Few downs as Carousel hits heights

Published on Tuesday 7 October 2008 10:01

Carousel ***** Festival Theatre RODGERS and Hammerstein very nearly didn't write Carousel. If they hadn't, the audience last night at the Festival Theatre would have been sorely deprived of an outstanding and world-class performance, not to mention an opportunity to enjoy the magnificent voice of Lesley Garrett, worth the price of admission alone.

Ferenc Molnr, the author of Liliom, the book on which the musical was based, had already refused no less than Gershwin and Puccini the right to adapt it. Rodgers and Hammerstein themselves thought the book unsuitable for musical theatre, given its tragic nature.

When the show opened in 1945, the tragic plot they were afraid of turned out to be groundbreaking and was extremely well received. Molnr himself was overjoyed at the result.

While musicals often feature simplistic plots and a saccharine-coated approach to drama, this story had plenty of darkness and grim reality – domestic violence and even a suicide – to go along with the more common themes of love and happiness.

On one hand, the musical was very much a product of its time. Women were portrayed as subordinate to men and to be considered almost property. The lead characters were, however, more complex and three-dimensional than usual. Within moments, it was apparent that the lead, Julie Jordan, brilliantly and deftly played and sung by Alexandra Silber, was unlike most of her peers.

Strong willed, despite the conventions of the day, she began disinterested in marriage. Once wed, she stood up to any bullying by her husband, Billy Bigelow, played sensitively, solidly and yet dangerously by a smouldering Jeremiah James. As one quarter of the group Teatro, James is well used to singing, but here he proved that he could clearly act, too.

Julie's behaviour in response to Billy's treatment of her clearly reflects the current understanding of the actions of victims of domestic abuse and, while a musical might not be the place to discuss the deeper issues, neither does it shy away from presenting them.

While Carousel has plenty of depth, it still had bags of style. Director Lindsay Posner kept it going round at a cracking pace, geed along by conductor and musical director David Firman. Songs like If I Loved You, June Is Bustin' Out All Over and, of course, You'll Never Walk Alone (in its original setting) would have fed the appetites of the most voracious of musical theatre fans.

Costumes, lighting and staging – particularly the carousel itself – were impeccable but, without doubt, the highlight of the show was soprano, Lesley Garrett. While not the central character, Garrett nevertheless turned in a raunchy and lusty performance, flirting and dancing her way around the men in one number, becoming a pillar of strength for a devastated Julie in another. Her sumptuous voice soared and swooped effortlessly and vivaciously throughout.

The ending, though upbeat and hopeful, neatly avoided descending into schmaltz. Philosophically, the title may refer to the carousel of life, with all its ups and downs, but this show didn't forget the bright lights and music either, and it definitely deserves the crowds.

&#149 Runs until October 11