CAROUSEL (2018) Reviews- Page 6

[Impossible2]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 1:57pm

GeorgeandDot said: "I have a theory with this production that they had a ton of investors on board and they were planning on this being a lush production, but many of them jumped ship after the #metoo movement. I could see where they would pull their investments over a show like Carousel in our current political climate. Too much of a risk. That might explain the absurdly cheap production values and the lack of a cast album announcement."

It seemed to have a very large cast, that is obviously where all the money has gone.

It certainly didn't go on that horrible set or 2 hideous 'carousels'.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 4:44pm

A cast album would have an awfully pretty cover though.

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 4/21/18 at 6:26pm

"It seemed to have a very large cast, that is obviously where all the money has gone.  It certainly didn't go on that horrible set or 2 hideous 'carousels'."

Can you tell me why you think they are so hideous?   I do agree with you about where their money has gone. Sigh. Such a huge letdown for something so many of us on here were so excited about. 

[akhoya87]

Posted: 4/22/18 at 9:55am

Long-time lurker, first-time poster.  I decided to create an account just to give my $0.02 from a lay (read:  no-background-in-theatre-but-I-watch-a-lot-of-shows) perspective.

I trek up to NYC every so often just to see shows.  I wish I had gone to see My Fair Lady.  I chose this one for Jessie Mueller and was somewhat disappointed.  She gave a wonderful performance (loved her in Waitress, never got to see her in Beautiful), but it totally fades into the background compared to the overpowering vocals of say, Renee Fleming (as one might expect?).  Joshua Henry was . . . fine.  His accent went from New Englander to New Yorker to Southerner in the span of an hour or so (isn't Billy supposed to be from Coney Island?).  I thought there was plenty of chemistry at the most important moment -- If I Loved You -- and I teared up during his reprise.  But I think Jessie did more of the heavy lifting selling the romance - especially in the second act, when she has to emote the impact of feeling the touch of a love lost.  

Agree with all the positives about Lindsay Mendez and Alexander Gemignani.

I disagree with the folks who say Renee Fleming looked out of place.  I thought her singing and acting were marvelous, although the diamonds she wore were pretty distracting.  (How do you own that kind of jewelry running a beach bar/spa in New England?  And more importantly, why are you wearing that kind of jewelry in the middle of summer?)

To me, this show had an identity problem - I feel like it couldn't decide whether it was a work of musical theatre or if it was a ballet performance.  This came off as a well-intentioned but poorly executed combination of the two.  If it's the latter, then sure, I can see de-emphasizing the set as they did so that people can focus on the artistry of the dancers.  If it's the former, I can see how several elements of the show were grossly disappointing (like the meh set, the meh costuming, etc.).  I actually thought the costuming was on point - the show wasn't as visually stimulating as, say, Hamilton or She Loves Me from a few years ago, but it got the job done.  That said, why is Billy dressed like a hobo and not, you know, a carnival barker?  

One *MAJOR* gripe I have about the show, and this goes back to my earlier point about the identity crisis - I think they overdid it with some of the ballet elements.  It was fine for like, the Carousel Waltz (which I felt could've used some, I don't know, actual waltzing).  But I was literally yawning during Blow High, Blow Low.  They sacrificed some of the vocal quality in that number for fancy, high-falutin' jumps and lifts.  And the dance number felt repetitive at times. 

Amar Ramasar was a very nice dancer but fell flat, flat flat in his vocals.  Brittany Pollack's ballet as Louise was on point, but her vocals were also flat (although I suppose you'd want to cast someone with a ballet background in that role, so that isn't unexpected).

