Customer Reviews

Carousel (1994 Broadway Revival Cast)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Carousel is my absolute favorite R&H recording and, as such, I own four recordings of it: The original cast, the MCA studio with Barbara Cook, the London revival, and this one. What I find extremely odd about the past reviews of this CD is that they recommend the London CD over this one, while this CD is in my opinion the best recording and the London one is the absolute worst.

Michael Hayden does a much much MUCH better singing job here than in London, and Sally Murphy is a very touching Julie, as opposed to Joanna Riding's love-me-or-I'll-beat-you-up approach.

Now enough with the comparisons. Shirley Verrett sings an unusually touching and tender "You'll never walk alone," and Audra McDonald and Eddie Korbich have a magical chemistry and wonderful vocal abilities, making this my favorite rendition of "When the Children are Asleep."

But what I love most about this recording is that it is so energetic and heartfelt both in the singing and in the orchestra, that one can't help but feel the sheer humanity of the characters, their joy, pain, and heart, which is lacking in every other recording I've heard.

I saw the 1994 revival of "Carousel" in New York six years ago this August. It was this recording (released a couple of months before my trip to New York) that made me buy tickets to the show. I had seen the 1956 film version and heard various recordings of the music, but none moved me like this one. The big difference is the moving, complex performance of Michael Hayden, captured here on disc. His "Soliloquy" and reprise of "If I Loved You" are especially heart-wrenching. Audra McDonald received much praise for her work as Carrie (and deservedly so), but it is Hayden's performance that I carried away with me. To this day, his is one of the best performances I have ever seen--it made me see the character of Billy and the entire show in a whole new light. The orchestrations by William David Brohn are wonderful. I particularly like what he did with "The Carousel Waltz": carnival-like and festive, but with a dark undertone. I am thankful to have this recording to help me remember a moving, revelatory theatre experience. Very highly recommended!

In the time it took Nicholas Hytner to transfer his London smash hit revival of CAROUSEL to Broadway it lost its freshness, its sensitivity and its magic. The cast is all new except for Michael Hayden's Billy who has played the role too long and become studied, belligerant rather than sensitive and groping, and harsh of singing tone. The production won five Tonys including Best Revival and one for Audra McDonald's Carrie but it doesn't match the London creation. What you get in that recording that you don't in this are: JUNE's dance music; the complete LOUISE'S BALLET; dialogue at end of Act I and the heaven transition, and Billy's dialogue in the finale. What you get in the Broadway recording you don't get in the London recording are: GIVE IT TO EM GOOD, CARRIE (only the second recording of this piece); women's chorus on STONECUTTERS, the SERMON. Stick with the London recording over this - it's far better. For the record, the CAROUSEL WALTZ is better conducted than the London recording - more spirited; Audra McDonald's Carrie in MR. SNOW is a heavier and louder voice than we're used to in this role, though she sings well. JULIE JORDAN is acceptable. IF I LOVED YOU is harsher than the London recording with Sally Murphy's Julie sounding terrified rather than awestruck. Shirley Verrett's is too operative a voice for Nettie - too big and her phrasing is way off. JUNE is acceptable chorus-wise but she is misplaced. MR.SNOW -reprise and WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE ASLEEP are good, due to Ms. McDonald and an enthusiastic performance fro Eddie Korbich as Snow. Fisher Stevens mimics the raspy voice of his predecessor in BLOW HIGH, which is fine. Hayden's SOLILOQUY is tougher and far less sensitive than his London recording and his acting has become mannered. The CLAMBAKE chorus is fine but the bridge is stiltily acted. GERANIUMS is well done by Korbich. STONECUTTERS is fine with women's chorus complete and Sally Murphy's WHAT'S THE USE OF WONDRIN is good. Verrett's YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE is bad. You only get the PAS DE DEUX from LOUISE'S BALLET here, not the whole thing - and it's lethargically conducted. Hayden's reprise of IF I LOVED YOU is good. The Finale is simply the chorus without Billy's poignant dialogue - a missed opportunity. All in all an acceptable but far from outstanding recording. Stick with the London orginal. For those CAROUSEL lovers, note that four of the ten recordings made thus far of the work have never made to CD: 1. Jan Clayton (the original Julie)'s disk of songs from the show for Buena Vista; the RCA opera studio cast recording -Robert Merrill, Patrice Munsel - and a nearly complete recording it is though in mono; Alfred Drake's studio cast recording for Command - an incomplete recording using the gimmick of recording onto 35 mm film soundtrack strips; and finally the original cast of the tv production for Hallmark (badly cut) with the "worst" Billy and Julie ever recorded - Robert Goulet and whoever she was. Just execrable in every way - this last deserves oblivion!

