Possibly the most-anticipated event of the Richard Rodgers centennial year was the gala concert performance of the composer's favorite show, Carousel. It was great to hear a big orchestra playing this rich score, to see the original Billy Bigelow, John Raitt, introduce the evening and share a bow with Hugh Jackman at the end, and to enjoy fine performances by an all-star cast. There was, however, some disappointment. Leonard Slatkin led the Orchestra of St. Luke's in a brisk reading, with few expressive ritards. I like to hear a score presented in tempo, but surely Rodgers expected key passages to be expanded by the singers. Slatkin seemed loathe to allow that. The most noticeable instance was in the closing moments of the Soliloquy ("I'll try, by God, I'll try") when Hugh Jackman slowed momentarily for dramatic effect but Slatkin didn't wait for him. Jackman acted professionally and quickly caught up with the orchestra. There were other places, too, where singer and orchestra were not together.
Of course it was marvelous to clearly hear the underscoring behind the Bench Scene and the full ballet music of the second act. The music was complete, but big cuts were made in the dialogue. There was little staging, not nearly what we see in the Encores series, for example.
Hugh Jackman won me over with a dramatically compelling Billy, stressing the words above all, and his voice sounded fine, though not as rich as the incomparable Raitt. Jackman was one of the most sympathetic Billys I've seen but slighted the dangerous side of his character in this, his first performance of the role. Audra McDonald sang a mature-sounding Julie Jordan. She used quite a different tone than what she brought to the role of Carrie when she did Carousel on Broadway. Compassionate and beautiful, understanding of Billy's problems but lacking the innocence we usually hear in Julie, McDonald created some interesting vocal contrasts between herself and the bright-voiced, excellent Carrie of Lauren Ward. Norbert Lee Butz was an amazing Jigger, the most chillingly amusing I've heard since Jerry Orbach did it in the 1960s.
Judy Kaye brought out the humor and compassion of Nettie and beautifully sang "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." This is how the role should be done, by a fine mezzo with a Broadway rather than operatic delivery. Jason Danieley sang Enoch Snow gorgeously and made him seem human. It's a shame Slatkin's tempo for "When the Children Are Asleep" was so fast that the song lost its dreamy aspect. Blythe Danner made her non-singing appearance as the carousel owner, Mrs. Mullin, into a great vignette.
The faults I noted were small compared to the great singing. All in all, this was worth seeing and hearing but lacked the emotional punch you get when it's presented in a theater. Carousel on stage always brings tears to my eyes, but at Carnegie Hall my eyes remained dry. By the way, the word is that the conductor and singers didn't have time to go back and re-do any of this, so there won't be a recording.
