reaction from Molnár. Instead, the playwright said enthusiastically, "What you have done is so beautiful.  And you know what I like best?  The ending!"<ref>Rodgers, pp. 240–41</ref>  Hammerstein wrote that Molnár became a regular attendee at rehearsals after that.<ref name="turn" />

Like most of the pair's works, ''Carousel'' contains a lengthy ballet, "Billy Makes a Journey",<ref>Hischak, pp. 21–22</ref> in the second act, as Billy looks down to the Earth from "Up There" and observes his daughter.  In the original production the ballet was choreographed by de Mille.<ref>Hischak, pp. 26–27</ref>  It began with Billy looking down from heaven at his wife in labor, with the village women gathered for a "birthing".  The ballet involved every character in the play, some of whom spoke lines of dialogue, and contained a number of subplots.  The focus was on Louise, played by [[Bambi Linn]], who at first almost soars in her dance, expressing the innocence of childhood.  She is teased and mocked by her schoolmates, and Louise becomes attracted to the rough carnival people, who symbolize Billy's world.  A youth from the carnival attempts to seduce Louise, as she discovers her own sexuality, but he decides she is more girl than woman, and he leaves her.  After Julie comforts her, Louise goes to a children's party, where she is shunned.  The carnival people reappear and form a ring around the children's party, with Louise lost between the two groups.  At the end, the performers form a huge carousel with their bodies.<ref name="agnes">Easton, pp. 243–45.</ref>

The play opened for tryouts at the [[Shubert Theatre (New Haven)|Shubert Theater]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], on March 22, 1945. The first act was well-received; the second act was not.<ref name="f233">Fordin, p. 233</ref> Casto recalled that the second act finished about 1:30&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="n157" /> The staff immediately sat down for a two-hour conference. Five scenes, half the ballet, and two songs were cut from the show as the result. John Fearnley commented, "Now I see why these people have hits. I never witnessed anything so brisk and brave in my life."<ref name="f233" /> De Mille said of this conference, "not three minutes had been wasted pleading for something cherished. Nor was there any idle joking.&nbsp;... We cut and cut and cut and then we went to bed."<ref>Block (ed.), p. 132</ref> By the time the company left New Haven, de Mille's ballet was down to forty minutes.<ref name="agnes" />

A major concern with the second act was the effectiveness of the characters He and She (later called by Rodgers "Mr. and Mrs. God"),<ref>Block, p. 160</ref> before whom Billy appeared after his death. Mr. and Mrs. God were depicted as a New England minister and his wife, seen in their parlor.<ref name="god" /><ref>Block (ed.), p. 129.  At this time, according to the cast sheet distributed during the Boston run, Dr. Seldon was listed as the "Minister".</ref> The couple was still part of the show at the Boston opening.<ref name="god" /> Rodgers said to Hammerstein, "We've got to get God out of that parlor". When Hammerstein inquired where he should put the deity, Rodgers replied, "I don't care where you put Him. Put Him on a ladder for all I care, only get Him out of that parlor!" Hammerstein duly put Mr. God (renamed the Starkeeper) atop a ladder,<ref>Block, pp. 161–62</ref> and Mrs. God was removed from the show.<ref name="god" /> Rodgers biographer [[Meryle Secrest]] terms this change a mistake, leading to a more fantastic afterlife, which was later criticized by ''[[The New Republic]]'' as "a [[Rotary International|Rotarian]] atmosphere congenial to audiences who seek not reality but escape from reality, not truth but escape from truth".<ref name="god" /> Hammerstein wrote that Molnár's advice that they combine two scenes into one was key to pulling together the second act and represented "a more radical departure from the original than any change we had made".<ref name="turn" /> A reprise of "If I Loved You" was added in the second act, which Rodgers felt needed more music.<ref>Rodgers, p. 241</ref> 

The pre-Broadway premiere was in [[Boston]] at the [[Colonial Theatre (Boston)|Colonial Theater]] on March 27, 1945, starring John Raitt and Jan Clayton as Billy and Julie; it played through April 15.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cast Set for Boston Lyric Opera's 80th Anniversary Staging of Carousel |url=https://playbill.com/article/cast-set-for-boston-lyric-operas-80th-anniversary-staging-of-carousel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250618055735/https://playbill.com/article/cast-set-for-boston-lyric-operas-80th-anniversary-staging-of-carousel |archive-date=2025-06-18 |access-date=2025-07-12 |website=Playbill |url-status=live }}</ref> An even shorter version of the ballet was presented during the final two weeks in Boston, but on the final night there de Mille expanded it back to forty minutes, and it brought the house down, causing both Rodgers and Hammerstein to embrace her.<ref name="agnes" />

== Synopsis ==
=== Act 1 ===
Two young female millworkers in 1873 Maine visit the town's carousel after work. One of them, Julie Jordan, attracts the attention of the barker, Billy Bigelow ("The Carousel Waltz"). When Julie lets Billy put his arm around her during the ride, Mrs. Mullin, the widowed owner of the carousel, tells Julie never to return. Julie and her friend, Carrie Pipperidge, argue with Mrs. Mullin.  Billy arrives and, seeing that Mrs. Mullin is jealous, mocks her; he is fired from his job. Billy, unconcerned, invites Julie to join him for a drink. As he goes to get his belongings, Carrie presses Julie about her feelings toward him, but Julie is evasive ("You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan"). Carrie has a beau too, fisherman Enoch Snow ("(When I Marry) Mister Snow"), to whom she is newly engaged.  Billy returns for Julie as the departing Carrie warns that staying out late means the loss of Julie's job. Mr. Bascombe, owner of the mill, happens by along with a policeman, and offers to escort Julie to her home, but she refuses and is fired. Left alone, she and Billy talk about what life might be like if they were in love, but neither quite confesses to the growing attraction they feel for each other ("[[If I Loved You]]").

[[File:Mister Snow.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Enoch (Eric Mattson) arrives unexpectedly (reprise of "(When I Marry) Mister Snow").  [[Iva Withers]] is Julie (standing), and Margot Moser is Carrie (bent over) (1947).]]
Over a month passes, and preparations for the summer clambake are under way ("June Is Bustin' Out All Over"). Julie and Billy, now married, live at Julie's cousin Nettie's spa.  Julie confides in Carrie that Billy, frustrated over being unemployed, hit her. Carrie has happier news—she is engaged to Enoch, who enters as she discusses him ("(When I Marry) Mister Snow (reprise))".  Billy arrives with his ne'er-do-well whaler friend, Jigger.  Billy is openly rude to Enoch and Julie, then leaves with Jigger, followed by a distraught Julie.  Enoch tells Carrie that he expects to become rich selling herring and to have a large family, larger perhaps than Carrie is comfortable having ("When the Children Are Asleep").

Jigger and his shipmates, joined by Billy, then sing about life on the sea ("Blow High, Blow Low").  The whaler tries to recruit Billy to help with a robbery, but Billy declines, as the victim—Julie's former boss, Mr. Bascombe—might have to be killed.  Mrs. Mullin enters and tries to tempt Billy back to the carousel (and to her).  He would have to abandon Julie; a married barker cannot evoke the same sexual tension as one who is single. Billy reluctantly mulls it over as Julie arrives and the others leave.  She tells him that she is pregnant, and Billy is overwhelmed with happiness, ending all thoughts of returning to the carousel.  Once alone, Billy imagines the fun he will have with Bill Jr., until he realizes that his child might be a girl and reflects soberly that "you've got to be a ''father'' to a girl" ("[[Soliloquy (song)|Soliloquy]]"). Determined to provide financially for his future child, whatever the means, Billy decides to be Jigger's accomplice.

The whole town leaves for the clambake. Billy, who had earlier refused to go, agrees to join in, to Julie's delight, as he realizes that being seen at the clambake is integral to his and Jigger's alibi ("Act I Finale").

