Dazzling classic 'Carousel' worth a whirl for OKC musical theater fans

The chance to see a top-notch live production of a Golden Age musical like Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" rarely comes around.

So, fans of classic song-and-dance spectacles should get on the horse to see Lyric Theatre's dazzling production of "Carousel" before it closes July 10 at the Civic Center.

Both celebrated and controversial, "Carousel" is the second title on Lyric Theatre's three-show "Summer at the Civic Center" season, which is marking the "Official Theatre of the State of Oklahoma's" return to its longtime summer home for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The summer season closes with Lyric's July 19-24 production of "Kinky Boots."

Helmed by Producing Artistic Director Michael Baron, Lyric's "Carousel" is gorgeously staged, superbly sung and sensitively told. The title, which Time magazine in 1999 named the top musical of the 20th century, boasts some of the most beloved show tunes in theater history but also tells a heartwrenching tale of a dysfunctional marriage complicated by domestic violence, poverty and suicide.

Operatic storytelling spins through 'Carousel'

Composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and lyricist and book writer Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) followed up the trailblazing success of their 1943 collaboration "Oklahoma!" with "Carousel," which bowed on Broadway in 1945 and immediately became their second straight critical and commercial hit. As with "Oklahoma!," they tapped choreographer Agnes de Mille to help tell the story of "Carousel" through dance as well as song.

And just as they based their "Oklahoma!" on the play "Green Grow the Lilacs" by Claremore native Lynn Riggs, Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted "Carousel" from author Ferenc Molnár's Hungarian-language drama "Liliom." Although Rodgers and Hammerstein won the rights, it's worth noting that Italian opera icon Giacomo Puccini also was interested in adapting the title, because there's a distinctly operatic spin to "Carousel."

Set in a coastal village in Maine near the end of the 19th century, "Carousel" revolves around Billy Bigelow (Joe Caskey) a cocky carnival barker, who meets and marries Julie Jordan (Julianne Reynolds), a gentle millworker, when she visits the carousel with her feisty friend and co-worker Carrie (Anette Barrios-Torres).

Billy and Julie are an unlikely pair, but they are undeniably drawn to each other and immediately make sacrifices for each other. Julie loses her job at the mill by defying the mandatory curfew to stay out late and keep talking to Billy, and he loses his carousel gig when he tells off its jealous owner, Mrs. Mullin (Lindsie VanWinkle-Guthrie), for harrassing Julie.

Billy and Julie soon marry, and Julie's supportive cousin Nettie (Courtney Crouse) lets them live at her spa. Still, their lack of funds quickly becomes a problem, and Billy hits Julie during a fight about it. Carrie, who is in the midst of her own courtship with ambitious fisherman Enoch Snow (Colin Anderson), encourages Julie to leave Billy but she staunchly refuses.

When Billy learns that Julie is pregnant, he becomes desperate to provide a decent life for his family. His shady sailor pal Jigger (Joseph Campbell) convinces Billy to take part in a robbery, but it goes terribly wrong.

Lyric Theatre's 'Carousel' puts orchestra on stage with ensemble

"Carousel" revolves around universal themes like relationships and redemption and even life and death, with much of the second act set in the afterlife. And in the way of Golden Age musicals, it does its most effective storytelling through song and dance.

Caskey, who played the Escapologist in Lyric's June production of "Matilda" and Danny in the OKC theater's 2021 staging of "Grease," and Reynolds, who appeared last year in Lyric's "Master Class," establish both a crackling chemistry and their vocal chops with "If I Loved You." He delivers the seven and a half-minute operatic "Soliloquy" that closes the first act with fantastic flair, and she lifts the wistful "What's the Use of Wond'rin'" to great heights.

Crouse, who co-directed Lyric's "Master Class," practically stops the show with her soaring rendition of the beloved anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Barrios-Torres, who appeared last summer in Lyric's "Grease," and Colin Anderson, who is fresh off the national tour of "My Fair Lady" that played OKC last fall, charm as the sassy and loyal Carrie and her stuffy yet loveable beau Enoch Snow.

Making her Lyric Theatre debut, Anna McGuire proves magnetic as Billy and Julie's troubled daughter Louise, who pours her teenage angst into the show's stunning second act ballet.

The entire ensemble excels at both song and dance, especially on big, raucous numbers like "June Is Bustin' Out All Over," "Blow High, Blow Low" and "This Was a Real Nice Clambake."

Scenic designer Kimberly Powers' clever set concept puts the skilled 16-member orchestra, conducted by longtime Lyric Theatre collaborator David Andrews Rogers, right on stage, making the legendarily beautiful score feel even more alive and immediate.

Rodgers considered "Carousel" his favorite of all the musicals he worked on with Hammerstein or his other partners. The show isn't recommended for young children, but teenage or grown-up musical theater fans should certainly give it a whirl.

LYRIC THEATRE'S 'CAROUSEL'

When: Through July 10.

Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.

Tickets and information: https://lyrictheatreokc.com/shows/carousel.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Dazzling classic 'Carousel' worth a whirl for OKC musical theater fans