Carousel, the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic musical, has been revived in a stunning new production at Omnibus University.
Students of Rodgers and Hammersteon’s work will note the fresh approach from the opening curtain. Gone is the traditional park scene. In its stead is a cleverly staged “mill” workroom complete with a gigantic loom. The scene rapidly changes to an amusement park with a modern multicolored spinning carousel. Also new in this production are nonspecific ethnic casting, streamlined musical numbers, and updated dialogue.
Carousel is one of the genre’s first to use a serious theme. The story recounts the life of Billy Bigelow, a “barker” for the carousel. Billy falls in love with Julie Jordan, a worker at the mill, shunning the advances of the aging carousel owner, Nellie Fowler. Billy then loses his job, marries Julie, and becomes a “worthless bum,” in the opinion of Julie’s friends. Julie’s pregnancy, the turning point in the plot, forces Billy to evaluate his worthiness for parenthood.
Billy decides to turn to thievery rather than to work to get money to support his family. An ill-fated robbery attempt ends with Billy killing himself to avoid being arrested. The next scene finds Billy in heaven, repentant and determined to return to earth to undo some of harm he has caused. Upon his surrealistic return, he awkwardly but effectively touches the lives of Julie and his daughter.
Critics have called this musical “out of date and out of touch” because of its treatment of women. Most notable is that Billy actually strikes his wife and his daughter. Their reaction to being hit is that “it’s only his way of showing affection.” In spite of this apparent flaw, Carousel has found new life in this newly staged, artfully performed production.
The Essay on Shine: Meaning of Life and Human Condition
Shine highlights three major human conditions throughout the movie, the need for companionship, the unbroken human spirits and human’s tendency to reflect on the past. From these human conditions, scenes in Shine and use of camera techniques we learn how to approach situations and downhills in life and to rediscover and give purpose to life rather than give up and accept defeat. ...