=== Act 2 ===
[[File:Use of Wondering.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"What's the Use of Wond'rin'&nbsp;"; Withers is Julie (1947)]]
Everyone reminisces about the huge meal and much fun ("This Was a Real Nice Clambake").  Jigger tries to seduce Carrie; Enoch walks in at the wrong moment, and declares that he is finished with her ("Geraniums In the Winder"), as Jigger jeers ("There's Nothin' So Bad for a Woman"). The girls try to comfort Carrie, but for Julie all that matters is that "he's your feller and you love him" ("What's the Use of Wond'rin'?"). Julie sees Billy trying to sneak away with Jigger and, trying to stop him, feels the knife hidden in his shirt. She begs him to give it to her, but he refuses and leaves to commit the robbery.

As they wait, Jigger and Billy gamble with cards. They stake their shares of the anticipated robbery spoils. Billy loses: his participation is now pointless. Unknown to Billy and Jigger, Mr. Bascombe, the intended victim, has already deposited the mill's money.  The robbery fails: Bascombe pulls a gun on Billy while Jigger escapes. Billy stabs himself with his knife; Julie arrives just in time for him to say his last words to her and die.  Julie strokes his hair, finally able to tell him that she loved him.  Carrie and Enoch, reunited by the crisis, attempt to console Julie; Nettie arrives and gives Julie the resolve to keep going despite her despair ("[[You'll Never Walk Alone (song)|You'll Never Walk Alone]]").

Billy's defiant spirit ("The Highest Judge of All") is taken Up There<!-- as described in the libretto --> to see the Starkeeper, a heavenly official.  The Starkeeper tells Billy that the good he did in life was not enough to get into heaven, but so long as there is a person alive who remembers him, he can return for a day to try to do good to redeem himself. He informs Billy that fifteen years have passed on Earth since his suicide, and suggests that Billy can get himself into heaven if he helps his daughter, Louise. He helps Billy look down from heaven to see her (instrumental ballet: "Billy Makes a Journey"). Louise has grown up to be lonely and bitter. The local children ostracize her because her father was a thief and a wife-beater. In the dance, a young ruffian, much like her father at that age, flirts with her and abandons her as too young.  The dance concludes, and Billy is anxious to return to Earth and help his daughter. He steals a star to take with him, as the Starkeeper pretends not to notice.

Outside Julie's cottage, Carrie describes her visit to New York with the now-wealthy Enoch. Carrie's husband and their many children enter to fetch her—the family must get ready for the high school graduation later that day. Enoch Jr., the oldest son, remains behind  to talk with Louise, as Billy and the Heavenly Friend escorting him enter, invisible to the other characters.  Louise confides in Enoch Jr. that she plans to run away from home with an acting troupe. He says that he will stop her by marrying her, but that his father will think her an unsuitable match. Louise is outraged: each insults the other's father, and Louise orders Enoch Jr. to go away. Billy, able to make himself visible at will, reveals himself to the sobbing Louise, pretending to be a friend of her father. He offers her a gift—the star he stole from heaven. She refuses it and, frustrated, he slaps her hand. He makes himself invisible, and Louise tells Julie what happened, stating that the slap miraculously felt like a kiss, not a blow—and Julie understands her perfectly. Louise retreats to the house, as Julie notices the star that Billy dropped; she picks it up and seems to feel Billy's presence ("If I Loved You (Reprise)").

Billy invisibly attends Louise's graduation, hoping for one last chance to help his daughter and redeem himself. The beloved town physician, Dr. Seldon (who resembles the Starkeeper) advises the graduating class not to rely on their parents' success or be held back by their failure (words directed at Louise). Seldon prompts everyone to sing an old song, "You'll Never Walk Alone".  Billy, still invisible, whispers to Louise, telling her to believe Seldon's words, and when she tentatively reaches out to another girl, she learns she does not have to be an outcast. Billy goes to Julie, telling her at last that he loved her. As his widow and daughter join in the singing, Billy is taken to his heavenly reward.

== Principal roles and notable performers ==
<!--This table is for stage performers only in major productions that are discussed in the Productions section. Please do not add film cast.-->
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! width="100" | Character
! width="300" | Description
! width="400" | Notable stage performers<br> in long-running, noteworthy productions
|-
| Billy Bigelow || A barker for a carousel || [[John Raitt]]°, [[Stephen Douglass]], [[Michael Hayden (actor)|Michael Hayden]], [[Marcus Lovett]], [[James Barbour (singer)|James Barbour]], [[Howard Keel]], [[Patrick Wilson]], [[Alfie Boe]], [[Joshua Henry]], [[Declan Bennett]]
|-
| Julie Jordan || A millworker, in love with Billy || [[Jan Clayton]]°, [[Iva Withers]], [[Barbara Cook]], [[Constance Towers]], [[Joanna Riding]], [[Sarah Uriarte Berry]], [[Jennifer Laura Thompson]], [[Alexandra Silber]], [[Katherine Jenkins]], [[Jessie Mueller]]
|-
| Carrie Pipperidge || A millworker and friend of Julie, in love with Enoch Snow || [[Jean Darling]]°, [[Janie Dee]], [[Audra McDonald]], [[Lindsay Mendez]]
|-
| Enoch Snow || A fisherman, who thinks big in his plans || Eric Mattson°, [[Eddie Korbich]], [[Reid Shelton]], [[Clive Rowe]], [[Alexander Gemignani]]
|-
| Nettie Fowler || Julie's cousin and owner of a small seaside spa || [[Christine Johnson (actress)|Christine Johnson]]°, [[Shirley Verrett]], [[Lesley Garrett]], [[Patricia Routledge]], [[Cheryl Studer]], [[Renée Fleming]]
|-
| Jigger Craigin || A no-account whaler, Billy's friend || [[Murvyn Vye]]°, [[Jerry Orbach]], [[Fisher Stevens]], [[Amar Ramasar]]
|-
| Louise Bigelow || Billy and Julie's daughter || [[Bambi Linn]]°, [[Brittany Pollack]]
|-
| The Starkeeper || An official in the afterlife || [[Russell Collins]]°, [[Edward Everett Horton]], [[Nicholas Lyndhurst]], [[John Douglas Thompson]]
|}
° denotes original Broadway cast

== Musical numbers ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Act I'''<ref name="h38" /><ref name=IBDB>[https://archive.today/20130125200202/http://www.ibdb.com/production-songs.php?ShowNo=2419&ProdNo=1694 "List of Songs"], Carousel at the IBDB Database. Retrieved July 18, 2012</ref>
* "The Carousel Waltz" – Orchestra
* "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" – Carrie Pipperidge and Julie Jordan
* "(When I Marry) Mister Snow" – Carrie
* "[[If I Loved You]]" – Billy Bigelow and Julie
* "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" – Nettie Fowler and Chorus
* "(When I Marry) Mister Snow" (reprise) – Carrie, Enoch Snow and Female Chorus
* "When the Children Are Asleep" – Enoch and Carrie
* "Blow High, Blow Low"  – Jigger Craigin, Billy and Male Chorus
* "[[Soliloquy (song)|Soliloquy]]" – Billy
{{col-break}}

'''Act II'''<ref name="h38" /><ref name=IBDB/>
* "This Was a Real Nice Clambake" – Carrie, Nettie, Julie, Enoch and Chorus
* "Geraniums in the Winder"<!--"Winder" is correct; it is New England dialect for "Window"--> – Enoch *
* "There's Nothin' So Bad for a Woman" – Jigger and Chorus <!-- This is the title of this song as listed on the cover of the original cast album. "Stonecutters Cut It on Stone" is just the first line of the lyric. See the talk page.  See also https://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/special/rodgers.html -->
* "What's the Use of Wond'rin'?" – Julie
* "[[You'll Never Walk Alone]]" – Nettie
* "The Highest Judge of All" – Billy
* Ballet: "Billy Makes a Journey" – Orchestra
* "If I Loved You" (reprise) – Billy
* Finale: "You'll Never Walk Alone" (reprise) – Company
{{col-end}}

