Carnival! Totally Explained

Everything about Carnival totally explained

Carnival! is a 1961 musical with book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill, starring Anna Maria Alberghetti, James Mitchell, Kaye Ballard, Pierre Olaf, and Jerry Orbach (making his Broadway debut). Gower Champion both directed and choreographed. The musical was based on the film Lili (1953). Carnival! premiered on April 12, 1961 at the Imperial Theatre, where it played until December 15, 1962, when it moved to the Winter Garden Theatre. The musical closed on January 5, 1963 after 719 performances. A production was briefly mounted in London's West End in 1963, with Champion's staging recreated by Lucia Victor and Doria Avila; it featured Michael Maurel, Shirley Sands, Sally Logan, Bob Harris, Francis de Wolff, and one actor from the original Broadway production, James Mitchell. The show proved unpopular and quickly closed after 34 performances, although not without a cast album. Arthur Freed briefly contemplated a film version, probably with Mitchell and Pierre Olaf, but his plans abruptly collapsed. Carnival! has been revived twice off-Broadway by the Equity Library Theatre (1977) and the York Theatre Company (1993). In 2002, New York City Center Encores! mounted a concert production with Anne Hathaway as Lili and puppets by the Jim Henson Company, NY Muppet Workshop. (Both the Equity Library Theatre and Encores! stagings were taped for the New York Public Library Billy Rose Theatre Collection archives.) Ben Brantley in his New York Times review praised the Encores! concert, describing Hathaway as convincing in the role even though "Lili may be the most unworldly heroine ever in a Broadway musical, dangerously blurring the lines between innocence and mental deficiency". It was most recently produced at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC from February 17 to March 11, 2007.

Plot synopsis

Lili, an orphan, joins a travelling carnival in early 20th century France. The formerly proud carnival has fallen on lean times, but Lili is enchanted, especially by a suave magician, Marco the Magnificent. Marco is involved with his comedienne assistant, The Incomparable Rosalie, but their relationship is difficult, and she threatens to leave him for a doctor. Paul Berthalet, a crippled and bitter puppeteer, soon falls in love with Lili and becomes jealous of Marco. Paul expresses his love through his puppets. Lili has no special talent but tries various jobs with the troupe, eventually joining the puppet act. Marco the Magnificent becomes infatuated with Lili, and the men vie for her affections. In the end, Lili chooses Paul.

Song list

Act I

Direct from Vienna -- The Incomparable Rosalie, Greta Schlegel and Carnival People
A Very Nice Man -- Lili
Fairyland -- Puppets
I've Got to Find a Reason-- Paul Berthalet
Mira -- Lili
Sword, Rose and Cape -- Marco the Magnificent and Roustabouts
Humming -- The Incomparable Rosalie and Mr. Schlegel
Yes, My Heart -- Lili and Roustabouts
Everybody Likes You -- Paul Berthalet
Magic, Magic -- Marco the Magnificent, The Incomparable Rosalie and Lili
Tanz Mit Mir -- The Bluebird Girls
Carnival Ballet -- Lili, Carnival People and Townspeople
Mira (Reprise) -- Lili
Theme from "Carnival" -- Lili and Puppets
Act II
Yum Ticky -- Lili and Puppets
The Rich -- Lili and Puppets
Theme from "Carnival" (Reprise) -- Lili and Puppets
Beautiful Candy -- Lili, Puppets and Vendors
Her Face -- Paul Berthalet
Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris -- Jacquot and Carnival People
I Hate Him -- Lili
Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris (Reprise) -- Carnival People
Always Always You -- Marco the Magnificent and The Incomparable Rosalie
She's My Love -- Paul Berthalet

Recordings

The 1961 Original Broadway Cast recording was released circa July 1961 on MGM 3946, Stereo S3946. It omits much of the dance music, as well as the songs "Magic, Magic," "Fairyland," and the "Mira" reprise. The Original London Cast album, released in 1963 on His Master's Voice CSD-1476, features the same tracks and edits but includes some dialogue. The CD of the original Broadway cast was released on June 8, 1989 on Decca Broadway; it includes nine bonus tracks, of which five are by Merrill.

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1961	Billboard Pop Albums (Billboard 200) (mono)	1

Awards and nominations

Tony Awards

Best Actress in a Musical -- Anna Maria Alberghetti (tie with Diahann Carroll in No Strings) (WINNER)

Best Scenic Design -- Will Steven Armstrong (WINNER)

Best Musical -- Producer - David Merrick (nominee)

Best Author of a Musical -- Book by Michael Stewart; Based on material by Helen Deutsch (nominee)

Best Featured Actor in a Musical -- Pierre Olaf (nominee)

Best Direction of a Musical -- Gower Champion (nominee)

Best Producer of a Musical -- David Merrick (nominee)Further Information

Get more info on 'Carnival'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://carnival.totallyexplained.com">Carnival! Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.