gourdonboy (July 4, 2008 at 12:41 am)

Scottish stock

pannicatack (July 3, 2008 at 6:53 am)

I know there's this, a significant portion of "If I Loved You," and "Highest Judge of All." All of which have big high notes. Gs in this and HJA, and two Gbs in IILY.

Jill8854 (June 22, 2008 at 6:06 am)

I fell in love with Gordon MacRae at the tender age of 7 after seeing him in The Desert Song.... I am now 51 years of age and love him still. He was God's gift to the world with his beautiful singing voice and handsome looks. He was the perfect Billy for "Carousel", just as he was the perfect El Khobar for "The Desert Song". God bless you, Gordon!

bohemiawelcumsyou (June 17, 2008 at 5:09 pm)

Question for anyone who knows Carousel fairly well - Can you name all the songs that Billy sings in the show? When I say sings I mean like having a solo part.

bohemiawelcumsyou (June 17, 2008 at 5:04 pm)

Oscar Hammerstein was Jewish, you never know.

scotpens (June 16, 2008 at 4:37 am)

"Like a tree he'll grow, with his head held high And his feet planted firm on the ground . . ." "Like a tree he'll grow"? Sounds Jewish!

scotpens (June 16, 2008 at 4:32 am)

For anyone interested in the genesis of "Carousel," you might want to check out the DVD of the 1934 French film "Liliom," directed by Fritz Lang and starring Charles Boyer and Madeleine Ozeray. It's a fairly faithful non-musical adaptation of the 1909 play by Ferenc Molnár upon which "Carousel" is based.

scotpens (June 16, 2008 at 4:02 am)

Sinatra had a more nuanced singing style that Gordon MacRae, and he could certainly play a cocky, street-wise character, but he WAS rather skinny!

bohemiawelcumsyou (June 16, 2008 at 12:19 am)

Gordon Macrae was made for Rodgers and Hammerstein. Brilliantly sung and acted, five stars.

dyinglikeflies (June 14, 2008 at 12:01 am)

If you listen to interviews of Rodgers/Hamerstein etc. regarding the book on these original plays, many were explicitly written to make a point (ie. South Pacific and prejudice). The kid said the play wasn't interesting, but context can make it more interesting. We weren't talking about the amazing music, just the play.