Carousel - Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Was anyone in the first preview tonight? I’m in on Monday but wondered how it was...

I was as well and agree with dippy . It's a very modern production in some ways yet in others doesn't know at all what it wants to be. I'm not sure what I thought of it really, I certainly didn't love it but I didn't hate it either.

The choreography is impressive, the set not so much. Overall very polished for a first preview (even with two understudies on who I'm surprised were properly rehearsed already) except for a couple of people who were really struggling vocally.

It will be extremely polarising I think, much like Evita (it reminded me of that in some ways). There seemed to be a few walkouts this evening.

Mask wearing was probably about 10% at most in the auditorium itself, a bit more in the rest of the venue.

Well that was certainly an interesting night at the theatre!

Now, Carousel is my favourite score of all time. I think it's everything a musical score should be - soaring melodies, meaningful, hard hitting lyrics, and an overall feeling that's overwhelming.
That is not what this is - this is not a normal Carousel...

Positives:
The concept in a manner of speaking works. I very much was on board with the change of location to the north of England and found it worked very well (with the exception of a few lyrics that didn't work as a result). Sometimes American accents can make everything a bit twee, and the working class aesthetic here really drives the darkness through in a way I've not seen it done before.
The change in orchestration from strings to brass bands and other instruments is fine and you get used to the missing violins after a while...!

Performances on the whole are good. Carly Bawden is, as ever, superb. Really brings out a heart in Julie and makes her 3D. The show highlight was her What's The Use Of Wonderin for me. Joanna Riding is a great Nettie, and Christina Mondesteu (sp) is a joyous Carrie and gets lots of laughs.

The stage itself is quite clever, with a nice revolve and clever staging in the act 2 Ballet.

There's a change in the shows final act after Billy's death (spoiler but it's a 75 year old musical!) which I REALLY liked. Bought a different perspective to the remainder of the show.

Negatives:

None of these songs SOAR in the way they are meant to because they have lowered everything to sound more like the actors speaking pitch. Which is a massive shame because performers like Carly Bawden and Christina Mondesteu can certainly sing them as intended. The lowering bad certainly helped some people, but for others who could have sung it in the original key, it seems a shame. I understand why, it's just not how I'd want a score like this sung.

I really, really disliked Drew McOnies choreography. Whilst I have enjoyed some of his work (mainly JCS which I thought was stellar) I just didn't...get this. It felt like he was trying too hard to be modern when it should be reflecting a world that is post war. The Ballet (which can be showstopping - as per 1992) for me was a little uncomfortable to watch. I got what he was trying to achieve in relationship to the story but it was just...not right for me.

The ending.
I don't want to spoil the ending because I want people to go in and see it fresh but this isn't how Carousel ends in a 'normal' production. They've decided Billy deserves no redemption (which is fine I guess because Declan Bennett's portrayal of him made him SO unlikeable that I didn't want him to be redeemed) and thus the whole end of the show is changed.
To me, this opens a bigger conversation of 'if we aren't happy with shows from the past that have problematic themes in them, why are we doing them?' it doesn't sit right with me to change the ending of a show because you're not happy with it in today's society. And the ending they've settled on just doesn't work (there were some people actually laughing at it...)

Few older members of the audience walked out after about 20 mins (but I think that's likely because they were expecting a traditional Carousel) and a few didn't return after the interval. Not a full house, but it was originally sold as socially distanced and only released more tickets a few weeks back.

Look, I didn't hate it (despite how this might sound). There's a solid idea in there for how to do it. There's a good cast doing their best. I hope it'll bed down in previews and they'll find their way. But this will be marmite. It'll get 2s, a few 3s and 5s. There will be very little middle ground.
I'd give tonight 3 stars, and am back to see the final matinee and will be interested to see how it all has changed.

Excellent performances by the leads, but I’d forgotten what a horrible musical this is. Violent abusive men, doormat victimised women. At least this plays down the tweeness, but it’s grim.

Ee by gum that were a first preview! I wish they had gone full out with the brass band, banjo and washboard concept but instead we got a lot Bontemi and some very engetic dance moves on the set of Peter Grimes.