CAROUSEL is the only R&H musical that I completely embrace, along with OKLAHOMA, but I consider CAROUSEL to be a stronger show, not just musically, but in its narritive and character development as well. That said, I love listening to this recording! Audra McDonald's Carrie is a revelation, and her rendition of "Mr. Snow" is one of the highlights of the show, along with "Carousel Waltz," "What's the Use of Wondrin'?", "When the Children Are Asleep," and of course the full version of "If I Loved You." I agree with other reviewers that Michael Hayden isn't an amazing, astonishing singer (as others who have played the role have been), but his performance is wonderful in that he puts the needs of the character first. As an actor who sings rather than a singer who acts, I consider singing to be slightly ("slightly" being the key word)secondary to acting in musical theatre, that's one of the things that separates it from opera. Shirley Verrett's Nettie is vocally top nothch, with a very warm voice, although,her "You'll Never Walk Alone" is not as emotional as I would like, but her voice is nonetheless beautiful. Sally Murphy's Julie is very good and has a wonderful silvery soprano,her rendition of "What's the Use of Wondrin'?" nearly bringing one to tears. Her voice is wonderful in all of her songs, but her dialogue in "If I Loved You" is a little too cute at times, but she is wonderful nevertheless. Ms. Murphy is fascinated by Billy, but it is of a more timid fascination, so, you never doubt her innocence and naivitee. Ms. Murphy is also much better vocally than Ms. Joanna Riding on the London recording. Eddie Korbich makes for a quirky and comical Mr. Enoch Snow, end even though he sings out of his nose, you can't help but love his character, and he and Audra McDonald have wonderful chemistry on this recording. Bob Crowley's sets are a revelation and the costumes are suitably simple with an emphasis on color (Billy is in red for the run of the show, I believe, an obvious symbol for his passionate nature and firery temper). Buy this recording for Audra McDonald's Carrie, Sally Murphy's silver-voiced Julie, Michael Hayden's performance (not just his singing) and for the beautiful orchestrations, and of course for the wonderful Rogers and Hammerstein score.

A bit better than the 93 London cast recording! Rodgers and Hammerstein were so superior to any composers of the 40' and 50' (with the exception of Lerner and Lowe perhaps), they should be in their own category of music. Carousel holds up as one of the 4 or 5 greatest American musicals, and this revival clearly proved that (ironically produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company). This recording is magnificent in that it captures almost the entire score, including the ballet. Gritty, earthy and passionate, the two leads may not be the greatest of stage singers, but you can feel every ounce of yearning, sorrow and heartbreak in their voices. If I Loved You has never been recorded with such wrenching emotion before. And Michael Hayden's performance of Soliloquay is riveting. Hayden has since gone on to prove that he is one of the most talented actors currently working on the American stage.
I don't think I need to expound on the talents af Audra MacDonald, just listen to one verse of anything she sings and you will know. Astonishing!
The Carousel Waltz is my alltime favorite piece of music and what a joy to have such an outstanding recording of it in it's entirety. The memory of Carousel's opening to The Carousel Waltz will remain with me forever. Brilliant!

Are these the real samples from the '94 revival cast? I've heard Audra McDonald lots of times and she's never sounded like this. It sounds like someone has hacked into all the samples of Julie Jordan songs and replaced them with a man singing in falsetto.

I don't understand how anyone can say that the 1993 London recording is superior. This (the 1994 recording) is the definitive version to get. Let's start with everything about this recording that is BETTER than the London recording:
Better orchestrations (Eric Stern as the conductor makes all the difference. Tempos are much more fluid and everything just WORKS), Hayden's vocals (MUCH stronger than in London), Audra McDonald, Eddie Korbich, Shirley Verrett (not the best Nettie, but superior to Meg Johnson) and the ensemble.
While Sally Murphy may not have a smoother voice than Joanna Riding (who, honestly, performs her numbers like she's a cabaret singer), she includes much more passion and life in to her singing and line readings, and Michael Hayden's performance improves because of it. Theirs is the definitive version of the If I Loved You scene (generously recorded in its entirety).
Everyone on this recording does their best, and it pays off big time. With a 50 piece orchestra, the score never sounded so alive. This brilliant, and beautifully staged, production is given complete justice in this recording. Not to mention, there are FABULOUS pictures of Bob Crowley's stunning sets. Who could ask for more?
Highlights: The Carousel Waltz, Mister Snow, If I Loved You, Give it to 'Em Good Carrie (the only time you'll hear Audra McDonald belt), When the Children Are Asleep, What's the Use of Wond'rin, Pas de Deux. But the entire recording is wonderful. By all means, get it!

Having never seen "Carouse" live or on DVD, I didn't know what to expect. In fact this production contains fantastic songs and emotion. Audra Mcdonald is one of the best singers I have ever heard. I recently attended a local amateur production of Carousel which was so disappointing after listening to this CD.

This recording has a few lines that make the songs more complete, The great Audra Macdonald and that's it. The earlier london recording is vastly superior. Julie in London was acted to perfection, not as a dopey ingenue but as a three dimensional character and it shows on the recording, Micheal Haydyn's Billy is acted more than sung on both and on stage it's great but on a recording I prefer a "real" voice as Billy. But except for the missing
"Greatest Judge of All" this recording and the earlier London cast , together make the most complete Carousel. My favorite of all the recording though is the old RCA studio cast with Robert Merril, Patrice Munsel and Florence Henderson.

I own many recordings of Carousel and I have to say this one is, by far, the best. It has an emotional depth to it that other recordings don't quite match and the 'Carousel Waltz' sends shivers through me every time I hear it and Audra McDonald stands out as a shining star among the others in her singing. Excellent addition to anyone's CD collection!