By Annabelle Root ’28
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 11 April 2026
Lyric Theatre’s spring production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel was absolutely stunning. The cast’s production of Billy Bigelow’s story of regret and unspoken apologies was darker and more complex than the usual Rodgers and Hammerstein version, yet the performance was still full of lively dance and backdropped by a whimsical set. Every scene was alive and the large-cast choreography made this show stand out. The entire cast was fantastic, including many seasoned Lyric Theatre veterans, as well as first and second year students in some of their first prominent roles at Houghton. Each student brought out unique aspects of their characters, which made both casts well worth seeing.
The plot of Carousel offers a nuanced examination of difficult topics. Rather than making Billy’s character a hero or a villain, Carousal explores the intentions and failures that led Billy to hit his wife, Julie, and eventually take his own life. Houghton’s production doesn’t justify his actions, but it sits with the grief, the hurt, and the regret of how profoundly he hurt the people around him. The production chose to omit the romanticization of abuse that has been criticized in the original 1940s script. After Billy hits his daughter Louise, she originally was meant to tell her mother it “felt like a kiss.” Instead, Lyric Theatre’s version has Louise ask Julie if Billy ever hurt her, and then expresses how wrong that was.
Part of what contributed to Billy’s harm to himself and others was his refusal to be vulnerable: to say he loves Julie aloud (when they were both alive) or face his mistakes. He only admits he hit Julie when her vulnerable honesty proves him wrong. Instead of expressing healthy love, Billy leaves Julie “wondrin’” if he really cares for her or just due to obligation. It isn’t until the final scene when Billy expresses his wordless regret and is able to finally show vulnerability to Julie.
The play’s premise begs the question: does everyone deserve empathy, even abusers? As Christians, we can fall into practicing conditional empathy, leaving out people deserving of compassion by failing to consider how contexts and experiences influence their choices. However, what if we were in their situation? We would probably end up making similar choices. That doesn’t make it right, but it does keep us accountable in how we act towards others.
It’s radical to show compassion towards those we believe are in the wrong. Jesus did this over and over in the Gospels, and does this for us every day. As Christians, this should be our example for how we are to perceive and care for others. After all, we’re all equally in need of grace.
Lyric Theatre’s Carousel doesn’t give easy answers; it examines human brokenness and challenges us to reflect on whether our words and actions reflect the legacy we hope to leave to those around us. It’s a story that left me thinking long after the curtain fell.
The cast, crew, musician, and director deserve all the flowers for bringing Carousel to life with such heart and honesty. ★
