by Stephanie Manning
If you’ve never seen Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, don’t let the title fool you. Although the carousel in question is literal, it’s also a metaphor — for cycles of unhealthy relationships, social ostracization, and abuse.
Eighty years on from its Broadway debut, Carousel finds itself in a tricky position in the musical theater canon. Featuring some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beautiful songs, the work is so beloved that TIME Magazine named it the best musical of the 20th century. But it’s also faced criticism for its portrayal of domestic violence.
Deftly directed by Steven Daigle and unafraid to face some thorny topics head on, Ohio Light Opera’s Carousel made for a compelling start to the company’s 46th season at The College of Wooster’s Freedlander Theatre on June 14. [Read more…]
In short, there’s simply not a more congenial spot
On June 23, Ohio Light Opera rang up the curtain on the second production of its 43rd season in Freedlander Theatre at The College of Wooster. Following on the heels of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the company’s first-ever staging of Hello, Dolly! continued the inclusion of Broadway in OLO’s repertoire.
As a general rule, elevators go up and down, conveying people or goods from one level to another in a given building. The elevator on stage for OLO’s production of Have a Heart, however, goes backwards. It takes the happy audience (plus cast and crew) straight back to early 1917, and the premiere production of Jerome Kern’s then-new musical. It’s a delightful journey, one you won’t want to miss.