== Productions ==
=== Early productions ===
The original Broadway production opened at the [[Majestic Theatre (Broadway)|Majestic Theatre]] on April 19, 1945.  The [[dress rehearsal]] the day before had gone badly, and the pair feared the new work would not be well received.<ref name="r243" />  One successful last-minute change was to have de Mille choreograph the pantomime.  The movement of the carnival crowd in the pantomime had been entrusted to Mamoulian, and his version was not working.<ref name="agnes" />  Rodgers had injured his back the previous week, and he watched the opening from a stretcher propped in a box behind the curtain.  Sedated with morphine, he could see only part of the stage.  As he could not hear the audience's applause and laughter, he assumed the show was a failure.  It was not until friends congratulated him later that evening that he realized that the curtain had been met by wild applause.<ref name="r243">Rodgers, p. 243</ref>  [[Bambi Linn]], who played Louise, was so enthusiastically received by the audience during her ballet that she was forced to break character, when she next appeared, and bow.  Rodgers' daughter [[Mary Rodgers|Mary]] caught sight of her friend, [[Stephen Sondheim]], both teenagers then, across several rows; both had eyes wet with tears.<ref name="f233" />

The original production ran for 890 performances, closing on May 24, 1947. The original cast included [[John Raitt]] (Billy), [[Jan Clayton]] (Julie), [[Jean Darling]] (Carrie), Eric Mattson (Enoch Snow), [[Christine Johnson (actress)|Christine Johnson]] (Nettie Fowler), [[Murvyn Vye]] (Jigger), Bambi Linn (Louise) and [[Russell Collins]] (Starkeeper). In December 1945, Clayton left to star in the Broadway revival of ''[[Show Boat]]'' and was replaced by [[Iva Withers]]; Raitt was replaced by Henry Michel in January 1947; Darling was replaced by Margot Moser.<ref name="enc" /><ref>Hischak, p. 62</ref>

After closing on Broadway, the show went on a national tour for two years. It played for five months in Chicago alone, visited twenty states and two Canadian cities, covered {{convert|15000|mi}} and played to nearly two million people. The touring company had a four-week run at [[New York City Center]] in January 1949.<ref name="NYT/Calta 1949-01-25">Calta, Louis. [https://www.nytimes.com/1949/01/25/archives/carousel-opens-at-center-tonight-guilds-touring-unit-to-start.html?sq=carousel+city+center&scp=33&st=p "'Carousel' opens tonight at City Center"]. ''The New York Times'', January 25, 1949, p. 27. Retrieved on December 21, 2010.</ref>  Following the City Center run, the show was moved back to the Majestic Theatre starring [[Stephen Douglass]] (Billy) and Iva Withers (Julie), in the hopes of filling the theatre until ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' opened in early April. Ticket sales were mediocre, however, and the show closed almost a month early.<ref name="NYT/Calta 1949-02-28">Calta, Louis. [https://www.nytimes.com/1949/02/28/archives/carousel-to-end-run-on-saturday-rodgershammerstein-musical-fails-to.html?sq=carousel+city+center&scp=43&st=p "'Carousel' to end run on Saturday"], ''The New York Times'', February 28, 1949, p. 15. Retrieved December 21, 2010.</ref>

The musical premiered in the [[West End theatre|West End]], London, at the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]], on June 7, 1950. The production was restaged by Jerome Whyte, with a cast that included Douglass and Withers reprising their roles as Billy and Julie, and Margot Moser as Carrie. ''Carousel'' ran in London for 566 performances, remaining there for over a year and a half.<ref name="enc">[[Stanley Green (historian)|Green, Stanley]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZWIRAljCR7oC&dq=%22London%22+Carousel&pg=PA64 ''Encyclopedia of The Musical Theatre: An Updated Reference'']. Da Capo Press, 1980, pp. 63–64. {{ISBN|978-0-306-80113-6}}. Retrieved December 21, 2010.</ref>

=== Subsequent productions ===
''Carousel'' was revived in 1954 and 1957 at City Center, presented by the New York City Center Light Opera Company.  Both times, the production featured [[Barbara Cook]], though she played Carrie in 1954 and Julie in 1957 (playing alongside [[Howard Keel]] as Billy). The production was then taken to Belgium to be performed at the [[1958 Brussels World's Fair]], with [[David Atkinson (baritone)|David Atkinson]] as Billy, [[Ruth Kobart]] as Nettie, and Clayton reprising the role of Julie, which she had originated.<ref name="h40" />

In August 1965, Rodgers and the Music Theater of [[Lincoln Center]] produced ''Carousel'' for 47 performances. [[John Raitt]] reprised the role of Billy, with [[Jerry Orbach]] as Jigger and [[Reid Shelton]] as Enoch Snow. The roles of the Starkeeper and Dr. Seldon were played by [[Edward Everett Horton]] in his final stage appearance.<ref>Suskin, Steven. ''Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers''. Oxford University Press US, 2000, p. 106. {{ISBN|0-19-512599-1}}.</ref> The following year, New York City Center Light Opera Company brought ''Carousel'' back to City Center for 22 performances, with [[Bruce Yarnell]] as Billy and [[Constance Towers]] as Julie.<ref name="h40" />

[[Nicholas Hytner]] directed a new production of ''Carousel'' in 1992, at London's [[Royal National Theatre]], with choreography by Sir [[Kenneth MacMillan]] and designs by [[Bob Crowley]]. In this staging, the story begins at the mill, where Julie and Carrie work, with the music slowed down to emphasize the drudgery. After work ends, they move to the shipyards and then to the carnival.<ref name="h40">Hischak, p. 40</ref> As they proceed on a revolving stage, carnival characters appear, and at last the carousel is assembled onstage for the girls to ride.<ref name="94review">Richards, David.  [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/25/theater/review-theater-a-carousel-for-the-90-s-full-of-grit-and-passion.html?scp=10&sq=carousel+rodgers&st=nyt "A 'Carousel' for the 90s full of grit and passion"]. ''The New York Times'', March 25, 1994.  Retrieved on December 21, 2010.</ref><ref>Block, p. 175</ref> Louise is seduced by the ruffian boy during her Act 2 ballet, set around the ruins of a carousel.<ref name="94review" /> [[Michael Hayden (actor)|Michael Hayden]] played Billy not as a large, gruff man, but as a frustrated smaller one, a time bomb waiting to explode.<ref name="h40" />  [[Joanna Riding]] (Julie) and [[Janie Dee]] (Carrie) won [[Olivier Award]]s for their performances, the production won [[Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival|Best Musical Revival]], and Hytner won as director.<ref name="olive" /> [[Patricia Routledge]] played Nettie.<ref>Wolf, Matt. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-01-ca-3152-story.html "'Carousel' Gets Another Go-Around in London"]. ''Los Angeles Times'', January 1, 1993.</ref> [[Clive Rowe]], as Enoch, was nominated for an Olivier Award.<ref>Butler, Robert. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/arts--show-people-a-star-waiting-to-happen-clive-rowe-1451077.html "Show People: A star waiting to happen: Clive Rowe"], ''The Independent'', September 25, 1994</ref> Enoch and Carrie were cast as an interracial couple whose eight children, according to the review in ''The New York Times'', looked like "a walking United Colors of Benetton ad".<ref name="94review" /> The production's limited run from December 1992 through March 1993 was a sellout.<ref>Wolf, Matt. "In London, the Shock of the New Found in Old Shows". Associated Press, March 11, 1993.</ref> It re-opened at the [[Shaftesbury Theatre]] in London in September 1993, presented by [[Cameron Mackintosh]], where it continued until May 1994.<ref>Wolf, Matt. "Stage frights; Dead on Revival". ''Variety'', May 23–29, 1994, p. 45.</ref>

