AUDIENCE INSIGHTS Goodspeed’s Audience Insights is made possible through the generosity of GOODSPEED MUSICALS GOODSPEED The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre CAROUSEL Goodspeed Opera House July 13 -Sept 23, 2012 _________ MUSIC BY RICHARD RODGERS BOOK AND LYRICS BY Audience Insights OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II TABLE OF CONTENTS BASED ON THE PLAY LILIOM BY FERENC MOLNÁR AS ADAPTED BY BENJAMIN F. GLAZIER Show Synopsis........................................................................................................3 Character Summary............................……….……………………………………...4 ORIGINAL DANCES BY AGNES DE MILLE Meet the Writers...............................................………...………………………..…..5 Behind the Scenes: Carving the Carousel Horse..............................................7 LIGHTING DESIGN BY JOHN LASITER The Theatre: New Musical in Manhattan............................................................9 The Importance of Carousel..............................................................................11 COSTUME DESIGN BY ALEJO VIETTI Social Class During the Guilded Age.......………...…………....……………..…13 Resources..................................................………...…………....……………..…14 SCENIC DESIGN BY MICHAEL SCHWEIKARDT CHOREOGRAPHED BY PARKER ESSE DIRECTED BY ROB RUGGIERO PRODUCED FOR GOODSPEED MUSICALS BY MICHAEL P. PRICE Goodspeed’s Audience Insights can be found on our website: www.goodspeed.org/pages/guides Audience Insights for Carousel was prepared by Joshua S. Ritter, M.F.A, Education & Library Director Audience Insights updated 07.10.12 and Christine Hopkins, M.A, Education & Library Assistant SHOW SYNOPSIS ACT I ACT II In 1873, Billy Bigelow, the handsome and swaggering As everyone rests from the afternoon’s clambake and barker for Mrs. Mullin’s carousel in the local amusement prepares for the treasure hunt (“A Real Nice Clambake”), park, meets Julie Jordan in a small fishing village on the Jigger catches sight of Carrie and pretends to show coast of New England (“Prologue: The Carousel Waltz”). her some self-defense moves. After Jigger gets Carrie Julie, a young girl who works for the nearby mill, and her into a compromising position, Mr. Snow unexpectedly friend Carrie Pipperidge are enjoying the carnival when comes in and is infuriated by what he sees. He walks out Billy notices her. Despite his boss’s opposition, Billy pursues and leaves Carrie behind (“Geraniums in the Winder”). Julie and is consequently fired and leaves the scene. Simultaneously, Billy heads off with Jigger for their planned Carrie playfully accuses Julie of being attracted to Billy robbery, despite Julie’s protests. Julie and Carrie lament (“You’re a Queer One, Julie Jordan”) and mentions that on their lack of power in their marriages (“What’s the Use she has found a man of her own (“When I Marry Mister of Wondrin’?”). Snow”). Billy returns to the scene, encourages Carrie to leave, and takes the opportunity to flirt with Julie (“If I Jigger and Billy’s robbery attempt fails. Jigger gets away Loved You”). but Billy is caught by the bank owner, Mr. Bascombe, who vows to turn Billy into the police with the prospect of spending the remainder of his life in prison. Terrified for Julie, their unborn child, and seeing his whole life as a failure, Billy kills himself. The townspeople arrive with Julie, she sees her dying husband, and cradles Billy as he dies in her arms. Her cousin Nettie sits beside her to comfort her (“You’ll Never Walk Alone”). Billy journeys to heaven’s gate and is approached by the Starkeeper, who informs him that he cannot be admitted into heaven until he redeems himself from his sordid life. The Starkeeper allows Billy to return to Earth for one day under the condition that he must perform one good deed to make amends for his mistakes. During this discussion, Billy learns that time passes much quicker in the afterlife and that 15 years have gone by. Billy returns to Earth and gets a glimpse of Louise, his Teal Wicks (Julie) and James Snyder (Billy) in Goodspeed’s Carousel. resentful and lonely fifteen year old daughter (“Ballet: Pas Although everyone warns them against it, Julie and Billy de Deux”). As he approaches her for their first meeting, fall in love. The townspeople caution Julie against loving he offers her a star as a gift. Louise is reluctant to accept a carnival barker and Billy’s boss, Mrs. Mullin, suggests the gift from the stranger and declines. Feeling helpless to that Billy should not pursue Julie any further. Billy and Julie articulate his feelings to his daughter, Billy slaps Louise to ignore the warnings and choose to get married. get her attention (“If I Loved You (Reprise)”). Louise takes the star and goes home. She tells her mother, “There was Time has passed and the town prepares for a clambake a strange man here and he hit me—hard—I heard the (“June is Bustin’ Out All Over”). Julie and Carrie discuss sound of it—but it didn’t hurt, Mother! It