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Edward Seckerson compares available versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel and makes a personal recommendation. After 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein had a problem. How could they possibly follow the phenomenal Broadway success of Oklahoma!? Two years later, the story of fairground barker Billy Bigelow and millworker Julie Jordan in 19th-century Maine was their answer. Carousel, with its themes of despair, illegitimacy, childhood misery and the redemptive power of love, prompted Stephen Sondheim to declare 'whilst Oklahoma! is about a picnic, Carousel is about life.' Carousel's string of unforgettable numbers ("June is Bustin' Out All Over", "If I Loved You", "When the Children are Asleep" and "You'll Never Walk Alone") struck a chord with wartime audiences. Fifty years on, it can be seen as one of the great stage works of the 20th century. Top Recommendation: Carousel – Film Soundtrack RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN: Carousel, Original Motion Picture Sountrack Gordon Mcrae (Billy Bigelow), Shirley Jones (Julie Jordan), 20th Century Orchestra, Alfred Newman (conductor) Angel 7243 5 27352 2 (DOWNLOAD ONLY)