The Hytner production moved to New York's [[Vivian Beaumont Theater]], where it opened on March 24, 1994, and ran for 322 performances.<ref name="h40" /><ref name="94review" /> This won five [[Tony Award]]s, including best musical revival, as well as awards for Hytner, MacMillan, Crowley and [[Audra McDonald]] (as Carrie).<ref name="tony" /> The cast also included [[Sally Murphy (actress)|Sally Murphy]] as Julie, [[Shirley Verrett]] as Nettie, [[Fisher Stevens]] as Jigger and [[Eddie Korbich]] as Enoch.<ref>Canby, Vincent. [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/03/theater/sunday-view-carousel-a-soap-opera-no-longer.html "Sunday View; 'Carousel,' A Soap Opera No Longer"]. ''The New York Times'', April 3, 1994. Retrieved December 26, 2010.</ref> Replacements for Billy included [[Marcus Lovett]] and  [[James Barbour (singer)|James Barbour]].<ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/carousel-4598#Replacements "''Carousel''"], Replacements, 1994 Broadway revival, Internet Broadway Database</ref> One change made from the London to the New York production was to have Billy strike Louise across the face, rather than on the hand. According to Hayden, "He does the one unpardonable thing, the thing we can't forgive. It's a challenge for the audience to like him after that."<ref name="susan">Cheever, Susan. [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/06/theater/a-lost-boy-makes-good.html?scp=7&sq=carousel+rodgers&st=nyt "A lost boy makes good"]. ''The New York Times'', March 6, 1994. Retrieved December 21, 2010.</ref> The Hytner ''Carousel'' was presented in Japan in May 1995.<ref>Krulwich, Sarah. [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/29/theater/carousel-comes-to-a-stop-as-its-cast-takes-a-final-bow.html?scp=1&sq=Carousel+AND+Hytner&st=nyt ''Carousel'' comes to a stop as its cast takes a final bow]. ''The New York Times'', January 29, 1995. Retrieved December 27, 2010.</ref> A U.S. national tour with a scaled-down production began in February 1996 in Houston<ref name="hou">Evans, Everett. "Catch ''Carousel'' for the ride of a lifetime".  Houston ''Chronicle'', February 12, 1996, p. 1 of Houston section.</ref> and closed in May 1997 in [[Providence, Rhode Island]].<ref>Gale, Bill. "PPAC is last turn for ''Carousel''", ''Providence Journal-Bulletin'' ([[Rhode Island]]), May 11, 1997, Arts Week, p. 3E.</ref> Producers sought to feature young talent on the tour,<ref name="hou" /> with [[Patrick Wilson]] as Billy and [[Sarah Uriarte Berry]],<ref>Miller, Daryl H. [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/POWERFUL+%60CAROUSEL'+LEAVES+AHMANSON+AUDIENCE+SPINNING-a083953057 "Powerful ''Carousel'' Leaves Ahmanson Audience Spinning"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704183531/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/POWERFUL+%60CAROUSEL%27+LEAVES+AHMANSON+AUDIENCE+SPINNING-a083953057 |date=2013-07-04 }}, ''Daily News'' (Los Angeles), July 12, 1996. Retrieved on December 26, 2010</ref> and later [[Jennifer Laura Thompson]], as Julie.<ref>Phillips, Michael. "Clambakes, Americana and ''Carousel''", ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', December 26, 1996, p. 4.</ref>

A revival opened at London's [[Savoy Theatre]] on December 2, 2008, after a week of previews, starring Jeremiah James (Billy), [[Alexandra Silber]] (Julie) and [[Lesley Garrett]] (Nettie).<ref name="cov">Coveney, Michael. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205101843/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/carousel-savoy-theatre-london-1050504.html "Carousel, Savoy Theatre, London"]. ''The Independent'', December 4, 2008.  Retrieved on December 21, 2010.</ref> The production received warm to mixed reviews.<ref>See, e.g., Spencer, Charles. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3563940/Carousel-at-the-Savoy-Theatre.html "''Carousel'' at the Savoy Theatre"]. ''The Telegraph'', December 3, 2008; Billington, Michael. [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/dec/03/carousel-savoy-london-theatre-review ''Carousel'']. ''The Guardian'', December 3, 2008; and Smith, Sam. [http://www.musicomh.com/theatre/lon_carousel_1208.htm ''Carousel'']. MusicOMH.  All retrieved on December 27, 2010</ref>  It closed in June 2009, a month early.<ref>[http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831244545378/Carousel+Posts+Closing+Notices+at+Savoy,+20+Jun.html "Carousel Posts Closing Notices at Savoy, 20 Jun"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615183432/http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831244545378/Carousel+Posts+Closing+Notices+at+Savoy,+20+Jun.html |date=2011-06-15 }}. WhatsOnStage, June 9, 2009.  Retrieved on December 28, 2010</ref> Michael Coveney, writing in ''[[The Independent]]'', admired Rodgers' music but stated, "Lindsay Posner's efficient revival doesn't hold a candle to the National Theatre 1992 version".<ref name="cov" /> A production at [[Theater Basel]], Switzerland, in 2016 to 2017, with German dialogue, was directed by Alexander Charim and choreographed by Teresa Rotemberg. Bryony Dwyer, Christian Miedl and [[Cheryl Studer]] starred, respectively, as Julie Jordan, Billy Bigelow and Nettie Fowler.<ref>[http://operabase.com/diary.cgi?lang=en&code=wsba&date=20161215 "Richard Rodgers: ''Carousel''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308232520/http://operabase.com/diary.cgi?lang=en&code=wsba&date=20161215 |date=2018-03-08 }}, Diary: Theater Basel, Operabase.com. Retrieved on March 8, 2018</ref> A semi-staged revival by the [[English National Opera]] opened at the [[London Coliseum]] in 2017. The production was directed by [[Lonny Price]], conducted by [[David Charles Abell]], and starred [[Alfie Boe]] as Billy, [[Katherine Jenkins]] as Julie and [[Nicholas Lyndhurst]] as the Starkeeper. The production received mixed to positive reviews.<ref>Morgan, Fergus. [https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/carousel-starring-katherine-jenkins-and-alfie-boe--review-at-the-london-coliseum "''Carousel'' starring Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins – review round-up"], ''[[The Stage]]'', April 18, 2017</ref>

The third Broadway revival began previews on February 28, 2018, at the [[Imperial Theatre]] and officially opened on April 12. It closed on September 16, 2018.<ref>McPhee, Ryan. [http://www.playbill.com/article/broadway-revival-of-carousel-closes-september-16 "Broadway Revival of ''Carousel'' Closes September 16"], ''Playbill'', September 16, 2018. Retrieved on January 9, 2021</ref> The production starred [[Jessie Mueller]], [[Joshua Henry]], [[Renée Fleming]], [[Lindsay Mendez]] and [[Alexander Gemignani]]. The production was directed by [[Jack O'Brien (director)|Jack O'Brien]] and choreographed by [[Justin Peck]].<ref>McPhee, Ryan. [http://www.playbill.com/article/carousel-starring-jessie-mueller-joshua-henry-and-renee-fleming-begins-on-broadway-february-28 "Carousel, Starring Jessie Mueller, Joshua Henry, and Renée Fleming, Begins on Broadway February 28"], ''Playbill'', February 28, 2018</ref> The songs "Geraniums in the Winder" and "There's Nothin' So Bad for a Woman" were cut from this revival.<ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/carousel-515791/#songs "List of Songs"], Carousel Revival at the IBDB Database. Retrieved April 19, 2018</ref> [[Ben Brantley]] wrote in ''The New York Times'', "The tragic inevitability of ''Carousel'' has seldom come across as warmly or as chillingly as it does in this vividly reimagined revival. ... [W]ith thoughtful and powerful performances by Mr. Henry and Ms. Mueller, the love story at the show's center has never seemed quite as ill-starred or, at the same time, as sexy. ... [T]he Starkeeper ... assumes new visibility throughout, taking on the role of Billy's angelic supervisor." Brantley strongly praised the choreography, all the performances and the designers. He was unconvinced, however, by the "mother-daughter dialogue that falls so abrasively on contemporary ears", where Julie tries to justify loving an abusive man, and other scenes in Act 2, particularly those set in heaven, and the optimism of the final scene.<ref>[[Ben Brantley|Brantley, Ben]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/theater/carousel-review-broadway.html "A ''Carousel'' That Spins on a Romantically Charged Axis"], ''The New York Times'', April 12, 2018</ref> Most of the reviewers agreed that while the choreography and performances (especially the singing) were excellent, characterizing the production as sexy and sumptuous, O'Brien's direction did little to help the show deal with modern sensibilities about men's treatment of women, instead indulging in nostalgia.<ref>[https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-Critics-Weigh-In-on-CAROUSEL-on-Broadway-Starring-Jessie-Mueller-and-Joshua-Henry-20180412 "Review Roundup: Critics Weigh In on ''Carousel'' on Broadway, Starring Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry"], BroadwayWorld.com, April 18, 2018.</ref>

