Complicated Carnival Rides...and where's that effing gold ring?

 R&H's 2nd musical was Carousel,

produced in 1945.

It starred John Raitt, Jan Clayton and Susan Watson

(right to left in the photo above),

and it was based on a play by

Fernenc Molnar...Liliom, which had a Budapest setting

and a tragic ending.

Richard and Oscar transplanted it to

(of course) Maine (???), which was Richard's epiphany.

Oscar wrote of this possible change of scene:

" I began to see an attractive ensemble—

sailors, whalers, girls who worked in the mills up the river, 

clambakes on near-by islands, an amusement park on the seaboard, 

things people could do in crowds, 

people who were strong and alive and lusty, 

people who had always been depicted on the stage as thin-lipped puritans—a libel I was anxious to refute .."

And yes, the ending was changed to a more hopeful,

"maybe Billy doesn't go to Hell in a hand basket" one.

Even Molnar approved of that!

 

 The first preview ended at 1:30am,

so the creative team sat down to cut 5 scenes and 2 songs,

but left Agnes de Mille her 40 ballet, which brought down the house. 

This original production played for 2 successful years on

Broadway.

 The movie with Gordon McCrae and Shirley Jones

followed in 1956,

 released just months after the film version of
Oklahoma!

which had the same stars.

Comparisons were inevitable,

and Oklahoma! came up the winner with audiences.

 There were revivals done on Broadway in 1957

and 1994,

the latter one starring Audra McDonald

and winning a Best Revival Tony.

This latest one stars Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry,

and though it garnered 11 nominations,

only Lindsay Mendez (below) who plays Carrie Pipperidge

and Justin Peck who created the choreography

walked home with Tonys! 

 Rochester's favorite opera gal

(a Churchville-Chili alumna),

Renee Fleming stars as Nettie,

and gets to sing those classic numbers from the show,

"You'll Never Walk Alone" and "June Is Bustin' Out All Over".

Even though it's July,

we'll be samplin' "June",

as opposed to that (excuse me) over-done anthem. :)