CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018

[Butter Broadway]

I thought Jack did a great job with The Sound of Music, but i'm just sick and tired of Carousel honestly. Excited to see Mueller, Henry, and Fleming in this though. But not dying to see it. Also agree, wish it was Bart Sher.

[Trish2]

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "While Jack O'Brien's track record has been pretty inconsistent as of late, let's not forget that Joe Mantello's track record was pretty much similar until being paired with Scott Rudin last season with The Humans and Blackbird. Not to mention Jerry Zaks hasn't delivered a home run on Broadway until Hello, Dolly! (another Scott Rudin production) this season."

 

Careful there, Jeffrey. know all your facts before making a comment like that. Zaks won the best director TONY for the sterling 1992 revival of GUYS AND DOLLS. I'll give you your youth for that faux pas.

 

[icecreambenjamin]

Butter Broadway said: "I thought Jack did a great job with The Sound of Music, but i'm just sick and tired of Carousel honestly. Excited to see Mueller, Henry, and Fleming in this though. But not dying to see it. Also agree, wish it was Bart Sher.

 

How are you sick and tired of Carousel?  Wasn't the last revival 1994?  We are most certainly due for a revival.

 

[Soaring29]

I think Osnes would have been good too- But ah well. I'm confident Henry can sing sit well if he can sing legit- Can he?  Someone tell me if he can!  The only thing I'm familiar with of Henry's work is Violet and it's a far fry from Flick to Billy Bigelow. But no doubt he'd talented, so we'll just have to wait and see(Been saying that on here lately, sorry, lol). 

[Butter Broadway]

Carousel is done all the time.

[Tag]

Fleming's casting is amazing, and completely overshadows Mueller's involvement.  People will pay just to hear You'll Never Walk Alone.  

How will Fleming handle 8 shows a week?

[adamgreer]

The only thing giving me pause about this is Jack O'Brien's involvement. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Trish2 said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "While Jack O'Brien's track record has been pretty inconsistent as of late, let's not forget that Joe Mantello's track record was pretty much similar until being paired with Scott Rudin last season with The Humans and Blackbird. Not to mention Jerry Zaks hasn't delivered a home run on Broadway until Hello, Dolly! (another Scott Rudin production) this season."

Careful there, Jeffrey. know all your facts before making a comment like that. Zaks won the best director TONY for the sterling 1992 revival of GUYS AND DOLLS. I'll give you your youth for that faux pas."

Sorry, I meant that until Hello, Dolly! this season, it had been a long while since Jerry Zaks was able to deliver a home run on Broadway.

[CarlosAlberto]

WOW!!!! 

[wickedfan]

No, Sher would've been the wrong choice for this. Carousel is hot blooded passion, intensity and life and death stakes. Sher would've brought a gentle, subtle hand to a piece that needs heat. O'Brien is a risky choice given his track record of late, but apparently his Porgy and Bess many years ago was something to behold and I've heard very positive things about his Sound of Music.

Still wish it was Phillipa Soo as Julie Jordan, but Mueller is a phenomenal talent and actress who I'm sure will do wonderful things in the role.

Henry will sing it well and his tenor voice will add a youthful energy to the songs, which is vitally important to Billy Bigelow. I wonder how he'll do with the book scenes. You all talk about Billy Bigelow as if it's Eva Peron wall-to-wall singing. Billy has two big numbers that are nearly an hour apart in Act 1 and then doesn't sing again until the very end of Act 2. It's the book scenes that make or break your Billy. Nathan Gunn is recorded proof of that. I'm cautiously optimistic about this production, and I'm thrilled that the misguided Lyric production isn't coming over.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

BroadwayMan5 said: "I wonder what theatre? Hudson? Neil Simon? (I really doubt Cats will still be open by then). The Broadway seems a little too big"

Especially for a show that's probably more of a tough sell nowadays.

[icecreambenjamin]

Niki Renee Daniels or Ashley Park would be beautiful as Carrie.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Oh yes, Ashley Park please!!!!

[Soaring29]

With the 2013 NY Philharmonic production as well as the 2015 Lyric Opera production, I can see why some might feel it's overexposed lately and frankly I agree. But I'm intrigued none the less! 

But a revival of Allegro would be what I would like to see the most: It's actually quite a good interesting show. Maybe  it's not commercially viable, but I'd highly enjoy to see it be revived at some point. It does have some beautiful music and is a highly interesting concept. 