From July to September 2021 the [[Regent's Park Open Air Theatre]] in London presented a staging by [[Timothy Sheader]], with choreography by Drew McOnie. The cast included [[Carly Bawden]] as Julie, [[Declan Bennett]] as Billy and [[Joanna Riding]] as Nettie.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.playbill.com/article/carly-bawden-declan-bennett-john-pfumojena-more-star-in-regents-park-open-air-carousel|title=Carly Bawden, Declan Bennett, John Pfumojena, More Star in Regent's Park Open Air ''Carousel'' |work=Playbill|first=Andrew|last=Gans|date=July 31, 2021|access-date=August 2, 2021}}</ref>

=== Film, television and concert versions ===
[[File:Boothbay Harbor in Summer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Boothbay Harbor, Maine]], where the location shots for ''Carousel'''s movie version were filmed]]
{{Main|Carousel (film)}}
A film version of the musical was made in 1956, starring [[Gordon MacRae]] and [[Shirley Jones]].  It follows the musical's story fairly closely, although a prologue, set in the Starkeeper's heaven, was added.  The film was released only a few months after the release of [[Oklahoma! (film)|the film version of ''Oklahoma!'']]  It garnered some good reviews,<ref>''The New York Times'' called the movie a "beautifully turned out film, crisply played and richly sung by a fine cast that is fully worthy of the original show".  Crowther, Bosley.  [https://www.nytimes.com/1956/02/17/archives/screen-carousel-is-worthy-of-stage-original-macrae-shirley-jones.html?sq=Carousel+AND+MacRae&scp=1&st=p "''Carousel'' is worthy of original show"].  ''The New York Times'', February 17, 1956, p. 13.  Retrieved on December 25, 2010.</ref> and the soundtrack recording was a best seller.  As the same stars appeared in both pictures, however, the two films were often compared, generally to the disadvantage of ''Carousel''.  Thomas Hischak, in ''The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia'', later wondered "if the smaller number of ''Carousel'' stage revivals is the product of this often-lumbering<nowiki> [film] </nowiki> musical".<ref name="film">Hischak, pp. 41–42</ref>

There was also an abridged (100 minute) 1967 [[American Broadcasting Company|network television]] version that starred [[Robert Goulet]], with choreography by [[Edward Villella]].<ref name="film" /> [[BBC Radio Theatre]] broadcast a concert of ''Carousel'' in July 1995 starring [[Mandy Patinkin]] as Billy.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/31/carousel "''Carousel''"], BBC Radio 2 (1995). Retrieved September 18, 2024</ref> In 2002, [[Carnegie Hall]] presented a concert of the musical starring [[Hugh Jackman]] and [[Audra McDonald]] as Billy and Julie, directed by [[Walter Bobbie]]. Other cast members included [[Jason Danieley]], [[Judy Kaye]], [[Lauren Ward]], [[Norbert Leo Butz]], [[Philip Bosco]] and [[Blythe Danner]].<ref>Gans, Andrew. [https://playbill.com/article/hugh-jackman-and-audra-mcdonald-ride-the-carnegie-hall-carousel-june-6-com-106311 "Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald Ride the Carnegie Hall ''Carousel'' June 6"], ''Playbill'', June 6, 2002</ref>

The [[New York Philharmonic]] presented a staged concert version of the musical from February 28 to March 2, 2013, at [[Avery Fisher Hall]]. [[Kelli O'Hara]] played Julie, with [[Nathan Gunn]] as Billy, [[Stephanie Blythe]] as Nettie, [[Jessie Mueller]] as Carrie, Danieley as Enoch, [[Shuler Hensley]] as Jigger, [[John Cullum]] as the Starkeeper, and [[Kate Burton (actress)|Kate Burton]] as Mrs. Mullin. [[Tiler Peck]] danced the role of Louise to choreography by [[Warren Carlyle]]. The production was directed by [[John Rando]] and conducted by [[Rob Fisher (conductor)|Rob Fisher]]. [[Charles Isherwood]] of ''The New York Times'' wrote, "this is as gorgeously sung a production of this sublime 1945 Broadway musical as you are ever likely to hear."<ref>Isherwood, Charles. [http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/theater/reviews/carousel-with-new-york-philharmonic-at-avery-fisher-hall.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 "In a Sunny Setting, Lives Dappled by Shadow"], ''The New York Times'', February 28, 2013 (print version dated March 1, 2013, p. C13)</ref> It was broadcast as part of the [[PBS]] ''[[Live from Lincoln Center]]'' series, premiering on April 26, 2013.<ref>[http://broadwayworld.com/article/Kelli-OHara-Led-CAROUSEL-Concert-to-Air-426-on-PBS-20130425 "Kelli O'Hara-Led ''Carousel'' Concert Airs Tonight on PBS"], BroadwayWorld, April 26, 2013</ref>

== Music and recordings ==
=== Musical treatment ===
Rodgers designed ''Carousel'' to be an almost continuous stream of music, especially in Act 1.  In later years, Rodgers was asked if he had considered writing an opera.  He stated that he had been sorely tempted to, but saw ''Carousel'' in operatic terms.  He remembered, "We came very close to opera in the Majestic Theatre.&nbsp;... There's much that is operatic in the music."<ref name="stream">Secrest, p. 275</ref>

[[File:Rodgers.jpg|left|thumb|upright|alt=Photo of Rodgers, in middle age, seated in a theatre, wearing a suit and holding a cigarette|Richard Rodgers]]
Rodgers uses music in ''Carousel'' in subtle ways to differentiate characters and tell the audience of their emotional state.<ref>Block, pp. 164–65</ref> In "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan", the music for the placid Carrie is characterized by even [[eighth-note]] rhythms, whereas the emotionally restless Julie's music is marked by [[Dotted note|dotted]] eighths and [[Sixteenth note|sixteenths]]; this rhythm will characterize her throughout the show. When Billy whistles a snatch of the song, he selects Julie's dotted notes rather than Carrie's.<ref>Block, p. 167</ref> Reflecting the close association in the music between Julie and the as-yet unborn Louise, when Billy sings in "Soliloquy" of his daughter, who "gets hungry every night", he uses Julie's dotted rhythms. Such rhythms also characterize Julie's Act 2 song, "What's the Use of Wond'rin'".<ref>Block, p. 168</ref> The stable love between Enoch and Carrie is strengthened by her willingness to let Enoch not only plan his entire life, but hers as well. This is reflected in "When the Children Are Asleep", where the two sing in [[close harmony]], but Enoch musically interrupts his intended's turn at the chorus with the words "Dreams that won't be interrupted". Rodgers biographer [[Geoffrey Block]], in his book on the Broadway musical, points out that though Billy may strike his wife, he allows her musical themes to become a part of him and never interrupts her music.<ref>Block, p. 174</ref> Block suggests that, as reprehensible as Billy may be for his actions, Enoch requiring Carrie to act as "the little woman", and his having nine children with her (more than she had found acceptable in "When the Children are Asleep") can be considered to be even more abusive.<ref>Block, pp. 174–75</ref>

The twelve-minute "bench scene",<ref name="h129">Hischak, p. 129</ref> in which Billy and Julie get to know each other and which culminates with "[[If I Loved You]]", according to Hischak, "is considered the most completely integrated piece of music-drama in the American musical theatre".<ref name="h38" />  The scene is almost entirely drawn from Molnár and is one extended musical piece; [[Stephen Sondheim]] described it as "probably the single most important moment in the revolution of contemporary musicals".<ref>Nolan, p. 159</ref> "If I Loved You" has been recorded many times, by such diverse artists as [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], [[Mario Lanza]] and [[Chad and Jeremy]].<ref name="h129" />  The D-flat major theme that dominates the music for the second act ballet seems like a new melody to many audience members.  It is, however, a greatly expanded development of a theme heard during "Soliloquy" at the line "I guess he'll call me 'The old man'&nbsp;".<ref>Mordden, p. 142</ref>

