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Carousel, then and now
» Gord Davis hopes new production of classic musical will spark a reunion of 1982’s cast
BY: VANESSA MOSS
Elmira’s Gord Davis wants to connect his past with his present by inviting the actors from his 1982 production of Carousel to attend his latest version by the Community Players, to be held May 8-11 at the New Hamburg Arena.
“I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be neat if I could get a hold of the people who were in that production and then they could come and see this production? And while they were there, they could come and say ‘hi,’” Davis said.
He put the original show together at Elmira District Secondary School, where he was the drama department head until his retirement in 2001.
Around 100 people were involved in that version, including 40 cast members from all grades.
He hopes to create a reunion as his current rendition of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s 1945 musical Carousel takes the stage.
Acting as the Community Players’ director for the third year in a row, Davis has created a stylized version of one of his favourite tales.
“We’re sort of bringing the Carousel of 1945 to audiences of 2008.”
Set in the late 1800s, the musical sees the young Julie Jordan, played by Danielle Guistini, marry a carnival barker, Billy Bigelow (Dale Kustra), in a coastal village in Maine.
Times get tough for Bigelow when he loses his job and finds out Jordan is pregnant. Desperate for money, Bigelow takes part in a robbery and ends up committing suicide instead of going to jail when he is caught.
Fifteen years later, Bigelow gets a chance to redeem himself by returning to earth from heaven for one day. He then meets his distraught daughter and tries to right his wrongs.
“It’s a storyline that has some substance to it: there are some serious issues in it,” Davis said, adding that Rodgers and Hammerstein felt it was their best-written musical of all time.
In keeping with the original, Davis chose period costumes, but decided to come up with a unique set.
The one-piece unit has a rotating centre that starts out as a carousel, but changes as the piece moves through various scenes.
“He has done a great job with it and there is a lot of symbolism on stage, that’s for sure,” said Dale Kustra, 46, who plays Bigelow.
Unlike the 1945 version, the carousel itself becomes a focal point for much of the production and the colour scheme of creams, blues and greens is not realistic.
As far as the character portrayals, Kustra said the director made changes that translate well on stage.
For example, Kustra’s character is “not as much of a jerk,” as he is in the original.
“I’m actually quite pleased that Gord has seen him as a gentler kind of guy,” Kustra said. “Working with Gord is great: he definitely has a vision and he’s stuck to that vision definitely, although he has given the actors some leeway in developing their own interpretation. … We do have some liberty, but we do have a leash on.”
This is the Cambridge actor’s second crack at portraying Bigelow, having once played a more objectionable version in Mississauga.
Kustra said he is glad he responded to the newspaper ad calling for actors to audition for the part.
“It’s a great cast: they’re wonderful people. They’re just a ball to be around. We’re having a lot of fun – that really is what we’re doing.”
Although he has about nine years of community theatre experience, this is Kustra’s first performance with the Community Players, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary next year.
Davis said the group donates profits to community charities and projects and tries to commission local artists to create costumes, sets and props.
“Their motto is, ‘community theatre at its very best,’ and I think that’s exactly what happens there.”
The Community Players’ Carousel runs May 8-11 at the New Hamburg Arena, 251 Jacob St. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $23 for adults, $21 for seniors and students and $10 for children, available by calling 519-662-4532 or online at www.thecommunityplayers.com.