Favorite song(s) from Carousel

[RW3]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 12:01am

In honor of the tickets for Carousel going on sale tomorrow, what is favorite song or songs from Carousel?

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 12:19am

What's the Use of Wond'rin

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 12:26am

Absolutely, "What's the Use of Wond'rin", perhaps the most beautiful song R&H ever wrote, and that's saying a LOT.

 

second choice, "When I Marry Mister Snow"

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 10:17am

This is weird. All the goodies in Carousel and the first three choose What's the Use of Wond'rin? This eight year old hearing the OBC album played so frequently by his mother was mesmerized by the impossibly wistful delivery of the song by Jan Clayton.

Carousel is frequently revived, but even between revivals one is never far from hearing "If I Loved You" and "Soliloquy," merely because "Soliloquy" and the bench scene are two of the finest scenes of the musical theater. 

Even Ol' Blue Eyes thought that "Soliloquy" was one of the finest pieces of music ever written and performed it frequently in concert.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 10:34am

The entire score is incredibly great, but the ones that can still give me goose bumps are 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and 'If I Loved You'.

[Cat Guy]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 10:47am

Not a song, but "The Carousel Waltz".  For more than two decades, I have played clarinet in a concert band.  Each year we present a "Cabaret" concert (mostly Broadway stuff) that almost always includes "Carousel Waltz".  It's a piece that the audience enjoys hearing and the band enjoys playing.  I get swept away and into the music unlike anything else we play.  "Carousel" is my favorite musical, and I am super excited to see it next year.

Here is the John Wilson Orchestra at the BBC Proms, 2010.

 

[jtishere]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 12:15pm

That's so difficult. It's one of the most beautiful and perfect of all scores. If I had to pick - and it's a cliche choice - I'd choose "You'll Never Walk Alone."

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 12:18pm

When I marry mister snow is my favorite 

[TweetyPie2]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 12:30pm

I really like "The Highest Judge of All."

[JIMG3]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 12:48pm

It sure as hell isnt "Clambake".

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 1:14pm

I really can't choose. There's no bad number in Carousel.  But I love "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan."

[JIMG3]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 1:24pm

So you're admitting you actually like Clambake?

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 1:54pm

JIMG3 said: "So you're admitting you actually like Clambake?"

Yes. I don';t know why you have a hate boner for this show and its score but whatevs.

[green waver]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 2:25pm

       This is such a phenomenal score that I think its okay to look beyond the famous pieces and highlight a smaller, quieter song. I love When The Children are Asleep. Reid Shelton and Susan Watson nailed it in the 65 Lincoln Center revival, as did Jessie Mueller and Jason Daniely on the Great Performances special a few years ago.

[JIMG3]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 2:37pm

poisonivy2 said: "JIMG3 said: "So you're admitting you actually like Clambake?"

Yes. I don';t know why you have a hate boner for this show and its score but whatevs."

A hate "boner"??? In the world I live in, that song isn't exactly held up, as one of musical theatre's finest moments.   As it happens, I think Carousel has some of the most beautiful music ever written. I'll save my "boner" for more pleasant pursuits. 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 2:38pm

I LOVE When the Children are Asleep, especially the performance by Mueller and Daniely.  I also love the entire bench scene.  I think it's some of the greatest musical storytelling, if not the greatest piece of musical storytelling.  As for Clambake.... it does what it needs to do.  It's just.... there and that's fine.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 2:59pm

Cat Guy said: "Not a song, but "The Carousel Waltz". For more than two decades, I have played clarinet in a concert band. Each year we present a "Cabaret" concert (mostly Broadway stuff) that almost always includes "Carousel Waltz". It's a piece that the audience enjoys hearing and the band enjoys playing. I get swept away and into themusic unlike anything else we play. "Carousel" is my favorite musical, and I am super excited to see it next year.

Here is the John Wilson Orchestra at the BBC Proms, 2010.

Thanks for that, Cat Guy. I fell in love with the Carousel Waltz also, but it was the track on the original release of the original cast. Due to space limitations on the LP (Long Play, the description of the original 33.3 rpm vinyl. Everything is relative.), the Waltz is only 4.5 minutes long, with the 64 measures that begin with the tuba solo entirely absent. Future releases of the OBC by media that had adequate space restored the missing measures.

Since I grew up with the 4.5 minute version, the tuba section still sounds strange to my ear.

 

 

"

 

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 3:57pm

"Clambake" feels like self parody on the part of R&H.  It's really pretty embarrassingly bad.

[JIMG3]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 4:18pm

My point, exactly. Thank you. 

[ohhiccup 2]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 7:38pm

If I Loved You and When The Children Are Asleep. 

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 7:48pm

From a drag perspective, I'm looking to perform, "June is Bustin' Out All Over" soon. I love the number!

[jo]

Posted: 9/8/17 at 8:15pm

If I Loved You

Soliloquy

The Carousel Waltz

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 9/9/17 at 12:38am

thirtythirtyninety said: ""Clambake" feels like self parody on the part of R&H. It's really pretty embarrassingly bad."

I'm sure that you meant to preface that with "In my opinion."

Rodgers didn't do much wrong when writing in three and Clambake wasn't one of the wrongs.

A joyous ensemble number was needed to balance off the score and Clambake was fine.

"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a well written spiritual ballad in the manner of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and is usually one of the featured songs of any production. If you buy the premise, it ends the musical on a relatively high note. If you don't buy it than the musical ends on a lower, more realistic note. 

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/9/17 at 12:50am

Is "Clambake" the greatest song ever composed in musical theatre history? Um, no, but it ought not to be. It's a sweet, fluffy Act II opener that lets your mind stay clear and light before an otherwise extremely heavy remainder of the act. I think it serves its purpose wonderfully.

My own answer to this thread question: "You'll Never Walk Alone" from an emotional/thematic standpoint, but "Soliloquy" in terms of being one of the best songs ever written.

[BroadwayMan5]

Posted: 9/9/17 at 1:04am

I adore Carousel so this is tough but I'll go with What's the Use of Wonderin'

I think Soliloquy is brilliant but I don't love it as a song as much as Wonderin' which I find so hauntingly beautiful. I find the You'll Never Walk Alone finale incredibly moving too and I love main theme of The Carousel Waltz and the beginning of the Mister Snow reprise