When the pair discussed the song that would become "Soliloquy", Rodgers improvised at the piano to give Hammerstein an idea of how he envisioned the song.  When Hammerstein presented his collaborator with the lyrics after two weeks of work (Hammerstein always wrote the words first, then Rodgers would write the melodies), Rodgers wrote the music for the eight-minute song in two hours.<ref name="eight">Fordin, p. 239</ref>  "What's the Use of Wond'rin'&nbsp;", one of Julie's songs, worked well in the show but was never as popular on the radio or for recording, and Hammerstein believed that the lack of popularity was because he had concluded the final line, "And all the rest is talk" with a hard consonant, which does not allow the singer a vocal climax.<ref name="eight" />

[[File:Shankly Gates.jpg|thumb|Shankly Gates at [[Anfield]], [[Liverpool F.C.]]'s stadium]]
[[Irving Berlin]] later stated that "You'll Never Walk Alone" had the same sort of effect on him as [[Psalm 23|the 23rd Psalm]].<ref>Nolan, p. 162</ref>  When singer [[Mel Tormé]] told Rodgers that "You'll Never Walk Alone" had made him cry, Rodgers nodded impatiently.  "You're supposed to."<ref>Nolan, p. 163</ref>  The frequently recorded song has become a widely accepted hymn.<ref name="Bradley79">Bradley, p. 79</ref><ref>Rodgers, p. 240</ref>  The cast recording of ''Carousel'' proved popular in Liverpool, like many Broadway albums, and in 1963, the [[Brian Epstein]]-managed band, [[Gerry and the Pacemakers]] had a number-one hit with the song.  At the time, the top ten hits were played before [[Liverpool F.C.]] home matches; even after "You'll Never Walk Alone" dropped out of the top ten, fans continued to sing it, and it has become closely associated with the soccer team<!-- This is an article on an American musical and uses American terminology --> and the city of Liverpool.<ref>Coslet, Paul. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2008/06/09/youll_never_walk_alone_feature.shtml "You'll Never Walk Alone"]. [[BBC]], September 6, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2010.</ref> A [[BBC]] program, ''Soul Music'', ranked it alongside "[[Silent Night]]" and "[[Abide With Me]]" in terms of its emotional impact and iconic status.<ref name="Bradley79" />

=== Recordings ===
{{further|Carousel (original Broadway cast recording)}}
The [[cast album]] of the 1945 Broadway production was issued on [[Gramophone record|78s]], and the score was significantly cut—as was the 1950 London cast recording.<ref name="record" />  Theatre historian [[John Kenrick (theatre writer)|John Kenrick]] notes of the 1945 recording that a number of songs had to be abridged to fit the 78 format, but that there is a small part of "Soliloquy" found on no other recording, as Rodgers cut it from the score immediately after the studio recording was made.<ref name=ken>Kenrick, John.  [http://www.musicals101.com/cdcomps2.htm Comparative CD reviews—''Carousel''].  Musicals101.com.  Retrieved on December 27, 2010.</ref><ref name=Cyber>Fick, David. [https://musicalcyberspace.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/the-best-carousel-recording "The Best ''Carousel'' Recording"], June 11, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2016.</ref>

A number of songs were cut for the 1956 film, but two of the deleted numbers had been recorded and were ultimately retained on the soundtrack album. The expanded CD version of the soundtrack, issued in 2001, contains all of the singing recorded for the film, including the cut portions, and nearly all of the dance music. The recording of the 1965 Lincoln Center revival featured Raitt reprising the role of Billy. Studio recordings of ''Carousel'''s songs were released in 1956 (with [[Robert Merrill]] as Billy, [[Patrice Munsel]] as Julie, and [[Florence Henderson]] as Carrie), 1962 and 1987. The 1987 version featured a mix of opera and musical stars, including [[Samuel Ramey]], [[Barbara Cook]], and [[Sarah Brightman]].<ref name="record" /><ref name=Cyber/> Kenrick recommends the 1962 studio recording for its outstanding cast, including [[Alfred Drake]], [[Roberta Peters]], [[Claramae Turner]], [[Lee Venora]], and [[Norman Treigle]].<ref name=ken/>

Both the London (1993) and New York (1994) cast albums of the Hytner production contain portions of dialogue that, according to Hischak, speak to the power of Michael Hayden's portrayal of Billy.<ref name="record">Hischak, pp. 42–43</ref> Kenrick judges the 1994 recording the best all-around performance of ''Carousel'' on disc, despite uneven singing by Hayden, due to Sally Murphy's Julie and the strong supporting cast (calling Audra McDonald the best Carrie he has heard).<ref name=ken/><ref name=Cyber/> The [[Stratford Festival]] issued a recording in 2015.<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/article/recording-of-stratford-festivals-carousel-now-available-online-com-352647 "Recording of Stratford Festival's Carousel Now Available Online"], July 6, 2015.</ref>

== Critical reception and legacy ==
[[File:R and H.jpg|thumb|right|Rodgers (left) and Hammerstein]]
The musical received almost unanimous rave reviews after its opening in 1945.  According to Hischak, reviews were not as exuberant as for ''Oklahoma!'' as the critics were not taken by surprise this time.  John Chapman of the ''[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]'' termed it "one of the finest musical plays I have ever seen and I shall remember it always".<ref name="h39">Hischak, p. 39</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'''s reviewer, Lewis Nichols, stated that "Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein 2d, who can do no wrong, have continued doing no wrong in adapting ''Liliom'' into a musical play.  Their ''Carousel'' is on the whole delightful."<ref>Nichols, Lewis. [https://www.nytimes.com/1945/04/20/archives/the-play-in-review.html?sq=carousel&scp=11&st=p "The play in review"]. ''The New York Times'', April 20, 1945, p. 24.  Retrieved on December 21, 2010.  Fee for article.</ref> [[Wilella Waldorf]] of the ''[[New York Post]]'', however, complained, "''Carousel'' seemed to us a rather long evening. The ''Oklahoma!'' formula is becoming a bit monotonous and so are Miss de Mille's ballets.  All right, go ahead and shoot!"<ref name="h39" /><ref>Suskin, Steven. ''Opening Night on Broadway''. Schirmer Trade Books, 1990, p. 147. {{ISBN|978-0-02-872625-0}}.</ref> ''[[Dance Magazine]]'' gave Linn plaudits for her role as Louise, stating, "Bambi doesn't come on until twenty minutes before eleven, and for the next forty minutes, she practically holds the audience in her hand".<ref name="agnes" /> Howard Barnes in the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' applauded the dancing: "It has waited for Miss de Mille to come through with peculiarly American dance patterns for a musical show to become as much a dance as a song show."<ref name="agnes" />

When the musical returned to New York in 1949, ''The New York Times'' reviewer [[Brooks Atkinson]] described ''Carousel'' as "a conspicuously superior musical play&nbsp;... ''Carousel'', which was warmly appreciated when it opened, seems like nothing less than a masterpiece now."<ref>Atkinson, Brooks. [https://www.nytimes.com/1949/02/06/archives/carousel-returns-at-the-peak-of-its-form-after-four-years.html?sq=Carousel+AND+Hammerstein&scp=1&st=p  "Carousel returns;  At the peak of its form after four years"].  ''The New York Times'', February 6, 1949, p. X1.  Retrieved on December 21, 2010.  Fee for article.</ref>  In 1954, when ''Carousel'' was revived at City Center, Atkinson discussed the musical in his review:<blockquote>''Carousel'' has no comment to make on anything of topical importance.  The theme is timeless and universal:  the devotion of two people who love each other through thick and thin, complicated in this case by the wayward personality of the man, who cannot fulfill the responsibilities he has assumed. &nbsp;... Billy is a bum, but ''Carousel'' recognizes the decency of his motives and admires his independence.  There are no slick solutions in ''Carousel''.<ref>Atkinson, Brooks.  [https://www.nytimes.com/1954/06/13/archives/eloquent-musical-carousel-gaining-in-stature-through-the-years-is.html?sq=lewis%2520nichols%2520carousel&scp=2&st=cse "Eloquent musical"],  ''The New York Times'', June 13, 1954, p. X1. Retrieved  December 21, 2010. Fee for article.</ref></blockquote>