[TheThreadMaster]

Jack O'Brien did not exactly strike gold with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. So many people on here really hate it. Carousel is a magnificent piece and let's hope he redeems himself. Especially with the amount of potential CATCF had, this show has plenty as well with casting such as Jessie Mueller, Joshua Henry etc. So let's hope he directs for us a tour de force revival with great reviews, packed houses, and a well backed community here on broadwayworld. Not to thrilled to hear that he is directing. I think Julie Taymor would be awesome. Hoping it goes well!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Henry will sing it well and his tenor voice will add a youthful energy to the songs, which is vitally important to Billy Bigelow. I wonder how he'll do with the book scenes. You all talk about Billy Bigelow as if it's Eva Peron wall-to-wall singing. Billy has two big numbers that are nearly an hour apart in Act 1 and then doesn't sing again until the very end of Act 2. 

 

Huh? It's written for a baritone.  And it is one of the biggest singing roles in Musical Comedt for a guy, a BARITONE guy.

 

"

 

[wickedfan]

CPD: I know what it was written for. I'm saying what a different sounding voice could add to the performance. Not that a tenor voice is vital, but that a youthful presence is. I'm also aware of the stigma that comes with the role, that it being a major singing role. It is a role with very heavy duty singing to it, but it's not the ONLY thing that defines it. 

[Soaring29]

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory had a lot of potential? Don't get me wrong- I think both films have merit(Although the old one is kinda awful in parts, lol), but cmon? The material should have just not been made into a musical-  I've had enough of every film being turned into one, especially after two movies and other musical adaptations in the past. I'm listening to some of the songs now and it's what I expected- Awful and  completely commercial.  No matter who directed it, this show would have been a turkey. 

[wonderfulwizard11]

I adore Jessie Mueller but man, I have no interest in this. Still, always happy to see her working. 

[HeleneIsASlut]

icecreambenjamin said: "Niki Renee Daniels or Ashley Park would be beautiful as Carrie.

YESSSS to both of these suggestions! I assume we will be getting a diverse cast for this production? I hope so. I wonder if this production will lead toward the more traditional style or ver towards 1940sesque one like the Lyric production or be something complete different! 

 

"

 

[bjh2114]

I love Jessie Mueller, but I just can't see her as Julie after having seen her play Carrie (which she was perfect for).  I am skeptical of Josh Henry's casting too.  The only one of these three who seems appropriately cast is actually Fleming.

[Soaring29]

wickedfan said: "CPD: I know what it was written for. I'm saying what a different sounding voice could add to the performance. Not that a tenor voice is vital, but that a youthful presence is. I'm also aware of the stigma that comes with the role, that it being a major singing role. It is a role with very heavy duty singing to it, but it's not the ONLY thing that defines it. 

 

Mmm, , I disagree with that. The role needs a powerful, commanding, intimidating   presence  to it and a tenor voice that isn't a large operatic one won't be right in my book.   That's one of my issues with Michael Hayden from the 1994 Revival - he sounded too young for the role to me.   Also,  tenors  do not just sing sweet and pretty or youthful. If you look at opera tenor stuff, you'll know what I mean. A tenor  that just sings it sweet, pretty  and thinly  or  like it's contemporary musical theatre  won't cut it. 

 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

I had previously scoffed at the rumors of a Carousel revival, since it's constantly done at every regional theatre, high school, and community theatre in the country. It's got a great score but as everyone knows the domestic violence thing has not aged well.

BUT...I really like the idea of Joshua Henry as Billy Bigelow. If you're going to do a multi-million dollar production of an old chestnut like Carousel on Broadway, then either be the best production ever or do something interesting with it. I think it's pretty uncommon to have a black actor playing Billy, and especially given the current political climate and the nature of the role, I think this "color conscious" casting changes the show in a way that will bring out new elements in the old text while still making sense with the story.

[wickedfan]

Soaring: Billy IS young. He's not a teenager, but he is not a commanding, powerful, intimidating presence. He is a man/child who was the big fish in very, very small pond who doesn't know the first thing about being an adult. Carousel post "If I Loved You" is the audience seeing the vulnerable, insecure person Billy is hiding behind the raw sexual charisma he presents at most times.

A booming, operatic voice offers wonderful thrills with this score (John Raitt, Nathan Gunn) but there's a dramatic heft to the role that many operatic voices, at least in my experience, don't bring to it. Say what you will about Hayden's voice, and I know he's not a great singer, but each acting beat in his "Soliloquy" is defined and on point. And I didn't say "sweet and pretty," I said "youthful" because I believe that it is essential to the character of Billy that he be a young character for all the reasons I posted above. 

[rosscoe(au)]

It's a pity it's not the 93 staging

[BroadwayConcierge]

Surprised more people aren't talking about the prospect of hearing Renée Fleming sing "You'll Never Walk Alone." I mean, come on! Seriously can't wait.