Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel, A Concert

AN R&H THEATRICALS TITLE

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel, A Concert

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  5w, 5m

Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Based on the Play Liliom by Ferenc Molnar as adapted by Benjamin F. Glazer
Original Choreography by Agnes de Mille
Adapted by Tom Briggs

Billy Bigelow, a swaggering, carefree carnival barker, falls in love with and marries the sweet but naive Julie Jordan. A stunning tale of hope, redemption and the power of love.

Image: 1994 Lincoln Center Theater Production (Joan Marcus)

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel, A Concert

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel, A Concert
Also Available
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel
Liliom

Details

Summary
In a Maine coastal village toward the end of the 19th century, the swaggering, carefree carnival barker, Billy Bigelow, captivates and marries the naive millworker, Julie Jordan. Billy loses his job just as he learns that Julie is pregnant and, desperately intent upon providing a decent life for his family, is coerced into being an accomplice to a robbery. Caught in the act and facing the certainty of prison, Billy takes his own life and is sent “up there.” He is allowed to return to earth for one day 15 years later, and he encounters the daughter he never knew. She is a lonely, friendless teenager, her father's reputation as a thief and bully having haunted her throughout her young life. Billy instills a sense of hope and dignity in both the child and her mother in a dramatic testimony to the power of love. It's easy to understand why, of all the shows they created, Carousel was Rodgers & Hammerstein's personal favourite.
Keywords
Performing Groups
PRINCIPALS
3 Women
3 Men

FEATURED
2 Women
2 Men

ENSEMBLE
Large singing-dancing ensemble with Townspeople, Amusement Park Carnies, Youngsters and Seafaring Men

CHARACTERS
Carrie Pipperidge
Julie Jordan
Mrs. Mullin
Billy Bigelow
Juggler
1st Policeman
David Bascombe
Nettie Fowler
Enoch Snow
Jigger Craigin
Arminy
2nd Policeman
Captain
1st Heavenly Friend (Brother Joshua)
2nd Heavenly Friend
Starkeeper
Louise
Carnival Boy
Enoch Snow, Jr.
Principal
Dr. Seldon
Townspeople, Amusement Park Carnies, Youngsters, and Seafaring Men

In this show, the race of the characters is not pivotal to the plot. We encourage you to consider diversity and inclusion in your casting choices.

  • Time Period 19th Century
  • Setting Dependent upon manner of staging. Carousel takes place in New England, 1873-88.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Music

Music Samples

Carousel, A Concert utilizes the music materials from the Full Orchestration of Carousel.

Flute 1 (Doubling Piccolo) 
Flute 2 (Doubling Piccolo) 
Oboe (Doubling English Horn) 
Clarinet 1  
Clarinet 2 
Bassoon (Optional Bass Clarinet) 
Horn 1 
Horn 2 
Horn 3 
Trumpet 1 
Trumpet 2 
Trombone 1 
Trombone 2 
Trombone 3 
Tuba  
Percussion 
Harp 
Violin 1 (Divisi) 
Violin 2 (Divisi) 
Viola (Divisi) 
Cello (Divisi) 
Bass
String Synthesizer 1&2 (There are two separate Synthesizer String Books which contain all of the Violin, Viola and Cello parts formatted to be played by two different keyboard players. These books are intended to be utilized to augment and enrich your live string section.)  

Percussion Breakdown: Trap Set, Timpani, Triangle, Bells, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Wood Block, Tambourine  

N.B. The BASS CLARINET part in the BASSOON book has been double lined for BASSOON, if a doubler or an additional player is not available.  
TROMBONE 1, TROMBONE 2 and TROMBONE 3 are all Tenor Trombones.  
The HARP part may be played on a synthesizer with a harp patch if a real harp is not available, but the HARP part is essential cannot be omitted. 
The Percussion book is written to be played by one percussionist, with the exception of “The Carousel Waltz” which can be played by either one, two or three percussionists.  
The original string breakdown was 5 Violin 1, 4 Violin 2, 4 Viola, 3 Cello and 2 Bass.  
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Operetta
  • Dance Requirements Difficult
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size X-Large
  • Chorus Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

    PLEASE BE ADVISED: There are multiple versions of this title. Before you proceed, please double-check to ensure that you are applying for the version you want. We will not be able to refund rental or shipping fees if you pay for the wrong version. If you’re not sure which version best suits your needs, you may purchase a perusal for each available version.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!

Carousel, A Concert utilizes the Full Orchestration of the standard stage version of Carousel, with the addition of a Libretto specifically adapted for concert performances.

Full Package:
25 Libretto-Vocal Book
1 Piano-Conductor
1 Flute 1
1 Flute 2
1 Oboe
1 Clarinet 1
1 Clarinet 2
1 Bassoon
1 Horn 1
1 Horn 2
1 Horn 3
1 Trumpet 1
1 Trumpet 2
1 Trombone 1
1 Trombone 2
1 Trombone 3
1 Tuba
1 Percussion
1 Harp
2 Violin 1
2 Violin 2
2 Viola
2 Cello
1 Bass
1 Full Score (Act 1)
1 Full Score (Act 2)
1 Logo Pack


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Authors

Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers' contribution to the musical theatre of his day was extraordinary, and his influence on the musical theatre of today and tomorrow is legendary. His career spanned more than six decades, his hits ranging from the silver screens of Hollywood to the bright light ...

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Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II was born on July 12, 1895 in New York City. His father, William, was a theatre manager and for many years director of Hammerstein's Victoria, the most popular vaudeville theatre of its day. His uncle, Arthur Hammerstein, was a successful Broadway producer ...

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Ferenc Molnar

Ferenc Molnar

Ferenc Molnar (1878-1952), Hungarian playwright and novelist, was born in Budapest. Several of his plays were presented on the New York City stage, and all were successes, including The Guardsman, Lilliom, The Swan, The Glass Slipper and The Play's the Thing. In 1928, English ...

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Benjamin F. Glazer

Benjamin F. Glazer

Benjamin Glazer (1888 - 1956) won two Oscars for his screenplays Seventh Heaven and Arise My Love. One of the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a lifetime member, Glazer was once a producer of early Bing Crosby musicals at Paramount Studios incl ...

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Agnes de Mille

Agnes de Mille

Although Agnes de Mille (1905-1993) seemed destined to perform on Broadway, since her paternal grandfather, father, and uncle, Cecil B. de Mille, were all successful writers and actors involved in the theater, she avoided the easy path to Great White Way. Instead, she struggl ...

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Tom Briggs

Tom Briggs

Director of The R&H Theater Library (precursor to R&H Theatricals) for over a dozen years, Tom Briggs began his love affair with R&H as a youngster in Wisconsin, appearing in productions of Oklahoma! South Pacific and Carousel. His years as a young adult found him singing an ...

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