Musical theatre lovers can look forward to the acclaimed Rogers & Hammerstein musical, Carousel, which will be staged in Bloemfontein as part of an international inter-university collaborative programme.
The Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, the Odeion School of Music (OSM), and the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of the Free State (UFS) are all working in this collaborative production of the legendary musical, Carousel. The production will take place on Saturday, 21 June and Sunday, 22 June at the Wynand Mouton Theatre, UFS Bloemfontein Campus.
This exciting international collaboration will be directed by Dr Thys Heydenrych, with Prof. Barbara Hill-Moore as Music Director, and Dr Albertus Engelbrecht as Assistant Music Director. Prof. Anmari van der Westhuizen will conduct the OSM Camerata.
Twelve SMU students, under Hill-Moore’s leadership, arrived in Bloemfontein on 25 May for a month’s residency at the UFS. During their stay, they will work closely with students from the OSM and Drama departments to prepare for the production.
Carousel premiered in 1945 and was the second major collaboration between composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist-librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical has enchanted audiences worldwide with its poignant love story and unforgettable score, including classics such as “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “If I Loved You,” and “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over.”
At the heart of the story is Billy Bigelow, a charismatic carousel barker whose impulsive love affair with millworker Julie Jordan results in both losing their jobs. In a desperate effort to provide for Julie and their unborn child, Billy turns to crime, leading to tragic consequences. Given a second chance from beyond the grave, he seeks redemption and an opportunity to make things right. A parallel subplot follows Julie’s friend Carrie Pipperidge and her romance with the ambitious fisherman Enoch Snow.
This production forms part of SMU-in-South-Africa, an international study abroad initiative launched in 2011 by Hill-Moore. The programme was first hosted by the Opera School and Choral Academy (OSCA) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, where students performed West Side Story infused with South African dance, drums, and rhythms. In 2013, students returned to UKZN to perform South Pacific, followed by Carousel, to critical acclaim and a new presentation of West Side Story.
More recently, the programme continued in 2019 and 2022, 2024 and 2024 at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, where SMU students staged Wading Home (an American opera by Mary Alice Rich, commemorating survivors of Hurricane Katrina), South Pacific, Oklahoma and “Ain’t Misbehavin’!”
Dr Brad Klein (SMU) joins the 2025 Bloemfontein company. He will present a module on Human Rights to participating students, continuing the programme’s commitment to academic enrichment alongside performance excellence.
Admission is free, but bookings must be made on Quicket. The rehearsels can also be attended on 19 and 20 June at 15:00 each day. The performances are on 21 June at 18:00 and 22 June at 14:00. Book your seat here.
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