TL;DR:

Jessie Mueller - Grade-A performance but fell into the background a bit

Joshua Henry - fine

Renee Fleming - scene-stealer

Lindsay Mendez/Alexander Gemignani - A+

Ballet - too much

Jigger - great dancing, poor vocals

Louise - great dancing, meh vocals

Costuming - fine

Set design - meh/ugh

Posted: 4/22/18 at 7:29pm

Great piece on Justin Peck/Carousel on CBS this morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-wWRhAszTA

Nice to see some of the footage of the choreography in the production as well.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 4/22/18 at 7:35pm

I would also like to add to the love for Renee Fleming. She injects some life and warmth into the show and I hope she gets a Tony nom.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 4/22/18 at 8:15pm

The footage not only shows Justin Peck's choreography (which is okay at best) but it also shows the "carousel" in the opening and boy is that a huge disappointment in comparison to the 1994 production, in fact, it fits in well with the cheap sets and costumes this production partially suffers from. I sure am glad I'm seeing My Fair Lady instead of this.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 6/13/18 at 3:16pm

I saw Carousel about 2/3 of the way through previews and made a return visit yesterday, Tuesday. Carousel is one of my favorites and while I still struggle with the cuts that were made, I have a great appreciation for this production's existence and I left feeling happy and moved by it. I found the show to be more polished, particularly the blocking of the dramatic scenes. Jigger is still not being played appropriately, which is irksome. The orchestra is sublime. I'd listened to the cast recording a bit and Mueller and Mendez both sounded more beautiful in person last night. It was nice to hear the cast all in such fine voice coming out of the gauntlet of awards' season. I also think the chemistry between Mueller and Henry has improved and she is delivering a beautiful, nuanced performance. 

I know a lot of people hate this production. I acknowledge its flaws. I do appreciate how it seems to go deeper into the spiritual aspects of redemption and the flawed human. For me, it's a chance to see some of my favorite performers sing some of my favorite songs and it makes my heart happy. 

Sidenote, Ted Chapin was in the audience, the day after the Tonys. Just thought that was interesting.

Updated On: 6/13/18 at 03:16 PM

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 10:43am

Disclaimer: I came to this show having extremely limited knowledge and preconceived notions about Carousel.  I am not the biggest fan of the classics, but I admire Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry so I wanted to push that aside to see this production.

I loved it.  The dancing was phenomenal and often brought me to tears.  It was refreshing to hear Jessie Mueller and Lindsay Mendez use notes that I am not accustomed to hearing from them.  And Joshua Henry was everything I wanted and more.

I work for a non-profit in Virginia that serves people experiencing and have experienced incarceration.  The funding for my specific job comes from a DOC grant serving serious and violent "offenders".  The story of redemption, forgiveness, and second (and third, and fourth) chances are ones that I am faced with every single weekday.  This musical hit me like a ton of bricks and I find myself still getting teary-eyed thinking about the performances. 

We are in the wake of the "Me Too" movement, but this musical is a reminder to literally understand these situations from the inside-out, not the outside-in with judgement and black and white thinking.  The way this production highlights how human people are, how second chances given do not always mean redemption, that to love someone is not easy and sometimes can lead to deeper pain that mimics numbing than we ever thought could exist, is so nuanced and beautiful that I know I will never forget this production.

Some people do not know how to express emotions, often relying on how love was expressed to them when they were children.  My clients are made up of men who were often neglected, abused, and mistreated, often finding love in gangs, drugs, and the streets.  Second chances are not enough to erase childhood trauma, and the power of love is not always enough to find redemption.  This production brought to surface the stories I hear day-in and day-out of the struggles of learning how to accept love, learning how to believe that individuals are capable and deserving of accepting love, and stories of mess-ups after mess-ups when struggling to turn their lives around.  The impulsive side of Billy is one I know all too well and one I see in my clients every single day.

I went into this production to see gorgeous choreography and singing, and came out an emotional mess from the story line over all.

The only thing that really drew me out of the production from time-to-time was Renee Fleming.  While her singing was great, I felt her acting was horrendous and it felt like she was singing TO the audience, often forgetting that she was in a musical and not at a concert.  This drew me out of the musical multiple times, but other than that, I am so happy I ignored my own personal judgement and saw this production.

