Post by Talissa on Aug 21, 2004 23:37:16 GMT 11
I feel that Carousel is a show that shouldn't work. Yet it does. I can't say how, but it does. Although perhaps in this case it was simply held together by the amazing strength of its leading man, David Campbell as Billy Bigelow. This was certainly one of the best pieces of casting I've seen in quite a while, and no matter what faults are present in the material, the moment David walked on stage it didn't matter. And in fact, Act 1 felt as though it was nothing but a lead-up to the Soliloquy, which was a perfectly-delivered show-stopper in David's hands, and certainly well worth the wait.
Opposite him, Danielle Barnes as Julie Jordan was very sweet, and although her top notes seemed at times airy and uncertain, her air of sweet confidence made one overlook that and simply watch her instead.
Julie's friend, Carrie, was played by Carrie Barr. I have mixed feelings about her performance. Though there were a fair few moments that were underacted, overacted or misacted, there were just as many times when she seemed more comfortable in her character. This might have been rather a symptom of the short rehearsal period, however.
Opposite her, Derek Taylor played Enoch Snow in such a convincing, steady manner that his occasional struggle with his top notes was quickly forgotten, replaced by the delight of his character.
Melissa Langton, as Nettie Fowler, was another whose solidity of character left little to be desired. However, I did find something to be desired in Act 2, when her forced, uneven You'll Never Walk Alone rather marred the solemn moment, however, other than that moment, I haven't an ill word to say about her.
Adam Murphy, playing Jigger, was fairly close behind David in faultless performance. His character was well-thought out and winningly presented, and his voice was steady and strong.
Anne Wood and Terence Donovan each did well with their parts, and I actually thought at one point that I'd rather like to see Anne give the part of Ms Pennywise a try.
Dena Amy Kaplan really did seem the daughter of David's Billy, seeming to share many of his mannerisms. An extra kudos to her for proceeding calmly to pick up her microphone pack when it fell during the ballet sequence, and hold it until she was able to slip it back in place at the most subtle moment. Well done, Dena.
Speaking of the ballet sequence, I thought that, apart from the Soliloquy, that was one of the high points of the show. It was flawlessly done, and was a large contributor in making the second act the beautiful, moving piece of theatre that it was.
Opposite him, Danielle Barnes as Julie Jordan was very sweet, and although her top notes seemed at times airy and uncertain, her air of sweet confidence made one overlook that and simply watch her instead.
Julie's friend, Carrie, was played by Carrie Barr. I have mixed feelings about her performance. Though there were a fair few moments that were underacted, overacted or misacted, there were just as many times when she seemed more comfortable in her character. This might have been rather a symptom of the short rehearsal period, however.
Opposite her, Derek Taylor played Enoch Snow in such a convincing, steady manner that his occasional struggle with his top notes was quickly forgotten, replaced by the delight of his character.
Melissa Langton, as Nettie Fowler, was another whose solidity of character left little to be desired. However, I did find something to be desired in Act 2, when her forced, uneven You'll Never Walk Alone rather marred the solemn moment, however, other than that moment, I haven't an ill word to say about her.
Adam Murphy, playing Jigger, was fairly close behind David in faultless performance. His character was well-thought out and winningly presented, and his voice was steady and strong.
Anne Wood and Terence Donovan each did well with their parts, and I actually thought at one point that I'd rather like to see Anne give the part of Ms Pennywise a try.
Dena Amy Kaplan really did seem the daughter of David's Billy, seeming to share many of his mannerisms. An extra kudos to her for proceeding calmly to pick up her microphone pack when it fell during the ballet sequence, and hold it until she was able to slip it back in place at the most subtle moment. Well done, Dena.
Speaking of the ballet sequence, I thought that, apart from the Soliloquy, that was one of the high points of the show. It was flawlessly done, and was a large contributor in making the second act the beautiful, moving piece of theatre that it was.