A beautiful and thoughtful production of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical fills Lakewood Cultural Center
The music is lush and melodious. The words are often dark and dramatic. The characters are three-dimensional and relatable. This champion musical is Carousel and is currently playing at Lakewood Cultural Center, produced by Performance Now. With the music by Richard Rogers and the book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Carousel was the second musical written by this prolific team after Oklahoma!. Opening on Broadway in 1945, Carousel was an immediate hit. Time magazine named it the best musical of the 20th century. The Performance Now rises to the occasion with a stellar, first-rate production.
Photo: RDGPhotography
Set in a coastal village of Maine in 1873, the story revolves around the often-contemptuous relationship between a carousel barker and a young woman who catches his fancy. These characters, Billy Bigelow, and Julie Jordan, eventually wed despite each of them being somewhat reluctant. Previously, Bigelow had been fired from his job as the barker by Mrs. Mullin, the owner of the carousel. He finds himself struggling to provide for himself and his family. Julie ultimately confides to her best friend Carrie that Bigelow has struck her over his desperation of being unemployed. Eventually, Julie becomes pregnant, and Bigelow is ecstatic over the prospect of becoming a father. However, darkness is cast upon the storyline with the knowledge of Bigelow’s domestic abuse. Without a job, Bigelow is forced to embark upon a risky proposition initiated by Jigger Craigin, a small-time criminal. Tragedy follows and the lives of all involved are unequivocally changed forever. The final curtain falls with a reprise of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” giving a fragile sense of hope to a shattered community.
Heading the cast as Billy Bigelow is Jeremy Rill. Both charismatic and brooding, Rill is the perfect combination of toughness and tenderness. Highlights of his performance include “Soliloquy” at the end of act one. A strong and powerful singer, Rill fills the auditorium with deep-felt emotion. His performance is always spot-on.
Making her debut with Performance Now is Monica Joyce Slabach as Julie Jordan. Slabach is exquisite in her role as Julie Jordan. At first, we experience a quizzical ingenue who later turns into a mature woman having endured a difficult life married to Bigelow. Vocally she could not be stronger. Her crystal-clear voice reverberates throughout the auditorium adding to the richness of the score. Her interpretation of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” along with the character of Nettie sent chills down my spine. This is a moving and classic rendition of the song that has been heard around the world and sung by a multitude of vocalists.
Standouts in the production include Liz Brooks (Nettie) with an operatic voice that touches the stars. Her voice is evident throughout Carousel and adds a striking element to the production. As Mrs. Mullin, Jennifer Burnett is a perfect foil to Bigelow as she fires him and then tries to re-hire him as the barker for her carousel. Her characterization is both “tell it like it is” and determined. As Julie’s friend and confidant, Carrie Pipperidge (Carolyn Lohr) is thoughtful and comforting. Julie and Carrie open the show with a musical tribute to the man, “Mister Snow,” whom Carrie is set on marrying. Lohr’s voice is strong and adds depth to every number she is in. Bill Diggle is appropriately sinister as Jigger Craigin, the bad guy leading Bigelow down the wrong path.
Carolyn Lohr as Carrie Pipperidge in ‘Carousel’ | Photo: RDGPhotography
I would be remiss if I did not mention Jennifer Grahnquist as Louise Bigelow. When Billy is allowed to observe life as it has become, he is greeted with a beautiful ballet featuring Grahnquist as his teenage daughter. Her dance is both supremely expressive and filled with heartfelt passion. It is a moving interlude that nearly stopped the show at the performance I attended. Grahnquist is a gifted dancer and performer.
The production is directed and choreographed by Kelly Van Oosbree, who does a remarkable job finding the humanity in Carousel despite the dark overtones throughout. We are shocked by Bigelow’s physical attack on Julie, however, with sensitive direction, Van Oosbree managed to shed a positive light on this pervasive issue. Julie finds support among the women of this tiny coastal town and manages to heal and grow despite the domestic violence thanks to Van Oosbree’s insightful direction.
Van Oosbree and Rebecca Dean are responsible for the impressive choreography. Featuring a cast of more than 30 performers, many of whom are part of the ensemble, the choreography tells the story in dance as much as the music tells the story in song. The ensemble is hardworking and believable with individual characters surfacing among the group.
Although the stage at Lakewood Cultural Center is sufficiently large, there were times that it was overly crowded by an excessive number of performers on the stage. I am sure that the desire was to include every performer as much as possible, however, some trimming in specific moments would have freed things up.
Both the scenery by Andrew Bates and the costuming by Caitlyn Clark evoked a time and a place far away with complete distinction. Brett Maughan’s lighting was effective and contributed to the overall feel of the production.
There are perhaps no finer classic musicals than those of Rogers and Hammerstein and especially Carousel. It has it all: thrilling music and dance, an intense storyline, and a dose of humanity to keep the action real. Performance Now and the entire production team has captured a jewel of a performance with their interpretation of Carousel.
Eric Fitzgerald started producing plays when he was 5 years old. He spent eight years in New York City as a talent agent representing well-known actors and actresses. Fitzgerald also worked for the ABC Television Network for 12 years both with ABC News and ABC Daytime. He lives in Aurora with his cat Max.
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