Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 29 May 2018
'You'll Never Walk Alone' is a hit from Broadway to Kiev

By RONALD BLUM Walk Alone" after the sui-
Associated Press cide of Julie's abusive hus-
Gerry Marsden walked into band, carousel barker Billy
Liverpool's ODEON cinema Bigelow. The 1956 film ad-
for a Laurel and Hardy film. aptation by director Henry
It was raining when he start- King starred Claramae
ed to leave, so he decided Turner as Nettie.
to stay for the second part "When I sing it out of con-
of the double feature and text, it's an anthem, it's a
watch the comedy duo spectacular anthem that
one more time. people know and love,"
And with that, a part of Fleming said. "In context, it's
soccer history was born. a reaction to this extraor-
Rodgers and Hammer- dinary and shocking trag-
stein's "Carousel" was the edy."
other movie, and Marsden Marsden's version most like-
perked up during the sec- ly played at Anfield for the
ond half. first time on Oct. 19, 1963,
"I thought what a beautiful before a 1-0 win over West
song. I'm going to tell my Bromwich Albion. The top
band we're going to play 10 hits of the week were
that song," the 75-year- played in reverse order
old Marsden recalled last before kickoff, and "You'll
week. "So I went back and Never Walk Alone" was No.
told my buddies we're do- 7. By the time the Reds re-
ing a ballad called 'You'll This image released by DKC O&M shows Renee Fleming performing "You'll Never walk Alone," turned to play Leicester on
from the musical "Carousel."
Never Walk Alone.'" Associated Press Nov. 2, it had risen to the
Manager Brian Epstein and top of the charts and was
producer George Martin British singles chart. And Olympic Stadium in Kiev, play, whether it's Australia the last tune before kickoff.
— the management team then it was adopted by the Ukraine, before the Cham- or England," said John Hen- "I thought, oh, that's lovely
of both the Beatles and of Kop — the one-deck stand pions League final against ry, principal owner of Liver- there," said Marsden, who
Marsden's Gerry and the behind one of the goals at Real Madrid, most holding pool and the Boston Red attended every Liverpool
Pacemakers — were skep- Anfield containing Liver- banners with the song's ti- Sox. "My mother was a big home match back then.
tical. But when the cover pool's most fervid support- tle. And it will be sung that fan of Rodgers and Ham- "The next time I went to the
version was released in Oc- ers. afternoon and evening at merstein, used to play their match two weeks later,
tober 1963, it became the The famous tune will be Broadway's Imperial The- works on a piano when I they did it again. And by
band's third No. 1 hit on the sung Saturday by 16,000- atre by soprano Renee was a boy. then the Kop, the whole
plus Liverpool fans at Fleming, nominated for a I remember being moved 22,000 of them, is singing
Tony Award for her perfor- by the lyrics. 'You'll Never Walk Alone.'
mance in this season's re- It's a powerful combination And I thought, wow!
vival of the musical. of lyrics and music." And that became the song
"It's just one of those pieces, The anthem's genealogy for Liverpool."
like 'Amazing Grace,' like goes back to Budapest, The song remained on
Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelu- Hungary, and the 1909 pre- top for the home match
jah,' that's universal," Flem- miere of Ferenc Molnar's against Fulham on Nov. 16,
ing said. "It's about resil- "Liliom." The play opened but the fans kept singing it
ience, and it's about hope on Broadway in 1921, and even after it was displaced
ultimately. Despite what- a 1944 revival starred In- at No. 1 by the Beatles "She
ever travails we have, we grid Bergman, Burgess Loves You" for the Burnley
have to keep going." Meredith and Elia Kazan. match on Nov. 30. Mars-
Cover versions also have Molnar turned down offers den got to speak to Liver-
been recorded by Frank from Giacomo Puccini and pool manager Bill Shankly
Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Aretha Kurt Weill to buy the rights about the song at "The Ed
Franklin, Judy Garland, Ray but reached a deal with Sullivan Show" in New York
Charles, Alicia Keys, John- Richard Rodgers and Os- the following May 10.
ny Cash, Louis Armstrong, car Hammerstein II, whose "He said, 'Gerry my son, I've
Olivia Newton-John and "Oklahoma!" transformed given you a football team.
Barbra Streisand. Pink Floyd musical theater in 1943. You've given us a song,'"
included the crowd singing The pair shifted the action Marsden recalled.
it in "Fearless." from Hungary to coastal The song title is atop the
"You'll Never Walk Alone" Maine, and with music by Shankly Gates, dedicated
was the subject of a Ger- Rodgers and a book and outside the Anfield Road
man documentary by di- lyric by Hammerstein, "Car- stand on Aug. 26, 1982,
rector Andre Schaefer last ousel" opened at the Ma- and moved in a 2016 rede-
year. Kent Roger Solheim, jestic Theatre on April 19, velopment to the entrance
a Liverpool fan in Sand- 1945, after tryouts in New of the Centenary Stand
efjord, Norway, named his Haven, Connecticut, and a car park. It was added to
daughter, who was born short run in Boston. Christine the Liverpool club crest in
on New Year's Day, YNWA Johnson sang cousin Nettie 1992-93, and supporters of
Sofie, according to reports Fowler, the spa owner who Scotland's Celtic and Ger-
in British media. "It's a global consoles the pregnant Julie many's Borussia Dortmund
phenomenon wherever we Jordan with "You'll Never also have adopted it.q