Carousel
By Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
By arrangement with Warner/Chappell Music
Season 28 April-13 May 1995
Venue Belconnen Theatre
TheStory
The time is 1900 - the place, a small town on the coast of Maine. Billy Bigelow, handsome and proud Barker for the carousel in the local amusement park, and Julie Jordan, a lovely young girl who works in a factory, fall in love and go off together, though it costs them both their jobs. When they return, married, they face a hostile town. In the difficult months that follow, Billy is unable to get work and Julie becomes pregnant. Finally, it is June, time to get ready for the first clambake of the season. But Billy is desperate and bitter, and agrees to join his unsavoury pal, Jigger, in a robbery. The robbery goes awry and Billy, trying to escape falls on his own knife and is killed.
Fifteen years later Billy, looking down from heaven, sees that all is not well with his child, now an attractive but rejected young girl, Louise. He returns to earth for a day, makes himself visible to his daughter and gives her a star. This star, together with Billy's fatherly advice, brings Louise new joy and assurance. Billy, satisfied that he has at last done something good for his daughter, returns to heaven.
ProductionTeam
| Director | Fran Bosly-Craft |
| Musical Director - Orchestral | Les Smith |
| Musical Director - Vocal | Jenni Mersiades |
| Choreographer | Debrah McNeill |
| Production Manager | Paul Belsham |
| Stage Manager | Leanne Cramond |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Andrew Thompson |
| Set Design | Roger Tindale |
| Costume Design | Margaret Prideaux assisted by Eliane Prideaux |
| Lighting Design | Andrew Kenney assisted by Chris Neill |
Cast
| Carrie Pipperidge | Katrina Blight |
| Julie Jordon | Alex Hughes |
| Mrs Mullin | Claudia Oakley |
| Billy Bigelow | Manuel Panaretos |
| Policeman | Mick Bower |
| David Bascombe | Ian Davenport |
| Nettie Fowler | Joan Richards |
| Enoch Snow | Jason Rose |
| Jigger Craigin | Rodney Beaver |
| Arminy | Renee Simon |
| Captain | Gary Gledhill |
| Heavenly Friend | Richard Bosly-Craft |
| Louise Bigelow | Kathryn Newmarch |
| Carnival Boy (Ballet) | Natalie Cox |
| Enoch Snow Jr | Damien Beard |
| Principal | Pamela McManus |
| Doctor Seldon | Pamela Kelly |
| Female Chorus | Ruth Alsford, Kirsten Burch, Amie Doolan, Kay George, Jackie Hudson, Juliet Lautenbach, Cathy Lynch, Anastasia Mason, Jessica Montgomery, Kerrie Oakley, Raylene Power-James, Anna Taylor |
| Female Graduates and Chorus | Sarah Carvalho, Susan Davenport, Lisa Flynn, Sally Kite, Cecily Oakley, Clemency Oliphant, Alira Prideaux, Belinda Sewell |
| Male Graduates and Chorus | Conrad Farrell, David Tychsen-Smith |
| Male Chorus | Gary Collinson, Rodwell Faulkner, Thomas Manly, Peter Smith, David Woodgate |
| Snow Children | Rhiannon Box, Marsha Daw, Clem Daw, Carmen D'Costa, Tristan Flynn, Hali Kyrgios, Sophie White |
| Angels | Gemma Beard, Anita Davenport, Susan Davenport, Alira Prideaux |
Orchestra
| Conductor | Les Smith |
| Violins | Anthony Duncliff (Leader), Greg Toomey, Chris Eade |
| Viola | Mandy Souter |
| Cello | Olga Howell |
| Flute | Ruth Dillon |
| Oboe | Kirsten Jakobsen |
| Clarinet | Tony Rowlands |
| Horn | Iain Hercus |
| Trumpet | Andrew Terracini |
| Trombone | Martin Schaefer |
| Piano | Judith Everall |