F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company's CAROUSEL Opens in Boston, 7/29

On Thursday, April 19, 1945, the original Broadway production of "CAROUSEL" opened at the Majestic Theatre on West 44th Street, New York.

On Friday, December 31, 1999 TIME MAGAZINE named "CAROUSEL" the Best Musical of the 20th Century.

On FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2011 the F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company will present their 10th Anniversary Season's anticipated production of "CAROUSEL," Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's iconic theatrical achievement that set the standards for the 20th Century musical featuring their most beautiful score and the most skillful and affecting example of their musical storytelling.

The musical will run through SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 at The Arsenal Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre (321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA) after which the show will move to the NEXTDOOR Center for the ARTS (40 Cross Street, Winchester, MA) where it will play THURSDAY, AUGUST 18 through SATURDAY, AUGUST 20.

The SATURDAY, JULY 30 performance has been set aside as the OFFICIAL PRESS PERFORMANCE.

Adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 Hungarian drama, "LILIOM," "CAROUSEL'S" music is by Richard Rodgers. The book and lyrics are by Oscar Hammerstein II.

Directed and choreographed by Joe DeMita (F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company's Founder, President and Artistic Director) "CAROUSEL'S" orchestra will be conducted by the show's musical director, Stephen Schapero.

The orchestra, it should be noted, will float seven feet in the air above the evening's proceedings.

Lighting is by PJ Strachman . Costumes are by Tina Cersosimo and Emily Monroe. Scenery is by Mr. DeMita. Ms Monroe has designed and coordinated the Props. Ms Cersosimo will serve as Production Stage Manager. Ms Monore and Shawna O'Brien are the Assistant Stage Managers.

ABOUT "CAROUSEL"

"CAROUSEL" was the second musical written by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Their first was "OKLAHOMA!," arguably the most pivotal work of art in the genre known as the American musical. After two out of town tryouts in Boston and New Haven where crucial and historical re-writes, cuts and re-staging occurred, "CAROUSEL" opened on Broadway on April 19, 1945 to across-the-board rave reviews. Based on Ferenc Molnár's Hungarian drama, "Liliom," which opened in Budapest in 1909, "CAROUSEL'S" story was re-set to take place on the coast of Maine, 1873 where Julie Jordan, a young, beautiful millworker, falls hopelessly in love with Billy Bigelow the handsome, charismatic but troubled barker at the town's carousel. Immediately fired by his jealous older-woman boss Billy becomes a frustrated, unemployed, undereducated ladies' man with a bleak future. Julie sees only the man she's going to marry, which she does to disastrous results. In a misguided attempt to support his pregnant wife, Billy agrees to rob the town's lucrative mill with his criminal whaler friend, Jigger. The robbery is botched beyond repair; to such an extent it results in Billy stabbing himself, dying and ascending into Heaven where he is mercifully given a second chance to enter the Realm of the Redeemed. He is allowed to return to earth to perform one work of selfless good. SELFLESS. His noble act of enlightenment is for his daughter whom he never met while on earth. But the ultimate beneficiary of Billy's actions is Billy. He learns how to love unconditionally. The gates of Heaven are opened to him. And his family is much benefitted for his brief return to them.

AUTHOR ETHAN MORDDEN
ON: Richard Rodgers' ground-breaking decision to forgo an Overture

"Other characters catch our notice-Mr. Bascombe, the pompous mill owner, Mrs. Mullin, the widow who runs the carousel and, apparently, Billy; a dancing bear; an acrobat. But what draws us in is the intensity with which Julie regards Billy-the way she stands frozen, staring at him, while everyone else at the fair is swaying to the rhythm of Billy's spiel. And as Julie and Billy ride together on the swirling carousel, and the stage picture surges with the excitement of the crowd, and the orchestra storms to a climax, and the curtain falls, we realize that Rodgers and Hammerstein have not only skipped the overture and the opening number but the exposition as well. They have plunged into the story, right into the middle of it, in the most intense first scene any musical ever had."

THE ORIGINAL CAST
John Raitt as Billy Bigelow
Jan Clayton as Julie Jordan
Jean Darling as Carrie Pipperidge
Eric Mattson as Enoch Snow
Christine Johnson as Nettie Fowler
Murvyn Vye as Jigger Craigin
Bambi Linn as Louise Bigelow
Jean Casto as Mrs. Mullin
Russell Collins as The Starkeeper
Jay Velie as The Heavenly Friend

THE F.U.D.G.E. CAST
Dave Carney as Billy Bigelow
Stephanie Schapero as Julie Jordan
Holly Ann Marshall as Carrie Pipperidge
TJ Rufo as Enoch Snow
Patricia Jamison as Nettie Fowler
Christian Masters as Jigger Craigin
Kimberly Fife as Louise Bigelow
Sharon Kivnik as Mrs. Mullin
Mike Fay as The Starkeeper
AnneMarie Alvarez as The Heavenly Friend

With
Katie Beckvold, Melody Chapin, Richie DeJesus,
Marc Michael Murai, Ethan Selby,

THE THEATRES
THE ARSENAL CENTER FOR THE ARTS
321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA

NEXTDOOR Center for the ARTS
40 Cross Street, Winchester, MA

THE PLAYING SCHEDULE
(The Arsenal Center)

Friday, July 29 at 8:00pm
Saturday, July 30 at 8:00pm
Sunday, July 31 at 2:00pm (Matinee)
Thursday, August 4 at 8:00pm ($15 at the door)
Friday, August 5 at 8:00pm
Saturday, August 6 at 8:00pm

THE PLAYING SCHEDULE
(NEXTDOOR Center for the Arts)

Thursday, August 18 at 8:00pm
Friday, August 19 at 8:00pm
Saturday, August 20 at 2:00pm (Matinee)
Saturday, August 20 at 8:00pm

TICKETS
$25 (Arsenal Center)
$20 (NEXTDOOR)
$15 (NEXTDOOR-Seniors & Students)

RESERVATIONS
781-956-1301
www.FudgeTheatre.com