³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Edward Seckerson compares available versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel and makes a personal recommendation.

After 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein had a problem. How could they possibly follow the phenomenal Broadway success of Oklahoma!? Two years later, the story of fairground barker Billy Bigelow and millworker Julie Jordan in 19th-century Maine was their answer. Carousel, with its themes of despair, illegitimacy, childhood misery and the redemptive power of love, prompted Stephen Sondheim to declare 'whilst Oklahoma! is about a picnic, Carousel is about life.'

Carousel's string of unforgettable numbers ("June is Bustin' Out All Over", "If I Loved You", "When the Children are Asleep" and "You'll Never Walk Alone") struck a chord with wartime audiences. Fifty years on, it can be seen as one of the great stage works of the 20th century.

Top Recommendation:

Carousel – Film Soundtrack

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN: Carousel, Original Motion Picture Sountrack

Gordon Mcrae (Billy Bigelow), Shirley Jones (Julie Jordan), 20th Century Orchestra, Alfred Newman (conductor)

Angel 7243 5 27352 2 (DOWNLOAD ONLY)

Show less