Carousel Review
Written by Eli Ilkay and Rosie Curwood
Carousel is one of the most famous Golden Age musicals and is known as one of the best musicals of the 20th century, leading to where Broadway is today. The musical was initially based on the play Liliom by Ferenc Molnár, which gave the story its central plot line. Still, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein changed specific plot points to make it happier for American audiences. Rodgers and Hammerstein created the music and lyrics and were nominated for 10 Tony Awards for the original production of Carousel.
The musical's protagonist, Billy Bigelow, is a carnival barker who draws the crowd in for the carnival. Billy falls in love with a quiet, young woman, Julie Jordan, a millworker. It follows their passion and what it takes for Billy to redeem himself throughout the piece. Dance is a prominent part of the show, moving and showing the historical accuracy of the time. One of the most notorious dance numbers is known as a 12-minute “dream” ballet of the town, 15 years later.
With scenes including domestic violence, the cast and director must acknowledge it, talk about it, and see what they can do to portray it accurately and maturely without disrespecting anyone. The director of IAA’s production, Bill Church, has shined a light on how the female protagonist, Julie Jordan, and other characters like Nettie Fowler are portrayed. Church’s production focused on the narrative of how they are strong, powerful women before anything else.
A senior Musical Theatre major, Nora Collard, played Nettie Fowler. Nettie is a source of strength and compassion during the show. Being Julie's cousin, she is someone Julie relies on. Nora loved performing her final show under the instruction of Matt Lindstrom, Carousel’s choreographer, as she had done every show at IAA with him.
Nora found that not having a gimmick like her past roles—a “headless choir kid or a cat”—and being a human and exploring real-world issues was challenging. Nora said, “I wanted to show the power of women coming together, having a mutual understanding, and lifting each other during the sadness and loss of the show.” She added, “When the creative team brought the women’s shelter to talk to the cast about the reality of domestic violence, it changed how the actors portrayed the story.”
Julian Jimenez-Pardo, a three-year senior percussionist, was part of the orchestra that played in Carousel. Although he wishes he could have seen the shows, he enjoyed his experiences helping bring them to life. Julian's favorite song was “June Is Bustin' Out All Over." He thought it was ironic that the tubist for the song in the pit was also named June.
Overall, IAA’s production of Carousel was a beautiful musical that explored themes of redemption and love. While some parts may seem outdated to a modern audience, a proper production can illuminate the women's roles and leave viewers emotionally connected to each character, creating the world of a coastal town in Maine, 1873.