Carousel - Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

[ThereWillBeSun]

Aug 9, 2021 19:12:27 GMT Being Alive said:

I am super interested in how this is going to review

Ditto...

[ceebee]

First half warmly received despite the rain.

[ceebee]

Changes since last week: brass band enter stage through audience instead of rear of stage. Firepit in place for second half. Not sure when these were introduced.

[Phantom of London]

Given the weather, I wonder if the reviews are going to be a damp squib?

[ceebee]

Well, I'm no critic but I think the show has improved since last week alot. The second half was smoother, the poles coming on and off were less disruptive - I don't recall them being placed in holes in the ramped section after the carousel dance sequence but I might be wrong. Still not a fan of the choreography, though I will admit that as the heavens opened in the second half, the imagery was quite profound in the mix of rain and mist on a sodden stage. I must give a nod to the cast for delivering in such variable weather. Last week I felt this was a 3* show - tonight's effort took it to 4*, and still I think this show is a couple of tweaks away from being a great show. The star for me is the music, and I hope Tom Deering is recognised for what he has done.

[lonlad]

Was there tonight and thought it was the worst professional CAROUSEL I've seen, staged by people who seem to actively hate the source material. The whole thing has been turned into a dull, tedious tract and it's been so thoroughly truncated and/or rewritten that the relationships barely add up. Very few in the cast can sing it, and those who can then can't act it. Oh well. Plaudits to Tom Deering, tho'- he's the real deal.

[mrbarnaby]

I am beginning to suspect that Bonnie Langford, Arlene Phillips and Harriet Thorpe all living and sleeping in a car until another press night happens and then out they jump. They have been at every one for the last week 😂

[ceebee]

Aug 10, 2021 6:54:27 GMT mrbarnaby said:

I am beginning to suspect that Bonnie Langford, Arlene Phillips and Harriet Thorpe all living and sleeping in a car until another press night happens and then out they jump. They have been at every one for the last week 😂

One assumes they'd go to the opening of a paper bag...

[BurlyBeaR]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ WoS
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Stage
⭐️⭐️⭐️ ES

[ceebee]

Shenton gave it 5 stars too, and The Times gave it 4 stars.

[dlevi]

Aug 10, 2021 11:23:39 GMT ceebee said:

Shenton gave it 5 stars

He seems to be giving everything 5 stars these days (Hairspray, Pippin, Anything Goes, Joseph, Cinderella ) - I think he just wants to see himself quoted in advertisements.

[theatrefan77]

Thought this was ok. Act I much better than II. I liked the choreography although sometimes it looked like it belonged in a different show. My main issue is that the two leads have no chemistry whatsoever, so I didn't care enough about their story. They are both good performers, but didn't think it was a good match. The performances were good in general. 3 stars

[max]

The Guardian review says:
"There is a gritty heroism among the cast, too, several of whom are understudies stepping in for self-isolating actors".
Does anyone know why, in this case, a self-isolating actor doesn't mean the whole show being called off for a stretch, as with so many West End shows. Is it because it's outdoors?; or can be proven the actor hadn't been in contact with other cast members?
What a tangled mix of rules.

[fiyerorocher]

Aug 10, 2021 16:17:19 GMT max said:

The Guardian review says:
"There is a gritty heroism among the cast, too, several of whom are understudies stepping in for self-isolating actors".
Does anyone know why, in this case, a self-isolating actor doesn't mean the whole show being called off for a stretch, as with so many West End shows. Is it because it's outdoors?; or can be proven the actor hadn't been in contact with other cast members?
What a tangled mix of rules.

I believe it's because they're only isolating, not showing symptoms? A positive covid test is what shuts down a show at the moment, because it makes everyone else in the production a close contact who then has to self-isolate themselves.

[Being Alive]

Cast members were isolating as part of test and trace without having tested positive, which is how they were able to proceed

[Phantom of London]

Aug 10, 2021 16:11:54 GMT theatrefan77 said:

Thought this was ok. Act I much better than II. I liked the choreography although sometimes it looked like it belonged in a different show. My main issue is that the two leads have no chemistry whatsoever, so I didn't care enough about their story. They are both good performers, but didn't think it was a good match. The performances were good in general. 3 stars

In fairness I would have zero chemistry in the rain.

[Phantom of London]

It is a wasted opportunity, the Open Air Theatre is one venue where an actual working Carousel could be used for realism.

[BurlyBeaR]

Aug 10, 2021 17:46:17 GMT Phantom of London said:

It is a wasted opportunity, the Open Air Theatre is one venue where an actual working Carousel could be used for realism.