Blow High should sound glorious here it doesn't as the men are busy spitting beer over each other. I'm guessing the cast are mostly dancers and not singers?

Jo Riding was incredible and so was the Star Keeper scene and accompanying ballet but I'm afraid most of it left me cold and dry eyed. First preview so lots can change and I truly hope it does.

It's not tedious a la ENO production but nor is is it the glorious Opera North one that faithfully updated it and managed to sound brilliant in the process.

If it discounts I'd be interested in going back towards the end of its run.

Go to 12:15 in this video. The man who looks after R&H’s estate explains.

Thank you for posting that BB - you certainly can’t fault the passion of the director and choreographer in their re imagining of this classic - they obviously love musicals . It was when they pulled the ex president of R&H out to justify why they ‘would be happy their work is being seen today’ in new contexts I started to doubt the pushed narrative. he goes onto to say he spoke the family of R&H who of course would want the musical to appeal to ‘modern audiences’. If it doesn’t get performed no $$$ right?
I applaud a fresh take but some things like a harp and violins are non negotiable for me. The vibraphone and electric guitar may ‘update it’ to make it ‘familiar to modern audiences’ but do they bring anything? Nope. The director says he has memories of childhood losing yourself in romantic mgm movies. Can’t we just keep those? Escapism? Modern doesn’t always have to mean gritty? Maybe musicals don’t have to serve the purpose of education? There are other mediums for that?
He says he doesn’t want to romanticise the darker elements of the musical. But I never thought Carousel did? Ok so there’s still a fair amount of frivolous dancingand singing but I feel they act as a counterpoint to the sadness of Julie’s situation and they don’t shy away from Billy still being a wife beating narcissist. As the director says Julie and Billy love each other (however twisted we feel this to be then and now) but it’s not like they walk off into the sunset at the end?

I saw this on Saturday and while I didn't love it, I was glad to have seen it. It was also my first trip back to the theatre since City of Angels last year, and it felt amazing to be back.

I think my main issue is that I am just not overly keen on Carousel as a show, rather than not liking the production itself. I felt the lead performances were all really strong, the singing sounded wonderful for the most part and I liked a lot of the choreography. I'm not convinced the final bit of choreography works as well as they think it does, so it would be interesting to see whether this is changed at all before press night. We were sat on the far side of stage left and while you could see what was going on, it was more distracting than anything else. I did hear people laughing which wasn't great.

We did have an elderly couple in front of use who were enjoying it immensely - he was conducting the music for most of the songs, and they kept singing little snatches of the lyrics to each other as well as chatting a bit about the show. In normal circumstances I would have asked them to please keep it down and put it on the bad behaviour at a show thread, but they were clearly having such a nice evening and the show was loud enough that it didn't bother me too much, so I couldn't bring myself to do it!

I agree, the orchestrations are sublime! Am also in tonight and have thoroughly enjoyed the first act.

A few more thoughts now I'm home.

Theatre was maybe three quarters full. A lot of people moved during the interval (or earlier) but I was rather wedged in one of the cheap restricted view seats (it wasn't really restricted, just a rail in front). But I would like to see this from closer to the front.

Too many helicopters. Please don't start the second half music when one is right overhead!

We had covers on for Jigger Craigin and Mrs Mullin.

Lots of swings on. I spotted Jack Butterworth and Christopher Tendai, but I was sat too far away to make out everyone. I had no idea Ediz Mahmut (Eddie Miles) was in the cast until I just looked up the cast list.

This is really trimmed. All done and dusted by 10:15pm (and that's with a 7:45pm start and a 25 minute interval).

Carly Bawden is excellent as Julie Jordan. I didn't think that Declan Bennett's voice suited the songs so well, but he acts very well. There is an odd echo at some points (but maybe that depends where you sit).

The poor female cast members have to lift these massive poles in and out of the set in the second half, which are barely used. They are probably meant to symbolise something, but I couldn't tell what. Some of the cast were really struggling to move them and I expect an accident is imminent.

It started to rain towards the end, which was a bit distracting. But not too heavy.

I do wonder if the ending has changed since Saturday based on the comments.

I thought I knew Carousel reasonably well, but who on earth is Mr Baskin?