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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2011 > April > 14 > Entry
Review: ‘Carousel’
They say that love is blind, but Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1945 classic, “Carousel,” shows us that love just might be deaf and dumb as well.
It’s an unconventional musical to say the least: the lovers seem ill-suited, the protagonist is a jerk, and the ending isn’t quite happy but isn’t really sad. Yet St. Edward’s production, running now through April 17th, is a lively and enjoyable rendition of this piece of theatrical history.
Set on the New England coast in the late 1800s, the play follows the lives of Julie Jordan (Elizabeth Newchurch) and the carousel barker, Billy Bigelow (Joshua Denning). From the outset, Bigelow is aggressively sexual and not exactly romantic. His is a love song of hypotheticals (“If I Loved You”), and the question looming in the background is always what Julie sees in him - especially after he hits her.
Despite the play’s ambiguous approach to domestic abuse, the cast is energetic and sincere. Joshua Denning is commanding in his role as the troubled barker, and Elizabeth Newchurch is expressive and sympathetic.
The Bigelows’ problems are particularly stark in contrast to the prim and proper couple, Carrie Pipperidge and Enoch Snow (Merett Hanes and Kel Sanders). Hanes exhibits the sweet exuberance of young love and Sanders is charmingly stodgy as the ambitious fisherman.
Though Michael McKelvey’s direction of the initial love scene between Julie and Billy is strangely static, McKelvey brings out the depth in even the most unsympathetic characters, and the play otherwise moves quickly.
Danny Herman and Rocker Verastique’s choreography enliven the intimate space, with rough and tumble fight sequences and a truly lovely ballet between Louise (Hannah Marie Fonder) and the carnival boy (Kyle Housworth).
Megan Reilly’s lighting nicely sets the tone for most scenes, using a lot of saturated light for the strange New England world of the play.
With mustaches and muttonchops abounding, Tara Cooper’s make-up and hair design are to be commended and thoroughly enjoyed.
The production is visually delightful and lovely to hear, even if the play itself leaves us a bit puzzled.
‘Carousel’ continues through April 17 at Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward’s Univ.
Cate Blouke is an American-Statesman freelance arts critic.
Comments
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By Kim Vitray
April 19, 2011 7:38 AM | Link to this
Hmm… this is a musical, right? What about the music? You mention the acting, the directing, the choreograhy, the lighting, heck, even the makeup and hair design… but nothing about the music? How could you miss critiquing the single thing that sets this genre apart from other kinds of theater?