Yes. I agree that’s really disappointing. The last production I saw had a projection of a carousel and a Nettie who was indisposed on a rainy Monday night in Manc. I’m sure Lesley Garret had something much more important to do. Billy B also had false muscles stuffed into the bicep area of his Breton style top. Can’t remember who played him.

[Being Alive]

Interesting that theres a fair few 5 star reviews knocking about but no one who has seen it on here has given it such...

I agree mostly with the stage review of 3 stars (although I'd have given it 2) as it talks most about Act 2's problems. Been thinking about how I'd likely have liked it even less without the revolve... amazing the different a piece of staging like that does make.

[Phantom of London]

Aug 10, 2021 17:58:12 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Aug 10, 2021 17:46:17 GMT Phantom of London said:

It is a wasted opportunity, the Open Air Theatre is one venue where an actual working Carousel could be used for realism.

Yes. I agree that’s really disappointing. The last production I saw had a projection of a carousel and a Nettie who was indisposed on a rainy Monday night in Manc. I’m sure Lesley Garret had something much more important to do. Billy B also had false muscles stuffed into the bicep area of his Breton style top. Can’t remember who played him.

That was at the Savoy Theatre production. If they left the projection of the Carousel just there it might have been alright. Unfortunately they replaced the ballet with the projection and having Billy B going to different galaxies and milky ways, it was barking.

[harry]

I was there tonight. A beautiful warm dry evening helped I’m sure and the audience response was very enthusiastic with a good number of standing ovators, especially for the principals. There were some magical interactions between the music, the haze and the gentle breeze that you simply don’t get in any other venue.

I think I’d echo a lot of what’s been said already - first half is pretty wonderful - what songs! - and everyone in fine voice. Billy as a reflection of modern day toxic masculinity worked perfectly for me. I don’t think I’d ever realised quite how poisonous his soliloquy is in the past.

They try very hard after the interval and I really admire the attempt to make the show morally “right” but you can’t just cut a load of it and expect the plot and pacing to still work. So it just sort of fizzles out with nothing vaguely resembling a resolution. If I hadn’t known the show I’d have been very surprised that that was it when the lights went down for the end of the show.

But having said all that I’m still pleased they’re making these non-traditional productions of old(er) musicals at Regents Park. I’d 100% book for whatever they programme in 2022, and possibly even be a little miffed if it was even relatively unaltered.

[Someone in a tree]

Aug 10, 2021 17:46:17 GMT Phantom of London said:

It is a wasted opportunity, the Open Air Theatre is one venue where an actual working Carousel could be used for realism.

Nooo! Theatre shouldn't be so literal leave that for film and telly as they do it so well. Theatre is abstract and imaginative.

[richey]

Well I've never really ever fancied a production of Carousel before, but the reviews of this have got me intrigued enough to get a cheap ticket to check it out.
It's during the last week of the run so fingers crossed the weather holds out.

[sfsusan]

I saw this tonight and thought it was a decent 3 stars. It kept my interest throughout (even Act 2). (Although if I'm honest, I thought about starting my comments with "it didn't suck", so the bar was fairly low to start with.)

Parts of the ending were quite imaginative. The shadows of the poles were quite pretty and resembled a wire fence around the stage. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler - click to view}
I also think it's ironic that Billy does what he does to stay out of prison, yet ends up 'behind bars'. The women moving within the circles reminded me of wiccan rituals, although 'avenging furies' also came to mind. And I really liked when the women turned to face the audience, leaving the men facing the other way.

Billy hypocritically reprising If I Loved You after smacking around his daughter was just annoying. Yes, I know the song is articulating how hard he finds it to articulate his feelings. But it felt like he was justifying his actions.

I had a harder time interpreting Louise's dance. I thought at one point she was dancing out Billy and Julie's story, as she looked like she was stabbing herself in the stomach, but I suspect that wasn't intended.

And I do wish the play ended with her taking a more decisive step toward breaking out, as she declares she's leaving, then other stuff happens and that kind of gets lost. Although that's the message I'd prefer, I suspect the message that's intended is more along the lines of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions".

By the way, if anyone is mosquito bait, beware, especially in the restaurant area. I was bitten twice on my hand as I was eating, and the woman at the next table mentioned she'd been bitten.

[karloscar]

The Los Angeles opening of the Hytner/Macmillan Carousel got some TV coverage. Great clips from the production with a very young Patrick Wilson as Billy. Quite interesting how they handled the violence in this production. Julie is cowering expecting to be hit when she tells Billy she's pregnant, and instead he gently takes her in his arms. The second he slaps Louise he realises he's ruined everything again and screams at himself. They found ways to play against what's written without rewriting the script. Worth a watch! ( And you get John Raitt singing 16 bars of Soliloquy that never made it to Broadway that he remembers 50 years later).