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The story of the doomed romance between Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan forms the core of the musical that Richard Rodgers has stated was his personal favorite. It includes such memorable tunes as "If I Loved You" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".
4 Carousel quizzes and 55 Carousel trivia questions.
1.
  Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Get ready to sing along as we recall one of the classics of the American stage. This quiz is based on the original Broadway production, not any of the many revivals, some of which differ significantly from the original.
Average, 15 Qns, looney_tunes, Apr 06 23
Average
looney_tunes editor
Apr 06 23
150 plays
2.
  Carousel Quiz Challenge    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a very moving musial. I hope you enjoy the quiz!
Easier, 10 Qns, somfreak, Jun 21 06
Easier
somfreak
1317 plays
3.
  Carousel    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A lesser-known musical with a beautiful story of eternal love. Named 'Best Musical of the 20th Century' by Time. Our school put on a production of this a few weeks back, but it seems like only yesterday...
Average, 10 Qns, JJordan_9, Dec 17 11
Average
JJordan_9
1247 plays
4.
  All About "Carousel"    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
A "Carousel" quiz.
Tough, 20 Qns, dmnemaine, Oct 17 07
Tough
dmnemaine
482 plays
trivia question Quick Question
("South Pacific") Nellie Forbush is from what U.S. city?

From Quiz "Rodgers and Hammerstein, Part 2"




Related Topics
  Carousel [Movies] (2 quizzes)

  Rodgers and Hammerstein [Humanities] (9 quizzes)


Carousel Trivia Questions
1. What is the lead male character's first name?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Billy

His name is Billy Bigelow.

2. Where does 'Carousel' take place?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: New England

Maine, more specifically, I believe. Our playbill put it technically - "The New England Coast", but our director told us Maine. This was during the era of mills, and the setting is a Lowell-like town. Julie and Carrie, two of the main characters, are 'mill girls'.

3. What is the most striking feature of the overture to 'Carousel'?

From Quiz Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'

Answer: There is none.

Richard Rodgers wrote in his autobiography that he disliked the way theatre patrons wandered in and took their seats during the overture, and was also unhappy with the way the brass instruments dominated the sound as the orchestra tried to be heard over the entering audience. So he decided to start off with the first scene. As a bit of a compromise, this was a dance scene that set the stage by showing some of the main characters interacting with each other, so those who were still making their way in didn't make life difficult for actors trying to deliver their lines.

4. In the musical scenario between Julie and Carrie, Carrie says that Julie is "as silent as an old Sahara spink". Julie says that "sphinx" is correct. What reason does Carrie give for insisting that "sphinx" is wrong and "spink" is right?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: "Sphinx" is only when there's more than one of them.

"Carousel" is probably the most musical of all the R&H collaborations. There are at least four musical scenes contained in the first act where the characters alternate between dialogue and song. The first is the Julie and Carrie sequence mentioned in this question ("You're A Queer One" and "Mr. Snow"). Next is the famous "bench scene" between Julie and Billy with several short melodies intertwined with dialogue all centering around the beautiful "If I Loved You". Later is the "When The Children Are Asleep" scene featuring Carrie and Mr. Snow. The fourth scene is Billy's "Soliloquy". The second act also contains a couple of extended musical scenes. "A Real Nice Clambake" opens the act. Jigger's flirtation with Carrie leads to the extended musical sequence containing "Geraniums In The Winder", "Stonecutters Cut It On Stone" and "What's The Use Of Wond'rin'".

5. Another easy one. What is the lead female character's name?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Julie

Her name was Julie Jordan.

6. What year does our story begin in?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: 1873

The time gap is a little confusing (there's a 15-year jump to the end). What makes this question difficult is the fact that the time period is often generalized as '1875-1890'.

7. Why does Julie tell Billy that she has to be careful of her character?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: Because she's never going to marry

It was typical of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical plays that characters rarely come right out and say, "I love you". In "Oklahoma!", Curly and Laurey sing "People Will Say We're In Love". In "Carousel", Billy and Julie sing, "If I Loved You". In "The Sound Of Music", Maria and The Captain muse about being "An Ordinary Couple".

8. What New England state does the show take place in?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Maine

It takes place on the very picturesque Maine coast.

9. Who choreographed 'The Carousel Waltz', the opening scene of 'Carousel', for its Broadway opening?

From Quiz Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'

Answer: Agnes de Mille

Agnes de Mille was always part of the production team, there to choreograph the 40-minute-long ballet scene in the second act, following the success of her ballet in 'Oklahoma!'. But the opening pantomime was staged by the director, Rouben Mamoulian, until just before opening night. Final rehearsals were not going well, and the awkward movement of the actors in the pantomime was one issue that could be identified and addressed. Agnes de Mille restaged it, developing a suitably flowing feel to introduce the characters. As Julie and her friend Carrie join the other townsfolk in enjoying the carousel, she catches the eye of the barker, Billy Bigelow, and the scene is set. Miles White designed the costumes, while Jo Mielziner was the scenic and lighting designer. He was the only one of the four listed who had not also been involved with 'Oklahoma!'.

10. "June Is Bustin' Out All Over", and everyone is getting ready for the first clambake of the year. When the girls tell Carrie to give it to the boys "good", what two kinds of animals does she say all their brains might be packed in?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: Butterfly and pollywog

All the boys wanted to do was ask the ladies if they were ready yet.

11. What type of "bake" was everybody going to attend?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Clam

They were all traveling to the first clambake of the season.

12. Who is the first character to actually speak audibly?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Carrie

Carrie says something like "Come on Julie, she's coming after us!" But Julie says something to the extent of, "I ain't afraid of her!" Carrie and Julie are best friends, and roommates at the mill boardinghouse.

