Like many, Bev likes "Carousel", but is disturbed by the wife-beating theme. Which brings up the question: can wife-beating, artfully presented, make good entertainment?
Strangely enough, the comic Johnny Steele spoke on just this issue last night. He imagined Frank Sinatra as just your typical, limited New Jersey goombah, guiding guests through a photo gallery: "And here is a picture of me by the Jersey shore - smackin' a broad! And here I am by the waterfront - smackin' a broad!" Disturbing imagery, and yet funny at the same time.
Rodgers & Hammerstein were more subtle, and provided more entertainment value, but were no less dependent on the disturbing theme to create their art. No art without someone suffering, somewhere.
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