Carousel

When life seems overly demanding, what do each of us find within ourselves to carry on,?
Hope.
"Though your dreams be tossed and torn,
Walk on with hope in our heart, and you'll never walk alone."
At an amusement park somewhere along the New England Coast is late May sometime in the mid-1800s, Julie Jordan and her best friend, Carrie Pipperidge found themselves in a daring situation of riding the carousel.  A risky adventure for the two since the barker, Billy Bigelow, is incredibly handsome and touches the girls around the waist.
Billy has the bad-boy attitude while mildly flirting attracting women of all ages.  He is accustomed to being swooned over.
Somehow he is attracted to Julie who is willing to stay out late after curfew to be with him causing her to lose her job.
Will her adoring love for Billy conquer all?
Ariel Ibsen-Bauer is Julie Jordan with Joshua Lloyd Parker as the handsome bad-boy Billy Bigelow.   The two individuals became the unlikely couple to be married and have a child.
Enoch Snow portrayed by Kyle Avery is fantastic especially when I found myself holding my breath as he hit those incredibly high notes perfectly and beautifully in his falsetto voice.  With his onstage wife, Lauren Anderson as Carrie Pepperidge Snow whose soprano voice floated in the soundwaves these two are phenomenal performers in every aspect.
Shawn Cannon as Jigger Craigin is outstanding as the antagonist always pushing Billy to the criminal side.  His singing, acting, and acrobatics left me in amazement.
I thoroughly enjoyed Brenda Smrdel as Mrs. Mulligan who owns the carnival.  Her constant attraction to Billy Bigelow added a dimension to the show I had not realized before.  She is an outstanding performer in every aspect.
Nettie Fowler portrayed by Denise Putman has a demanding and exceptional stage presence.  When she sang "You'll Never Walk Alone," it was so beautiful, I cried.
I adored Mike Harvey as the heavenly friend and local doctor.   I don't know if he was supposed to have a southern accent, but I loved his "skeered" for scared.
The ensemble for Carousel is outstanding.  The blendings, harmonies, intonations, and expressions are perfect.  Their voices in short sections prove that each one could easily play the lead roles.
The dancing choreographers Robin Putnam and Patti Zukaritis excelled with the various routines that are engaging and dramatic.  Personally, I love the sea/boat dances which are creative, different, intricate, and completely enjoyable.  (I almost felt seasick.)
Bob Putman excelled with creating an incredible set, especially the carousel horses.  I was amazed at how well they moved as well as how useful but beautiful each scene appeared.
As with any musical, the musicians are important to those on stage.   Cheryl Langer and Keefer Peterson are outstanding on keyboards keeping control and setting the moods and tempos for the entire show.  Nicholas Swoboda is great on percussion. Along with the musical director, Jerry Gray these hidden performers deserved the spotlight.
As normal with Chanticleer, the behind the support crew are invisible but exceptionally talented in creating the best performance possible.   Leading with Dwayne Ibsen as director, Beth Rutz as stage manager, Ibsen Costume Gallery for the beautiful costumes, Rhonda Hall as props designer, Darrin Golden for light design, Jaycie Wetenkamp and Dave Podendorf for sound, Sue Wheeler as program editor and the outstanding staff and volunteers are all that makes this show great.
As in any live performance, each show is slightly different depending on various factors on stage, backstage, and even the audience.   Often, the audience has a significant impact on each performance.
Carousel is a show for everyone school-aged and older and continues this weekend with shows on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.  Ticket prices are $ 20 for adults, $16 for seniors over sixty, and $ 10 for students.  Tickets are available by contacting Chanticleer Community Theater at 830 Franklin Ave. in Council Bluffs by calling 712-323-9955 or e-mail at chanticleertheater@gmail.com.
What happens when your dreams are destroyed?  Ride the Carousel this weekend at the Chanticleer Community Theater to find out.
Everyone one of us daily needs a little extra "hope in our heart."