This is the second part of my conversation with author Barry Kester whose fascinating new book is titled: Round In Circles — The Story of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL.

Last week we focused on the three people most responsible for the creation of CAROUSEL — Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers, and the dynamic producer Theresa Helburn, whose vision and obsession it was to turn Ferenc Molnar’s play Liliom into a musical. 

 This week Barry takes us behind the scenes of CAROUSEL’s rehearsal period and it’s rocky out-of-town tryout including its very first performance in New Haven where the show ran more than four hours long! Along the way we have the opportunity to focus on the other key members of Carousel’s creative team — choreographer Agnes De Mille, director Rouben Mamoulian, dance arranger Trude Rittmann, and orchestrator Don Walker — all of whom were crucial in helping Rodgers & Hammerstein turn what could have been a disaster into one of the landmark musicals of the “Golden Age of Broadway.” 

If you missed part one you may want to catch up with that episode before listening to this one.

This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of Patron Club Members:

Roger Kloresse, Elizabeth Troxler and Chris Moad. 

Thank you all!

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