Watching a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical is always a wonderful experience. For one, they all date back to a long time ago and come with a surfeit of memories. Think 70 or 80 years past and more. And the memories from those times come with a soundtrack of some of the most unforgettable songs ever written.
Climb Every Mountain and My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music; Some Enchanted Evening and Bali Hai from South Pacific; O What a Beautiful Morning and People will Say We’re in Love from Oklahoma! Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance from The King and I; You are Beautiful and I Enjoy Being a Girl from Flower Drum Song; and then, there are If I Love You, You’ll Never Walk Alone, June is Bursting Out All Over from Carousel.
Given their origins any Rodgers and Hammerstein musical can be described as great. However, although it tells a simple story, there is something about Carousel that makes it stand out from the others. It is sweet but also unsettling, much like its male protagonist Billy Bigelow. Like the girl Julie Jordan you ignore the warnings. Don’t expect to come out waltzing on air.
Common sense will tell you that the ending will be sad, but you go ahead anyway. More likely you will be in tears at the end. But then, thanks to the premise that there is always hope. Maybe heaven can provide a chance to make life better. Then, there is that satisfied but empty stomach feeling because out of something so sad was born a beautiful and inspiring piece of work.
Carousel is based on the Hungarian play Liliom by Ferenc Molnar. As adapted for the Broadway stage, it tells the love story of Billy, a carnival barker unable to get along with people and of Julie, a factory worker who falls deeply in love with him. With Billy jobless and abusive, theirs turns out to be a difficult relationship. But he’s her feller, and she loves him, so she stays.
Billy kills himself when he gets trapped by the police during a botched robbery attempt. He only wanted to make some money for Julie and their baby, a rare instance wherein he is thinking about his family. Strong and resilient, Julie raises her daughter Louise alone. But it is not easy for Louise who is shunned by other kids because of what they know about her father. Billy somewhere in the stars learns about this and gets the chance to come back to earth for a day and make things right for his daughter.
Repertory Philippines’ new production of Carousel is now playing at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Directed by the congressman by day and creative at night Toff de Venecia, it is a pared-down version of the original rendered ideal for the simple requirements of the square blackbox theater. But now that the walls and sets had been removed, the musical acquired a timeless quality ideally suited to its message.
I know that Billy’s penchant for hitting his wife and of Julie thinking that such blows do not hurt because of love bear thinking about. But it is in the plot and no one has a right to question what was written in the early 20th century.
De Venecia fiddled with a lot but he respected the script, kept everything in it but made sure he came up with a small, intimate version. The use of mobile phones to click the actors into action come across as jarring like skips in a damaged LP.
But this is a minor flaw. Once the show gets going, it is mesmerizing again. Most amazing really is the fact that despite the familiar music and story, never for one moment does one think that this Carousel should be a big stage production. Who needs an orchestra when the two pianos of EJay Yatco and Joed Balsamo can fill the Blackbox to the brim?
De Venecia found himself a dream cast who all give heartfelt performances. Gian Magdangal is appropriately wasted as Billy and his Soliloquy is a high moment. Karylle Tatlonghari is a lovely presence with the voice to match. She should do more theater.
The always reliable Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante is on point throughout as Carrie Pepperidge. There should be an Ado Annie in her future. And Mia Bolanos brought the whole package home with her soaring You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Now, isn’t it great that Repertory Philippines reimagined Carousel and it worked wonderfully.