Darkness, Love and Light
Gammage Auditoriumıs Valley Broadway Series' "Carousel"
***** (out of *****)
Mark S.P. Turvin
(w) 965-1021  (h) 894-5443
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@asu.edu

	Contrary to expectations, reviews of this sort are not easy 
to write. Critics, by nature, tend to be a picky bunch, and the 
pages for negative words tend to be bent out of shape in their 
thesaurus. It's not often that a reviewer will have to look up 
superlatives, and it can make them a bit cranky. I am one cranky 
reviewer tonight.
	How many ways can one compliment perfection? Nicholas 
Hytner's darkly revisionistic production of the ever-popular 
Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" is everything a theatregoer 
could want: great music, great singing, great acting, great 
dancing and stunningly beautiful visuals that play up the darker 
side of the usually chipper duos work. Even more exciting, as 
opposed to Broadway touring shows of the type that offer 
perfection without a stitch of care and heart, this production is 
lovingly crafted and almost too emotionally stirring, both for 
performers and audience alike.
	"Carousel," Rodgers and Hammerstein's second work together 
after the immensely successful "Oklahoma," follows the exploits of 
Julie Jordan, a Maine mill worker who loses her heart to a shady, 
handsome and ill-tempered carousel barker, Billy Bigelow. They 
both fall hopelessly in love, get married, but in doing so, Billy 
loses his job and becomes ever more angered at his situation. As 
with all Rodgers and Hammerstein shows, the situation grows 
impossibly more difficult, until, with a little heavenly help, 
Billy is able to make amends with his wife, daughter, and his 
memory. 
	This version, produced by Aldo Scrofani and the Columbia 
Artists Management company, and originally mounted in London, 
delves deeply into the violent nature of love and frustration, and 
heightens the conflict between Billy and a world that seemingly 
drives him to take out his frustrations on Julie by hitting her. 
This darker take on the show works much better, and raises the 
stakes even higher than the original, making for much better drama 
overall. 
	Within this dimly lit world, Sarah Uriarte and Patrick 
Wilson, as Julie and Billy, shine as brightly as a hot sun. Their 
acting capabilities are only topped by their voices and stage 
presence. Often in a musical of this magnitude, acting becomes 
secondary, but that is not the case with these two, as well as the 
acting by other members of the cast, most notably Sherry Boone as 
Julie's friend Carrie, and Brett Rickaby as Jigger, the sailor 
that drags Billy into a morass of crime and violence. The height 
of the show, though, comes with Mr. Wilson's amazing portrayal of 
Billy's "Soliloquy" near the end of the first act, a challenging 
song that comes after Billy's discovery that Julie is pregnant. 
Never have I seen such a combination of acting and singing, and 
was actually moved to tears by the end of the six minute piece.
	Kudos also go to the late Sir Kenneth MacMillan for his 
stupendous choreography. The height of his creation comes in the 
second act when a fifteen year old Louise, Billy and Julie's 
daughter, dances a ballet of flirtation with a fairground boy. 
Dana Stackpole and Joseph Woelfel's movement was flawless, and 
though the moment is ambiguous because of a directorial flaw (the 
fairground boy is not explained before his arrival), the dance is 
a gorgeous work of craftsmanship. 
	Conductor Kevin Farrell does a wonderful job with the 
orchestra, and the amazing set and costumes by Bob Crowley and the 
generally flawless lighting by Paul Pyant actually received 
applause. The only flaw to this generally perfect show came from 
problems with the follow spots, which may have been nothing more 
than problems with the space at Gammage itself. By the second act, 
even this minor problem had been corrected.
	So many times, Broadway touring companies breeze into a town 
like Phoenix and give a solid, though workman-like, presentation. 
Thankfully, this is one instance where everyone involved did more 
than "go through the motions," and the result is a show that is 
better than a theatregoer could expect, even on the Great White 
Way itself. Don't miss this show--something this fresh only lasts 
a week!

Production Details:
"Carousel" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Gammage Auditorium, Tempe
695-3434 or 678-2222
September 17-September 22, 1996

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