CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018- Page 10
CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
JVJ93
Featured Actor Joined: 3/27/16
#225CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 12:53am
somethingwicked said: "That is a blindingly white principal cast for a production with an African-American actor playing Billy Bigelow.
What a disappointment."
Cynthia Erivo has entered the building
BroadwayConcierge
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
#226CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 12:54am
somethingwicked said: "That is a blindingly white principal cast for a production with an African-American actor playing Billy Bigelow.
What a disappointment."
VintageSnarker
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/30/15
#227CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 12:58am
kade.ivy said: "I've always thought of Julie as a subtle, less standoutish role, but if anyone can make it award worthy, it's Jessie stinkin Mueller!Leading actress seems really competitive already with Jessie, Katrina Lenk, Caissie, Patti, Erika H, Taylor Louderman (unless she's petitioned for featured), and whomever our Eliza turns out to be all in the running! I did think that Lenk was the preseason favorite, though?"
I really enjoyed The Band's Visit but unless they give her character more material than she had off-Broadway, I don't see Katrina Lenk being very competitive for lead actress. She's certainly not bad, but I don't think the role is meaty enough.
#228CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 10:49am
somethingwicked said: "That is a blindingly white principal cast for a production with an African-American actor playing Billy Bigelow.
What a disappointment."
I mean, to be honest, I kinda have to take this person's side here. I'm not saying this is intentional or that it's gonna ruin the production, but it does feel a little tone deaf to cast the ONLY African American man in your otherwise all white principal cast as the most notorious abuser in the musical theatre canon.
#229CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 10:56am
With the 6 week preview period, maybe they're working the show to not make Billy as bad as he is??? But. If Joshua Henry doesn't have a problem with it, I don't. I'm just here for the score and casting anyway.
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
#230CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 11:02am
Lenk's performance in The Band's Visit is entrancing. No matter how much I love Jessie Mueller, I think Katrina Lenk's already award-winning performance is a tough one to beat. She has strong buzz and was snubbed for her wonderful performance in Indecent this past season.
With Henry as the only person of color in the principal cast, it does seem like this production will certainly be about race. They have to tread carefully because of the subject matter. It might be very uncomfortable if not done right.
#231CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 11:28am
Call_me_jorge said: "With the 6 week preview period, maybe they're working the show to not make Billy as bad as he is??? But. If Joshua Henry doesn't have a problem with it, I don't. I'm just here for the score and casting anyway."
This show & character are very complicated. It's very difficult for Billy to get 2017 audience's favor after the first 10-15 minutes of the show has happened. I doubt they'd be going for "likable" because that's very much against the fabric of today's society. Take for instance Earl's character in Waitress. That character could (and IMO should) have been significantly more complicated, but the book took the easy route and didn't give him any likeability or, in Earl's case, any relatability. Billy is different because he is the protagonist. Joshua Henry's very much capable of at least being able to show Billy's human side, even with all the evils he has done.
I agree with earlier poster that preview period is likely to get ahead of tech issues this show will likely face. O'Brien is a seasoned director; and previews are not meant to make sweeping characterization changes, especially not with revivals. Those decisions are made well ahead of time, typically before rehearsals begin and fine-tuned from that point onwards.
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
#232CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 12:02pm
Call_me_jorge said: "With the 6 week preview period, maybe they're working the show to not make Billy as bad as he is??? But. If Joshua Henry doesn't have a problem with it, I don't. I'm just here for the score and casting anyway."
Yeah, if they were doing any rewrites, they definitely would have announced that by now. And even if they were, there's only so much you can do to that character cause, I mean, the whole point of the show is that he's a bad guy. We'll see though. As skeptical as I am about pretty much every aspect of this production so far, I'm still holding out hope it'll end up being something really new and interesting.
#233CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 9/5/17 at 12:38pm
According to his Instagram post - Nicholas Belton will be covering Billy: https://www.instagram.com/p/BYqopvIBL7_/
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
#234CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 2/14/18 at 12:01am
I genuinely wonder how in 2018 audiences are going to react to "Soliloquy".
It's only a matter of time before people are boycotting and/or protesting the show claiming it's 'problematic', transphobic and reinforcing sexist stereotypes. Is the show going to create a safe space for audience members that find the song an aggressive attack from the patriarchy?
https://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/carousel/soliloquy.htm
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
GeorgeandDot
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/16
#235CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 2/14/18 at 1:21am
How is Carousel transphobic? Oh, wait. I see. You're just being an A-hole.
The show is set around the turn of the century. Things were different. Anyone who sees the show will be able to understand that. All that being said, the show can become extremely "problematic" if not directed properly. The movie is an example of this where it almost seems to be pro-abuse.
Q, your bashing of what you seem to consider to be "liberal PC culture" is tiring. Maybe people want to be treated with respect. Is that such a ridiculous thing? What kind of fishbowl do you live in that you can't even be respectful of those who are different? Also what's up with your constant attack of trans people? What did they ever do to you other than just exist?
#236CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 2/14/18 at 1:32am
Are you talking to me? I don't believe I have ever mentioned trans people on this forum except in four instances 1. how awfully they are treated by religious people and this is one reason we need to continue to criticise religion (i.e., expressing my genuinely liberal viewpoint as opposed to the hypocritical conservative viewpoints here), 2. To parody the controversy surrounding casting a white woman as a historically white woman in Evita ("I won't settle for an Eva who is anything less than a transgendered African American Muslim."
, 3. How (in a completely different note/context) it's interesting that some people will accept someone's personal/subjective identity to be 'true' in the context of gender but not religion, and 4. I would have thought OOTI would appeal to the "PC types" given the diversity in cross-gender casting (gender blind casting and transgender casting, which I might add were among my favourite casting decisions made in the show) and racially diverse casting - yet of course someone finds something to complain about. To say I am "constantly attacking" trans people is an absurd statement and completely false. I don't believe I have once. I am now glad we have had this discussion because the claims you make expose the kind of absurdity we see in these times.
But yes, I do think we need to continue to criticise the way PC culture is taking over the theatre. I hope I am wrong when it comes to the reaction towards this show. But nothing surprises me anymore. Of course, I do genuinely think the song was written in another time and warrants some criticism - this is why I think it might happen. I just hope the criticism is not overblown.
The other thing to keep in mind is, like many of my posts here - I am obviously joking/making fun here of the emerging ultra PC types we are starting to see more and more. No need to take my post (or most of my posts for that matter) so seriously.
Now, all this being said. If a PC-type wants to partner with me and petition to make it legally mandated for all Broadway musicals to star a woman aged between 45-99 (the most talented yet underrepresented group on the Broadway stage) I certainly would have no objections.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Updated On: 2/14/18 at 01:32 AM
AlfredDrakeII
Chorus Member Joined: 11/28/17
#237CAROUSEL Broadway Revival Officially Set for Spring 2018
Posted: 2/14/18 at 8:42am
Nice, so the Progressive Racists are already dooming the show with their nonsense? I hope the show succeeds and runs and runs and runs if that's the case.
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