didn’t hurt at all— the men that they love and Julie confides in Carrie about it was jest as if he—kissed my hand!” Julie sees the star her marital problems. She forgivingly explains that Billy and instinctively understands what her daughter felt. is bitter and angry as a result of being out-of-work. Julie tells Carrie that Billy has also taken to bullying her with Billy still needs to perform his good deed, and the slap domestic violence. Carrie comforts Julie to the best of her should have been the last straw, but he persuades the ability and tries to make Julie smile with happier news— Starkeeper to give him one more chance. she and Mr. Snow, the man that she had met not too long before, will be getting married (“When the Children Are Billy attends Louise’s high school graduation and observes Asleep”). her self-doubt. Invisibly and spiritually, Billy reaches out to her and urges her to be confident in herself and watches As the town continues to prepare for the clambake, proudly as he sees a sudden change in her. Billy then several sailors get into a brawl. One sleazy whaler, Jigger, goes to Julie and invisibly whispers to her, “I loved you, tries to interest Billy in a robbery that they could pull off Julie. Know that I loved you.” Julie, somehow hearing Billy, during the clambake. Billy is reluctant, but since Julie joins Louise and the rest of the townsfolk in singing “You’ll excitedly informs him that they will be having a baby, he Never Walk Alone,” as Billy heads toward Heaven. becomes desperate to provide for the coming child and decides to participate in the robbery (“Soliloquy”). 3 CHARACTER SUMMARY JULIE JORDAN: A reserved and thoughtful mill worker. JIGGER CRAIGIN A sleazy villain and whaler who Despite his flaws, she marries Billy Bigelow but just as the manipulatively befriends Billy to get what he wants. townspeople warned her, their union ends with great Ultimately, Jigger deserts Billy and is unsuccessful in his tragedy. venture. BILLY BIGELOW: A handsome carousel barker who MRS. MULLIN: The widowed owner of the carousel who falls in love with and marries Julie Jordan. A brash and is secretly in love with Billy. She becomes jealous of any troubled man, Billy makes many mistakes in his life. girl who pays attention to Billy and treats him more like Ultimately, Billy redeems himself by spiritually conveying a piece of property than her employee. the love that he could not previously communicate to his wife and daughter while on earth. DAVID BASCOMBE: The owner of the mill and richest man in town. He is a respected gentleman in the CARRIE PIPPERIDGE: A comical, naïve, and forthcoming community. mill worker who attends the carnival with Julie. She falls in love with Enoch Snow and expresses her desire to LOUISE: Billy and Julie’s daughter who has had a difficult marry him someday. childhood because of the questionable life that her father led. ENOCH SNOW: A wealthy fisherman who is determined to make his fortune in sardines. He falls in love with and STARKEEPER: A spiritual being who offers Billy guidance marries Carrie Pipperidge. and allows him to return to Earth to help Louise so that he can redeem himself. NETTIE FOWLER: Julie’s emotionally and financially supportive cousin. She owns the sea-side spa and is a HEAVENLY FRIEND: Takes Billy to Heaven’s gate and tells respected member of the community. him some difficult truths that he needs to hear. ENOCH SNOW, JR.: Carrie and Enoch’s oldest son. John Raitt as Billy Bigelow in Carousel, 1945. Teal Wicks (Julie) and James Snyder (Billy) in Goodspeed’s Carousel. 4 MEET THE WRITERS RICHARD RODGERS (Music) was born in New York City on June 28, 1902. His early career began in 1920 and included a series of musicals for Broadway, London, and Hollywood. He wrote these musicals with lyricist Lorenz Hart. Among their greatest were On Your Toes (1936), Babes in Arms (1937), The Boys from Syracuse (1938), and Pal Joey (1940). The Rodgers & Hart partnership came to an end with the death of Lorenz Hart in 1943. Earlier that year Rodgers had then joined forces with lyricist and author Oscar Hammerstein II. Oklahoma! was their first piece and also the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the new genre, the musical play. It combined Rodgers’ talents for musical comedy and Hammerstein’s talents for operetta. It also marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history, and was followed by Carousel (1945), Allegro (1947), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Me and Juliet (1953), Pipe Dream (1955), Flower Drum Song (1958) and The Sound of Music (1959). Together, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote one movie musical, State Fair (1945; adapted to the stage, 1995), and one television musical, Cinderella (1957; remade in 1965 and 1997). Collectively, the Rodgers & “Whenever I get an idea for Hammerstein musicals earned 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer a song, even before jotting Prizes and two Grammy Awards.