[[Stephen Sondheim]] noted the duo's ability to take the innovations of ''Oklahoma!'' and apply them to a more intensely serious setting: "''Oklahoma!'' is about a picnic, ''Carousel'' is about life and death."<ref>Bradley, p. 74</ref>  Critic [[Eric Bentley]], on the other hand, wrote that "the last scene of ''Carousel'' is an impertinence:  I refuse to be lectured to by a musical comedy scriptwriter on the education of children, the nature of the good life, and the contribution of the American small town to the salvation of souls."<ref>Block (ed.), pp. 161–62</ref>

''New York Times'' critic [[Frank Rich]] said of the 1992 London production: "What is remarkable about Mr. Hytner's direction, aside from its unorthodox faith in the virtues of simplicity and stillness, is its ability to make a 1992 audience believe in Hammerstein's vision of redemption, which has it that a dead sinner can return to Earth to do godly good."<ref name="rich">Rich, Frank.  [http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9E0CEFD61E3CF934A25751C1A964958260&scp=9&sq=hytner%20carousel%20london&st=cse "London makes a revelation of ''Carousel''"].  ''The New York Times'', December 17, 1992. Retrieved December 24, 2010. Fee for article.</ref>  The Hytner production in New York was hailed by many critics as a grittier ''Carousel'', which they deemed more appropriate for the 1990s.<ref name="h162">Hyland, p. 162</ref> [[Clive Barnes]] of the ''New York Post'' called it a "defining ''Carousel''—hard-nosed, imaginative, and exciting."<ref name="h162" />

Critic [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]] has commented that "lyrically [''Carousel''] comes perilously close to acceptance of the inevitability of domestic violence."<ref>[[Michael Billington (critic)|Billington, Michael]]. [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/aug/21/carousel-musical-review "''Carousel'' – review"], ''The Guardian'', August 21, 2012. Retrieved on July 29, 2016</ref> BroadwayWorld.com stated in 2013 that ''Carousel'' is now "considered somewhat controversial in terms of its attitudes on domestic violence" because Julie chooses to stay with Billy despite the abuse; actress Kelli O'Hara noted that the domestic violence that Julie "chooses to deal with – is a real, existing and very complicated thing. And exploring it is an important part of healing it."<ref>Fox, Jena Tesse.  [http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Interviews-Kelli-OHara-Talks-CAROUSEL-20130219 "BWW Interviews: Kelli O'Hara Talks ''Carousel''"], Broadwayworld.com, February 19, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2015.</ref>

Rodgers considered ''Carousel'' his favorite of all his musicals and wrote, "it affects me deeply every time I see it performed".<ref name="r243" />  In 1999, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, in its "Best of the Century" list, named ''Carousel'' the Best Musical of the 20th century, writing that Rodgers and Hammerstein "set the standards for the 20th century musical, and this show features their most beautiful score and the most skillful and affecting example of their musical storytelling".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071125162947/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993039-2,00.html "The best of the century"], ''Time'', December 31, 1999. Retrieved December 21, 2010.</ref> Hammerstein's grandson, Oscar Andrew Hammerstein, in his book about his family, suggested that the wartime situation made the musical's ending especially poignant to its original viewers, "Every American grieved the loss of a brother, son, father, or friend&nbsp;... the audience empathized with <nowiki>[Billy's]</nowiki> all-too-human efforts to offer advice, to seek forgiveness, to complete an unfinished life, and to bid a proper good-bye from beyond the grave."<ref>Hammerstein, p. 175</ref> Author and composer [[Ethan Mordden]] agreed with that perspective:<blockquote>If ''Oklahoma!'' developed the moral argument for sending American boys overseas, ''Carousel'' offered consolation to those wives and mothers whose boys would only return in spirit.  The meaning lay not in the tragedy of the present, but in the hope for a future where no one walks alone.<ref>Block (ed.), p. 95</ref>
</blockquote>

== Awards and nominations ==
=== Original 1945 Broadway production===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;"
|-
! style="width:5%;"| Year
! style="width:20%;"| Award
! style="width:45%;"| Category
! style="width:20%;"| Nominee
! style="width:10%;"| Result
|-
|rowspan="8" align="center"|1945
|rowspan="8"|[[Donaldson Awards|Donaldson Award]]
|colspan="2"|Best Musical of the 1944-1945 Season
|{{won}}
|-
|Male Lead Performance (Musical)
|[[John Raitt]]
|{{won}}
|-
|Direction (Musical)
|Rouben Mamoulian
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|Supporting Performance (Dance)
|Bambi Linn
|{{won}}
|-
|Peter Birch
|{{won}}
|-
|colspan="2"|Book, Lyrics and Score
|{{won}}
|-
|Choreography
|[[Agnes DeMille]]
|{{won}}
|-
|Costume Design
|Miles White
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan="2" align="center"|1946
|[[New York Drama Critics' Circle Award]]<ref>[http://www.dramacritics.org/dc_pastawards.html#1946 Past Awards (1945–1946), New York Drama Critics' Circle]. dramacritics.org.  Retrieved on January 25, 2012</ref>
|Best Musical
|Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Theatre World Award]]<ref>Willis, John. [https://books.google.com/books?id=yGx3tLELoEoC&dq=%22Ann+Crowley%22+Carousel+%22Theatre+OR+World%22&pg=PA364 "Previous Theatre World Award Recipients"]. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2009, p. 364 {{ISBN|978-1-4234-7369-5}}. Retrieved January 25, 2012</ref>
|Best Debut Performance
|[[Ann Crowley (singer)|Ann Crowley]]
|{{won}}
|}
''Note: The [[Tony Award]]s were not established until 1947, and so ''Carousel'' was not eligible to win any Tonys for the original Broadway production.''<ref>[http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/index.html "Tony Awards Archive"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316035442/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/index.html |date=2008-03-16 }}. American Theatre Wing. Retrieved January 25, 2012</ref>

=== 1957 revival ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;"
|-
! style="width:5%;"| Year
! style="width:20%;"| Award
! style="width:45%;"| Category
! style="width:20%;"| Nominee
! style="width:10%;"| Result
|-
|align="center"|1958
|[[Tony Award]]<ref name="tony">[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/carousel-13514 "''Carousel'' 1957"], ibdb.com, retrieved June 18, 2019</ref>
|[[Tony Award for Best Scenic Design|Best Scenic Design]]
|[[Oliver Smith (designer)|Oliver Smith]]
|{{nom}}
|}

=== 1992 London revival ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;"
|-
! style="width:5%;"| Year
! style="width:20%;"| Award
! style="width:45%;"| Category
! style="width:20%;"| Nominee
! style="width:10%;"| Result
|-
|rowspan="9" align="center"|1993
|rowspan="9"|[[Laurence Olivier Award|Olivier Award]]<ref name="olive">[https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1993/ "Official London Theatre listing"]. 1993 Olivier Awards, Official London Theatre. Retrieved March 4, 2018</ref>
|colspan="2"|[[Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival|Best Musical Revival]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director of a Musical|Best Director of a Musical]]
|[[Nicholas Hytner]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical|Best Actor in a Musical]]
|[[Michael Hayden (actor)|Michael Hayden]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical|Best Actress in a Musical]]
|[[Joanna Riding]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical|Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical]]
|[[Janie Dee]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical|Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical]]
|[[Clive Rowe]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer|Best Theatre Choreographer]]
|[[Kenneth MacMillan]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Olivier Award for Best Set Designer|Best Set Designer]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Bob Crowley]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
|{{nom}}
|}

