The most enduring number from the show is “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” sung in this production by mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, who starred in Lyric’s “Carmen” a while back. Her “You’re a Queer One, Julie Jordan” and exuberant “When I Marry Mr. Julie’s friend and colleague at the mill is Carrie Pipperidge, portrayed by Jenn Gambatese, who played Maria in Lyric’s staging of “The Sound of Music” last season. He sings “… two little people, you and I, we don’t count at all.” Later, as she struggles to live with his bad temper and inability to provide, she sings “What’s the use of wondrin’ if the ending will be sad…” They are as star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet. Osnes begins tentatively, “afraid and shy,” while Pasquale soars to a powerful conclusion, a prelude to his character’s knock-out “Soliloquy,” which was rewarded with sustained applause the evening of April 11.īeneath their powerful attraction to each other, however, runs a strong strain of nihilism. In their initial duet, the winsome “If I Loved You,” the two establish their mastery of the Broadway song. She is the quiet millworker Julie Jordan, played by Tony Award-winner Laura Osnes in her Lyric debut he the brash Billy Bigelow, played by Steven Pasquale, also appearing at Lyric for the first time. What rivets us, however, is the shimmering electricity in the music as a girl, plainly dressed, locks eyes with a carousel barker and seals their fates forever. A merry-go-round is alive with lights and carnival folks sparkle, at least on the surface. Harmonies like shards of glass scrape and slice through the lovely melody as the Lyric Opera of Chicago‘s production of “ Carousel” comes to life on stage at the Civic Opera House.Ī wordless pantomime is underway. From the first notes of “The Carousel Waltz” it is clear that this Rodgers & Hammerstein musical drama will not end happily.

Lyric opera chicago carousel