I am even thinking about hanging the poster in my work office, alongside the Playbill, to start discussions with clients (many of them love music and theatre).

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 6:46pm

I agree about Renee, and so did everyone around me apparently. At intermission, about 8 people starting talking about it and we all felt Renee is a singer, and that's it.  One woman said she was a huge let down and gives nothing to the show.  She has no acting ability. She sounded pretty though, which was all I got from her.

The dancing is amazing and so beautiful to watch. There was no one else who came close this season to the choreography Justin created.

When Billy slapped his daughter's hand, he REALLY slapped the hell out of it.  The audience gasped really hard. I guess he wanted the sound to bounce off the back of the theater or something, I did not gasp but was a little surprised at how seriously he slapped it.  

The cuts are horrible but we've all acknowledged that on here.  

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 6:49pm

I just watched the bootleg of this show, wondering if I was just in a bad mood when I saw the production, and it's still horrid.

O'Brien should NEVER be allowed to direct a project of this caliber ever again.  And I still don't think that Mendez deserved a Tony for her performance.  But I can't say that's her fault, it's O'Brien's for not realizing the tone of Mendez's performance makes it seem like she's in a completely different show than everyone else on stage is in.

I've never seen a production of a classic on Broadway and thought that I'd seen better community theatre productions.  Hell, I've never seen a community theatre production with a set as bad as the current revival of Carousel.

A sludge, a let down, and a dropped ball.  

Updated On: 7/2/18 at 06:49 PM

[carnzee]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 7:34pm

EllieRose2 said: "I agree about Renee, and so did everyone around me apparently.At intermission, about 8 people starting talking about it and we all felt Renee is a singer, and that's it. One woman said she was a huge let down and gives nothing to the show. She has no acting ability.She sounded pretty though, which was all I got from her.
 

I think Renee and Amar, two artists at the top of their fields, exemplify what is good and bad about this production: it is lovely but shallow.  They are great at what they do but don't feel at home in a Broadway musical. She mostly acts with her voice, and he uses his body to communicate, so their book scenes weren't at the level we're used too. Neither one created a living, breathing character, even though I enjoyed them on a superficial level. 

I would like to catch the show again before it closes, despite my qualms, just for Josh and the dancing. (I must add that Renee and Amar could not have been kinder at stage door.)

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 7:42pm

I very much agree, they were never actual characters in the show.  It was a delight to watch Amar dance, but then I had to remind myself he was playing Jigger several times, and then it stopped making sense.  I am so proud of Joshua Henry (he should have won the Tony for this) and I will probably catch it one more time just for his stunning performance.  One of the best voices on Broadway.  

[Solipsist234]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 7:48pm

Sondheimite said: "I just watched the bootleg of this show, wondering if I was just in a bad mood when I saw the production, and it's still horrid.

O'Brien should NEVER be allowed to direct a project of this caliberever again. And I still don't think that Mendez deserved a Tony for her performance. But I can't say that's her fault, it's O'Brien's for not realizing the tone of Mendez's performance makes it seem like she's in a completely different show than everyone else on stage is in.

I've never seen a production of a classic on Broadway and thought that I'd seen better community theatre productions. Hell, I've never seen a community theatre production with a set as bad as the current revival of Carousel.

A sludge, a let down, and a dropped ball."

Man, you REALLY love to push the envelope in terms of things you dislike! 

Also, and if I may ask this, why the hell did anyone think that this production was actually going to be spectacular? Was it its ambivalent marketing? Once you have Jack O'Brien, your production is screwed! Besides, it's not like Bartlett Sher or Christopher Wheeldon or even Warren Carlyle could have possibly saved this revival, because Carousel is problematic, and always has been!!!

Edit: I don't know enough about the Hytner revival from the 90s to truly make an opinion, but it was probably the direction and Audra's performance that made it worthwhile and memorable! However, it suffered the same problems without cutting any notable lines out (I believe Highest Judge of All was cut from that production, right?) Anyway, Carousel isn't that great, and should never be performed on Broadway again after this horrible revival closes! Case closed...

