There has been a lot of debate in recent years about the place of Golden Age musicals in modern theater. Rodgers and Hammerstein classics such as The King and I or South Pacific continue to be popular with audiences but can have views or scenes that age poorly. Nonetheless, Music Theater Work’s production of Carousel shows that the musical remains a compelling story for the current day.
Under the direction of Sasha Gerritson, Carousel’s cast is more than up to the task of communicating the show’s complexities through its gorgeous score. Conor Jordan is bursting with charisma as Bill Bigelow, the anti-hero who seeks redemption for committing, among many sins, domestic abuse against long-suffering Julie Jordan (Maliha Sayed). His “Soliloquy” showcases why Billy, despite his many flaws, cannot simply be dismissed as a lost cause.
As Carrie, Ella Gatlin, along with her soon-to-be-husband Enoch Snow (Will Koski), is charming and possesses snappy comic timing. Alicia Berneche brings her opera chops to Nettie Fowler and Will Leonard is enjoyably sleazy as Jigger Craigin. Some of the bigger numbers felt more polished than others in Act I but the “Ballet” in Act II, led by Susannah Harvey as Billy and Julie’s daughter, Louise, was spectacular.
Scenic designer Shane Cinal has found a clever way to create a carousel without having to build one in its entirety, and the costumes (Rachel M. Sypniewski), lighting (Andrew Meyers) and sound (Matthew R. Chase) all transport audiences to Carousel’s New England setting. It is exactly what you want from the production of a Golden Age musical.
The most controversial part of the musical is the domestic abuse and Julie’s acceptance of it. Coming in as someone not very familiar with the musical, I was pleasantly surprised by the other characters’ consistent condemnation of Billy’s actions. The Starkeeper who gives him a second chance is played by a woman in this production, which adds another dimension to Billy’s redemptive journey. The fact is that domestic abuse is still a major issue, nearly 80 years after the musical first premiered. Listening to Carousel’s very human characters can help us engage with difficult topics instead of pretending they did not, and do not continue to, exist.
Carousel continues through August 18 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. Tickets are $19.50-106. Running time is approximately two hours and 50 minutes, including intermission. Get your tickets here or by phone at (847) 673-6300.
For more information on this and other plays, see theatreinchicago.com.
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