New Production of Carousel, with Garrett, James, Silber, to Play London's Savoy Following Tour
By Mark Shenton
09 Jul 2008
Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1945 Broadway classic Carousel is heading back to the West End, where it will begin performances at the Savoy Theatre Nov. 22 prior to an official opening Dec. 2.
Last seen in London in 1992 in Nicholas Hytner's production at the National Theatre (that subsequently transferred to the West End's Shaftesbury Theatre in 1993 and to the Vivian Beaumont Theater in New York in 1994), Carousel will now be re-staged in an entirely new production directed by Lindsay Posner and starring operatic soprano Lesley Garrett (last seen in the West End as the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music) as Nettie, Jeremiah James (from the classical "boy band" TEATRO) as Billy Bigelow and Alexandra Silber (most recently seen in Fiddler on the Roof, also at the Savoy) as Julie Jordan.
The production will launch a national tour ahead of the West End at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on Sept. 26, then go on to Edinburgh's Festival Theatre, Milton Keynes Theatre, Woking's New Victoria Theatre, Plymouth's Theatre Royal, New Wimbledon Theatre and Manchester's Opera House.
Carousel revolves around the doomed love affair between Billy Bigelow, a smooth-talking carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, a naive young mill worker. The score includes such classics as "If I Loved You," "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and "You'll Never Walk Alone."
The production is directed by Lindsay Posner and choreographed by Adam Cooper. Posner most recently directed Fiddler on the Roof at the Savoy; other credits include David Mamet's A Life in The Theatre with Patrick Stewart and Oleanna with Julia Stiles and Aaron Eckhart, Sam Shepherd's Fool for Love with Juliette Lewis (all West End), and Tom and Viv at the Almeida Theatre.
Choreographer Adam Cooper was originally a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet before he famously took the lead role in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, featuring an all-male corps-de-ballet. He subsequently worked extensively in musical theatre starring in On Your Toes, Singin' in the Rain, as Sky Masterson in the long-running West End hit Guys and Dolls, and he is about to appear in The Wizard of Oz at the Royal Festival Hall. His choreography credits include On Your Toes (Leicester Haymarket & Royal Festival Hall), Singin' in the Rain at Sadler's Wells and Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.
The production is designed by William Dudley (Kiss Me, Kate; A Streetcar Named Desire; Woman in White; Hitchcock Blonde) with costumes by Deirdre Clancey, lighting by Peter Mumford, orchestrations by Larry Blank and musical direction by David Firman.
It is produced by Kim Poster for Stanhope Productions, Michael Edward & Carole Winter, Tiger/WSZ, Stevens-O'Boyle, and Tulchin/Bartner/Ambassador Theatre Group in association with The Churchill, Bromley.
To book tickets for the West End, call the box office at 0870 060 6642 or visit www.carouselthemusical.com.
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