Updated On: 7/3/18 at 07:48 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 12:00am

Well that was just a bore, to me. I don't get the Henry love? From the second he stepped on stage it all felt false to me. I just didn't buy the accent or his physicality? Why was he always lumbering? I never saw the spark or charm that would make Mueller fall for him in the first place. Mueller was fine but gave a performance we've seen from her. I thought Mendez was quite good and didn't feel too broad to me. The acting just all felt all over. The NY Ballet dancers are great, but oof those book scenes are rough. There was just no cohesion and therefore I just couldn't get invested. It amazed me how many people were crying around me as I felt so disconnected from it all. 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 4:42pm

RippedMan said: "Well that was just a bore, to me. I don't get the Henry love? From the second he stepped on stage it all felt false to me. I just didn't buy the accent or his physicality? Why was he always lumbering? I never saw the spark or charm that would make Mueller fall for him in the first place. Mueller was fine but gave a performance we've seen from her. I thought Mendez was quite good and didn't feel too broad to me. The acting just all felt all over. The NY Ballet dancers are great, but oof those book scenes are rough. There was just no cohesion and therefore I just couldn't get invested. It amazed me how many people were crying around me as I felt so disconnected from it all."

They were all mourning that $190 x

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 9:43pm

I work for a non-profit in Virginia that serves people experiencing and have experienced incarceration.  The funding for my specific job comes from a DOC grant serving serious and violent "offenders".  The story of redemption, forgiveness, and second (and third, and fourth) chances are ones that I am faced with every single weekday.  This musical hit me like a ton of bricks and I find myself still getting teary-eyed thinking about the performances. 

What a lovely post. I seems like you are one person situated in the right place to use her abilities to their greatest effectiveness.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 4:37pm

Finally got to see (cough) this and I was surprised by how like, kind of ugly it was? Loquasto provides some really beautiful moments but the lighting was kind of aimless and the costumes were a weird clutter of pastoral frills (Mrs Mullin looked like she'd just come from the set of Gunslinger) and a lot of the movements and general direction of actors didn't seem to have much of a cohesive point to them. Carousel is such a mythic-scale story, all the elements have to point towards the same concept to bring it together but a lot of this felt sort of arbitrary.

Renee Fleming has a fine voice but it was odd watching her act - I would've taken someone with more vivaciousness and a less refined voice. Mendez is hysterical, Mueller has a certain electricity that I really liked, and Henry was fine, but everyone looked like they'd just kind of been tossed onto the stage and told to sort it out amongst themselves. And WHY was the hornpipe so long? I'm not usually one to complain about divertissements but the actual dancing didn't feel special enough to support such a long break and the subject (boy, we love sailing!)certainly didn't either.

I will say I got a good laugh out of Renee Fleming emerging from the crowd with two pies for some reason in the middle of June Is Bustin'.

Updated On: 7/4/18 at 04:37 PM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 4:42pm

I think Fleming would've given a better acting performance under better direction. I think this is true of everyone in this production.

[BroadwayLover4]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 6:51am

agree with GeorgeandDot. The direction is this production is so misguided.

[Addipia94]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 10:40am

Sondheimite said: "I just watched the bootleg of this show, wondering if I was just in a bad mood when I saw the production, and it's still horrid."

Didn't know one was out 

[Elegance101]

Posted: 7/5/18 at 7:45pm

GeorgeandDot said: "I think Fleming would've given a better acting performance under better direction. I think this is true of everyone in this production."

Agreed, it felt like great actors giving amazing performances for their first day of rehearsal. But every ensemble needs a great director to meld their performances together and to refine what they bring individually, neither of which seemed to happen with Jack O'Brien.

[South Florida]

Posted: 7/24/18 at 5:00pm

Saw it Saturday, and I loved it.  What an outstanding cast.  Boo to those dumping on this production.