Last night, Opera North and The Grand Theatre in Leeds played host to a group of people it is always important to try and impress – the press. Critics, bloggers and news paper reviewers were amongst the audience to see Opera North’s production of Carousel. Obviously, the review I write for my blog will not have the same readership numbers as a reviewer from a national newspaper, but our views can nevertheless influence the public and whether or not they go and see the show for themselves.
For my part, having had the privilege of attending the sitzprobe for Carousel, I was eager to see the show in its entirety and see the set, the costumes and the music brought together on stage. I felt the same sense of anticipation from amongst my fellow bloggers who had also attended sitzprobe and from my friend Jenny who I had brought along as my guest – she is also an avid fan of musicals and I thought it would be interesting to get her take on the evening as well.
There’s is something quite comforting about visiting The Grand in Leeds. Like its name suggest it is an impressive theatre; richly and intricately decorated and yet you feel very much at home there. The staff are always very welcoming and having attended quite a few events there, I feel like I am amongst old friends. Having attended sitzprobe and seen the orchestra and singers in a more informal setting, I felt like I was going back to re-visit friends and there were times throughout the evening when I felt an immense sense of pride for them as though watching a family member perform.
The show was everything it was promised to be; colourful, engaging, emotive, beautiful and inspiring. From the costumes to the music, the dancers, the staging, the orchestra, the principals and the chorus, everything came together so beautifully it seemed completely flawless.
I loved so many elements of the staging; the opening was particularly beautiful as the curtain rose to reveal another curtain with the world printed on it. Behind this, on the stage sat a young child and as the lights went up, it gave the appearance that the child was sitting on top of the world, it was so simple and yet so visually captivating. On another occasion spotlights on strips that had been used to illuminate parts of the stage were bought in and set up in between carousel horses to make the fairground carousel – this too was wonderfully created and added a real feeling of nostalgia for the ride we knew and loved as children.
Another highlight for me was the dancing that appeared throughout the show but particularly during the song June is busting out All Over. The choreography was so well executed that you sat in amazement at how agile this dancers were. They complimented the tone and the feel of the music superbly and this gave the audience great pleasure and enjoyment.
Obviously being a musical, the main focus of the evening should be to the music and the musicians. To me they all sounded incredible and I think the fact that this is an opera company performing a musical as opposed to musical theatre singers really added to the richness of the sound and quality of the performances. The chorus were superb and there were some outstanding performances from amongst the principal singers in their various solo parts. I particularly enjoyed the duet between Gillene Herbert as Julie Jordan and Eric Greene as Billy Bigelow “If I Loved You”. This is one of the 3 most recognised songs in the musical and was sung with such emotion and feeling, it was easy to get caught up in the romance of the piece. Both my friend and I loved Eric’s voice which we felt had a great depth and richness to it but was also very powerful and yet soothing. The entire cast singing June is Busting Out All Over was also very enjoyable, not only because of its upbeat tempo that made you want to sing and clap along but because we had seen this piece rehearsed at Sitzprobe and now we were getting to see it in all its glory.
I think for most people though, the highlight of the show was the song You’ll Never Walk Alone. As I mentioned in my previous blog, this song takes place at one of the most heart wrenching points in the musical and judging by the reaction of the audience around me touched many people. The song is sung three times in the show; firstly, part of it is sung by Julie Jordan but because of the emotion her character is experiencing is continued by Nettie Fowler. At the start of this song when Julie is singing, she has just a piano accompaniment and as Nettie takes over the song she is joined by the full orchestra. The contrast between the two is hard to describe but it was incredibly powerful, moving and poignant and I doubt there were many dry eyes in the house following Elena Ferrari’s outstanding rendition of the piece. The third time the song is sung as a reprise at the end of the show and includes the full orchestra and chorus. This time the song has a more emblematic feel to it and although still highly emotional, it is also inspiring and moving.
Opera North never disappoint me with their productions. Whether it is an opera or musical theatre, each is performed to an incredibly high standard and always hits the spot both musically and emotionally. Carousel was no exception to this in that it was lively, engaging and beautiful as well as deeply moving, emotional and yet inspiring. Yes I would encourage you to go and see it but with two words of caution – wear waterproof mascara and take plenty of tissues!
Carousel will be at Leeds Grand Theatre from 2nd May – 19th May before moving to The Lowry at
Salford Quays 23rd-26th May and then The Barbican centre London 15th Aug – 15th Sep. For more information on Opera North’s production of Carousel and to book tickets go to http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/carousel
