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Carousel [1993 London Cast Recording]
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Carousel [1993 London Cast Recording]
Current price: $20.99
Barnes and Noble
Carousel [1993 London Cast Recording]
Current price: $20.99
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When
and
agreed to adapt
's tragic play
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
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
shows and attracted relatively few revivals over the years. But in 1992, director
, under the auspices of Britain's
, came up with an acclaimed production that emphasized the very elements
had tried to soften. Hytner gave
a modern interpretation that kept its rough edges intact and played up its drama. After an initial run at
that began on December 10, 1992, the show transferred to
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
, playing the male lead Billy Bigelow, suggests
more than he does
, 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
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
near the end, a piece of music not previously recorded. This
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