Carousel [1993 London Cast Recording]

by N/A

Overview

When Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II agreed to adapt Ferenc Molnar's tragic play Liliom into a musical in 1945, they were concerned that the story was too pessimistic, and they took steps to lighten it, particularly by fiddling with the ending. Nevertheless, the resulting show Carousel was thought to be unusually dark for a musical, and though it ran 890 performances in its original production, it was not as successful as several other Rodgers and Hammerstein shows and attracted relatively few revivals over the years. But in 1992, director Nicholas Hytner, under the auspices of Britain's Royal National Theatre, came up with an acclaimed production that emphasized the very elements Rodgers and Hammerstein had tried to soften. Hytner gave Carousel a modern interpretation that kept its rough edges intact and played up its drama. After an initial run at the Royal National Theatre that began on December 10, 1992, the show transferred to the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End on September 10, 1993. This cast album clearly showcases Hytner's approach. His actors speak and sing emphatically in a way more reminiscent of the method acting style popular in the nonmusical theater of the 1940s than of the musical stage of the period, and Michael Hayden, playing the male lead Billy Bigelow, suggests Marlon Brando more than he does John Raitt, who originated the role on Broadway. The actors have the occasional uncertain moment with their American accents, but that doesn't keep this from being a fresh, unusually earthy version of a show that always had higher quotients of lust and violence than other musicals of its day. Recordings of Carousel seem to get longer and longer, and this one, at 79 and one-half minutes, is about as long as a single CD can get. The big addition is the 12-minute "Ballet" near the end, a piece of music not previously recorded. This Carousel album will not make fans forget the original Broadway cast recording, but it definitely marks a re-imagining of an old warhorse for a new era. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	07/22/2008
Label:	First Night
UPC:	5014636604223
Rank:	238878

Tracks

1. Carousel, musical~Prologue
2. Carousel, musical~Mister Snow
3. Carousel, musical~If I loved you
4. Carousel, musical~June is bustin' out all over
5. Carousel, musical~Mister Snow (reprise)
6. Carousel, musical~When the children are asleep
7. Carousel, musical~Blow high, blow low
8. Carousel, musical~Soliloquy
9. Carousel, musical~A real nice clambake
10. Carousel, musical~Geraniums in the winder / Stonecutters cut it on stone
11. Carousel, musical~What's the use of wonderin'
12. Carousel, musical~You'll never walk alone
13. Carousel, musical~Ballet
14. Carousel, musical~If I loved you (reprise)
15. Carousel, musical~You'll never walk alone (reprise)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Meg Johnson   Primary Artist,Vocals
Clive Rowe   Primary Artist,Vocals
Phil Daniels   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Orchestra   Primary Artist
Katrina Murphy   Primary Artist,Vocals
Joanna Riding   Primary Artist,Vocals
Michael Hayden   Primary Artist,Vocals
Carousel Orchestra   Orchestra
Anthony Gladstone   Horn
Leon Greene   Vocals
Bernie LaFontaine   Flute,Clarinet
Natalie Wright   Vocals
Carousel Cast Ensemble   Choir/Chorus
Andrea Stone   Vocals
Joss Urch   Vocals
Luke Hope   Vocals
Mark Smith   Horn
Penny-Belle Fowler   Vocals
Bonnie Moore   Vocals
Wendy Woodbridge   Vocals
Mike Scott   Vocals
Elizabeth Sastre   Vocals
Paul Jenner   Vocals
Jenny-Ann Topham   Vocals
Leroy Charlery   Vocals
Stanislav Tchassov   Vocals
Joseph O'Conor   Vocals
Darren Phillip Redick   Vocals
Gillian Findlay   Violin
Josefina Gabrielle   Vocals
Sarah Clark   Clarinet,Clarinet (Bass)
Ruby-Marie Hutchinson   Vocals
David Obinyan   Vocals
Clare Sharrad   Vocals
Paul Harris   Bassoon
David Roach   Oboe,Cor Anglais
David Christophere   Vocals
Nick Hitchens   Tuba,Trombone (Bass)
Donald McVay   Viola
Martin Yates   Conductor,Musical Director
Mike Hayden   Vocals
Andy Findon   Flute,Piccolo
Graeme Scott   Viola
Barbara King   Vocals
Colin Staveley   Violin
Kevin Wainwright   Vocals
Robert Price   Trombone
Jacqui Boatswain   Vocals
Matthew Skilton   Vocals
Geoffrey Harniess   Trumpet
Nicholas Ormrod   Percussion
Andrew Callard   Trumpet
Hal Fowler   Vocals
Rachel Clarke   Vocals
Charles Shirvell   Vocals
Paul Baker   Vocals
Michael Thompson   Horn
Ross Ferguson   Vocals
Louise Bracey   Vocals
Meg Davies   Vocals
Stephen Milne   Cello
Sadie-Ann Morgan   Vocals
David Christopher   Vocals
Phil Daniel   Vocals
Anne Breckell   Vocals
Brendon O'Reilly   Violin
Erica Simpson   Cello
Martin Robinson   Cello
Andre Stone   Vocals
Sandy Burnett   Bass
Megan Davies   Vocals

Technical Credits

Benjamin F. Glazer   Text Adaptation
Mike Walker   Engineer
William David Brohn   Orchestration
David Hunt   Engineer
Phil Daniels   Performer
Niall Acott   Assistant Engineer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Book,Composer,Lyricist
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Katrina Murphy   Performer
Ray Colcord   Composer
Dave Hunt   Engineer
Paul Groothuis   Engineer
Don Walker   Orchestration
Rolf Wilson   Leader
Justin Hobart Brown   Production Director
Howard Harrison   Associate Producer
Chris Walker   Producer,Producer
Michael Le Poer Trench   Photography
Kenneth McMillan   Choreographer
Nicholas Allott   Executive Producer
Bob Crowley   Design
Sandy Burnett   Assistant Music Director
The Orchestra   Performer