Carousel
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Choreographed by Justin Peck
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Imperial Theatre
June 13, 2018
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

Carousel is such a wonderful,  full meal of a musical.  What is wonderful about this production is that it both works to explore and embrace the darker side of this bad-boy-learning-his-lesson musical.  The director, Jack O’Brien is not afraid to go down a bit of a dangerous road with this musical.  Choreographer, Justin Peck fresh from the New York City Ballet, is truly remarkable – he creates a a blending of classical ballet and harsh, sharp masculine dancing.Renee Fleming is also mesmerizing with the reigning tearjerking song of musical theatre, You’ll Never Walk Alone.  Personally it took me back to all of those Labor Day Jerry Lewis Telethons and that final number that Jerry Lewis could just never finish.  Wow.  It still sends chills up my arms

The only disappointment in the show for me was the lack of any kind of chemistry between the principal actors Jessie Meuller (Julie Jordan) and Joshua Henry (the charismatic carnival barker Billy Bigelow).  They had ZERO chemistry for me.  I simply couldn’t understand why Julie Jordan would ever stay with this violent man.  She just never experienced or expressed her addiction to the love of a “bad boy.”  Hence when he died, I was just left flat.  Throughout the show – I just kept wanting the chorus to come back – so hoping that Carousel contained just one more dance number.