=== 1994 Broadway revival ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;"
|-
! style="width:5%;"| Year
! style="width:20%;"| Award
! style="width:45%;"| Category
! style="width:20%;"| Nominee
! style="width:10%;"| Result
|-
|rowspan="14" align="center"|1994
|rowspan="5"|[[Tony Award]]<ref name="tony" />
|colspan="2"|[[Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical|Best Revival of a Musical]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical|Best Featured Actress in a Musical]]
|[[Audra McDonald]]
|{{won}}
|-
||[[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical|Best Direction of a Musical]]
|[[Nicholas Hytner]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]]
|Sir [[Kenneth MacMillan]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical|Best Scenic Design of a Musical]]
|[[Bob Crowley]]
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[Drama Desk Award]]<ref name="drama">[http://www.dramadesk.com/1993_1994dd.html "1993–1994 40th Drama Desk Awards"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20080704130706/http://www.dramadesk.com/1993_1994dd.html |date=2008-07-04 }}. Drama Desk. Retrieved January 25, 2012</ref>
|colspan="2"|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical|Outstanding Musical Revival]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical|Outstanding Actor in a Musical]]
|[[Michael Hayden (actor)|Michael Hayden]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical]]
|[[Audra McDonald]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography|Outstanding Choreography]]
|[[Jane Elliot]] and Sir [[Kenneth MacMillan]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical|Outstanding Director of a Musical]]
|[[Nicholas Hytner]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical|Outstanding Lighting Design]]
|[[Paul Pyant]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design|Outstanding Set Design]]
|[[Bob Crowley]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Theatre World Award]]<ref>[http://www.theatreworldawards.org/award.html "Previous Theatre World Award Recipients"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313125313/http://www.theatreworldawards.org/award.html |date=2012-03-13 }}. Theatre World. Retrieved January 25, 2012</ref>
|colspan="2"|[[Audra McDonald]]
|{{won}}
|-
|colspan="2"|[[Michael Hayden (actor)|Michael Hayden]]
|{{won}}
|}

===2018 Broadway revival===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;"
|-
! style="width:5%;"| Year
! style="width:20%;"| Award
! style="width:45%;"| Category
! style="width:20%;"| Nominee
! style="width:10%;"| Result
|-
| rowspan="24" |2018
| rowspan="11" |[[72nd Tony Awards|Tony Awards]]
| colspan="2" |[[Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical|Best Revival of a Musical]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical|Best Actor in a Musical]]
|[[Joshua Henry]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical|Best Actress in a Musical]]
|[[Jessie Mueller]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical|Best Featured Actor in a Musical]]
|[[Alexander Gemignani]]
|{{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical|Best Featured Actress in a Musical]]
|[[Renée Fleming]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Lindsay Mendez]]
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical|Best Costume Design of a Musical]]
|[[Ann Roth]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Musical|Best Lighting Design of a Musical]]
|[[Brian MacDevitt]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Sound Design|Best Sound Design of a Musical]]
|Scott Lehrer
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]]
|[[Justin Peck]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Tony Award for Best Orchestrations|Best Orchestrations]]
|[[Jonathan Tunick]]
|{{nom}}
|-
| [[Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography|Chita Rivera Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Ariana DeBose, Tony Yazbeck, and More Win 2018 Chita Rivera Awards |url=https://www.theatermania.com/news/ariana-debose-tony-yazbeck-and-more-win-2018-chita-rivera-awards_85273/ |website=TheaterMania |date=21 May 2018 |access-date=6 June 2026}}</ref>
| Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show
| ''Carousel''
| {{won}} (tie)
|-
| rowspan="12" |[[Drama Desk Award]]<ref name="DD 2018">[http://www.playbill.com/article/spongebob-squarepants-leads-2018-drama-desk-awards "''SpongeBob SquarePants'' Leads 2018 Drama Desk Awards"], ''Playbill'', June 3, 2018. Retrieved on January 9, 2021</ref>
| colspan="2" |[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical|Outstanding Revival of a Musical]]
|{{nominated}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical|Outstanding Actor in a Musical]]
|[[Joshua Henry]]
|{{nominated}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical|Outstanding Actress in a Musical]]
|[[Jessie Mueller]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical|Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical]]
|[[Alexander Gemignani]]
|{{nominated}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical|Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical]]
|[[Lindsay Mendez]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical|Outstanding Director of a Musical]]
|[[Jack O'Brien (director)|Jack O'Brien]]
|{{nominated}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography|Outstanding Choreography]]
|[[Justin Peck]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations|Outstanding Orchestrations]]
|[[Jonathan Tunick]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical|Outstanding Set Design for a Musical]]
|Santo Loquasto
|{{nominated}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical|Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical]]
|Brian MacDevitt
|{{nominated}}
|-
|[[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical|Outstanding Sound Design for a Musical]]
|Scott Lehrer
|{{nominated}}
|-
|Outstanding Fight Choreography
|Steve Rankin
|{{won}}
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* [[Geoffrey Block|Block, Geoffrey]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=6gRuvIuWZyUC&dq=carousel+new+haven+march+22%2C+1945&pg=PA162 ''Enchanted Evenings: The Broadway Musical from Show Boat to Sondheim'']. New York: Oxford University Press US, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-19-516730-6}}.
* [[Geoffrey Block|Block, Geoffrey]] (ed.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=QLxEdG6HJ9sC&q=carousel+rodgers ''The Richard Rodgers Reader'']. New York: Oxford University Press US, 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-19-531343-7}}.
* [[Ian Bradley|Bradley, Ian.]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=P9rFTWvLDNgC&dq=sondheim+carousel+life+death&pg=PA79 ''You've Got to Have a Dream: The Message of the Broadway Musical'']. Louisville, Ky., Westminster John Knox Press, 2005. 978-0-664-22854-5.
* Easton, Carol. ''No Intermission: The Life of Agnes DeMille.'' Jefferson, N.C.: Da Capo Press, 2000 (1st DaCapo Press edition). {{ISBN|978-0-306-80975-0}}.
* Fordin, Hugh. ''Getting to Know Him: A Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II''. Jefferson, N.C.: Da Capo Press, 1995 reprint of 1986 edition. {{ISBN|978-0-306-80668-1}}.
* Hammerstein, Oscar Andrew. ''The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family''. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2010. {{ISBN|978-1-57912-846-3}}.
* Hischak, Thomas S. [https://books.google.com/books?id=CsbEP_Mu50EC&q=%22Carousel.+A+musical+play%22&pg=PA310 ''The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia'']. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-313-34140-3}}.
* Hyland, William G. ''Richard Rodgers''. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1998. {{ISBN|978-0-300-07115-3}}.
* [[Ferenc Molnár|Molnár, Ferenc.]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=aTsiAAAAMAAJ&dq=liliom+1909&pg=PR5 ''Liliom: A Legend in Seven Scenes and a Prologue'']. New York: Boni and Liveright, 1921.
* [[Ethan Mordden|Mordden, Ethan.]] "Rodgers & Hammerstein". New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992. {{ISBN|978-0-8109-1567-1}}.
* [[Frederick Nolan (writer)|Nolan, Frederick]]. ''The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, 2002. {{ISBN|978-1-55783-473-7}}.
* Rodgers, Richard. ''Musical Stages: An Autobiography''. Jefferson, N.C. Da Capo Press, 2002 reprint of 1975 edition. {{ISBN|978-0-306-81134-0}}.
* [[Meryle Secrest|Secrest, Meryle]]. ''Somewhere for Me: A Biography of Richard Rodgers''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, 2001. {{ISBN|978-1-55783-581-9}}.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Carousel (musical)}}
{{Wikiquote|Carousel}}
{{Portal|Theatre}}
* {{ibdb show|2419}}
* [http://guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_c/carousel.htm ''Carousel'' at guidetomusicaltheatre.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327152615/http://guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_c/carousel.htm |date=2013-03-27 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080122081559/http://stageagent.com/Shows/View/708 ''Carousel'' info page on StageAgent.com] – ''Carousel'' plot summary and character descriptions
* {{IMDb title|0190291}} (1967 TV adaptation)

{{Liliom}}
{{Rodgers and Hammerstein}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Carousel''
|list = 
{{OlivierAward MusicalRevival}}
{{TonyAward MusicalRevival}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carousel (Musical)}}
[[Category:1945 musicals]]
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[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
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[[Category:Fiction set in 1873]]
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