13. In the song "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan", Julie corrects Carrie and tells her that the word she should have used was sphinx. To what did Carrie compare Julie to cause this?

From Quiz Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'

Answer: a sphink

As Carrie tries to get Julie to talk about her feelings for Billy, she goes through a number of ways in which Julie's behavior is baffling. "You're a queer one, Julie Jordan You won't ever tell a body what you think You're as tight-lipped as an oyster And as silent as an old Sahara sphink!" When Julie tells her that the word is sphinx, Carrie replies that is only when there is more than one; the singular is sphink: one sphink, two sphinks. Julie points out the proper spelling of the word; end of conversation and time to move on to Carrie's beau.

14. According to Nettie, what kind of love song is June?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: sweetly sung

"June Is Bustin' Out All Over" is very similar to Lerner and Loewe's "Lusty Month Of May" from "Camelot". Both extol the sexual side of nature in the springtime.

15. What was the name of Julie and Billy's daughter?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Louise

Her name was Louise and we meet her in the 2nd act.

16. What is the first song to be sung in the musical?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan

Carrie confesses to Julie that she has a 'feller'; though she had planned to keep it a secret, she want to share it with her because now it appears that Julie's got one too.

17. Carrie has just become engaged, and now that Julie has a boyfriend, too, she can tell her about him, in the song 'When I Marry Mr Snow'. What is the occupation of Enoch Snow?

From Quiz Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'

Answer: fisherman

Although they got engaged the previous evening, Carrie does not use his first name, but always refers to him as Mr Snow in this song. She describes his trade as a bit of an obstacle at first - so much time at sea, so fishy a smell to him and his clothes when he returns - but tells Julie that once she fell in love none of that mattered. She finishes with a glowing description that contains a slight foreshadowing of possible future issues: "For I love that Mister Snow- That young, seafarin', bold and darin', Big, bewhiskered, overbearin', Darlin' Mister Snow!"

18. Which character am I describing: not loyal, dishonorable, untrustworthy?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Jigger Craigin

Jigger all the way! He tries to get Billy to murder a guy; later, when Billy's in a jam Jigger initiated, he runs off and leaves Billy for dead; he even tries to ensnare an engaged woman (Carrie). In our production we had Jigger running a card scam at the carnival in the first scene to accentuate this.

19. What kind of dance is the girls' dance after "June Is Bustin' Out All Over"?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: A schottische

"Carousel"'s hornpipe comes later in the play, after "Blow High, Blow Low".

20. What was the last name of Julie's boss at the cotton mill?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Bascomb

His name was Mr. Bascomb and he was the one that Billy tried to rob.

21. Who played Julie Jordan in the movie?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Shirley Jones

This was yet another movie in which Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones teamed up to deliver a spectacular set of pipes and acting ability! Interestingly enough, 'Carousel' lost $2 million at the box office when it first opened for the studio back in the day.

22. The love scene between Julie and Billy is followed by an ensemble piece that lets us know for sure when the events are occurring. In which season is 'Carousel' set?

From Quiz Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'

Answer: summer

'June is Bustin' Out All Over' is the ensemble piece in question, sung by the townsfolk as they get ready for the annual town party. This song contains a factual error - not one most who see the show would notice, let alone care about, but still there. The verse about the sheep suggests that June is a time when mating occurs, when that actually happens months earlier, in winter; June is lambing time. "All the rams that chase ewe sheep Are determined there'll be new sheep, And the ewe sheep aren't even keepin' score!" Still, the lyrics contribute to the general sense of energy and optimism of the song, reflecting that of the townsfolk, and contrasting to the developing unease we sense over the relationship between Julie and Billy.

23. According to Carrie in "When The Children Are Asleep", where do the children romp when they're awake?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: through the rooms

There is a sharp contrast between the cocky, devil-may-care Billy Bigelow, and the conservative, business-minded Enoch Snow.

24. What was the name of Julie's cousin?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Nettie

Julie and Billy lived with her cousin Nettie.

25. When Julie tells Billy she is pregnant, he is ecstatic, and embarks on a 7 1/2-minute song, 'Soliloquy', about the joys of fatherhood. He starts by imagining the fun of playing with Bill Jr., but then changes gear as he makes what realisation?

From Quiz Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Carousel'

Answer: He might be a girl.

This song places a heavy load on the singer, as that is a long time to sing on your own, with no chorus to chime in and give you a slight break. When Billy starts to consider parenthood in terms of responsibility to a daughter, rather than just having a young version of himself to play with, the song slows down and becomes more reflective. As he notes, "You can have fun with a son, But you got to be a father To a girl!" By the finish, Billy has decided that he needs to participate in the proposed robbery in order to provide some financial security for his family, and the tragedy of the second act becomes inevitable.

26. According to Billy in "Blow High, Blow Low", what comes out of the snout of a whale?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: a chrysanthemum spout

"Blow High, Blow Low" ended up on the cutting room floor in the 1956 film version of "Carousel".

27. What was the last name of the man Julie's best friend Carrie married?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Snow

His name was Mr. Enoch Snow and he owned a herring boat.

28. Finish the lyric: "If I loved you, time and again I would _______..."

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: try to say

One of the greatest and most touching love songs of all time! I highly recommend it to anyone!

29. What is the name of the woman who dances with the sailor during the hornpipe following "Blow High, Blow Low"?

From Quiz All About "Carousel"

Answer: Hannah

A hornpipe is a lively jig-like dance that is traditionally a favorite of sailors.

30. What is the name of Julie's daughter?

From Quiz Carousel

Answer: Louise Bigelow

Louise. The little tomboy-ballerina who dances on the beach and steals hats. An interesting child, don't you think? In the movie, she's played by the same girl who played Zaneeta Shinn in 'The Music Man'.

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