Am I Ready For "Carousel????????????????????"

                                Girls, I have got to tell you, I was shocked by the less than sterling reviews this production got.  It is one of the greatest musicals ever written, and, no, Nora Ephron, that is not because I am a boy.  I am a Theater Queen, and respond to the romanticism of  its score, lyrics and soaring emotionality.

                                  Domestic abuse?  Everyone leaps on that. It adds an additional measure of tragedy to the doomed relationship of Billy and Julie.  But don't forget this is a show about redemption, and that seems to go unnoticed by audiences.  Not to mention the show's final heart rending moment, when Billy's ghost, as the students sing "You'll Never Walk Alone," walks over to Julie, and poignantly whispers to her, "I loved you, Julie.  Know that I loved you."  And she seems to get it.

                                   Who could not be moved by that????????????????

                                    So all you detractors of the show, in general, get off your soapboxes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     As to this production, well, I have my suspicions.  Jack O'Brien, twenty years back, directed a terrible "Little Foxes" at the Beaumont.  He had no idea how to handle dark material, except for one great moment, at the end, and how he pulled that off, I will never understand.

                                       He excels with material, like "Damn Yankees," which he did a superb job  on.  But I don't think he can handle dark material.

                                       Which may account for both the less than stellar reviews, and my hesitation.
Though I know Jessie Mueller will nail Julie like nobody's business.

                                         But my hesitation goes deeper.  "Carousel's" deep emotionality contains any number of key phrases and moments, where I just lose it, and the tears flow.  On a good day, it would get me, anyway. But, especially in the face of my father's recent passing.  Whenever I see "Carousel" this time around, no matter the reservations I may have, tears will not just flow.  A dam will burst!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         So, what do I do?  See it sooner, or wait?  My theater instincts tell me to see it while it is fresh, but am I ready to put myself through it.

                                          But maybe, just maybe, out of the darkness, will come some healing!!!!!!!!!