In a momentous London debut, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel opened at the West End’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on June 7, 1950. Imported Americans played the lead roles: Iva Withers played Julie Jordan, Margot Moser sang “Mr. Snow” as Carrie Pipperidge, and Stephen Douglass reprised the role of  Billy Bigelow after his runs in the national tour and the 1949 return engagement on Broadway. Carousel ran for 566 performances, through October 13, 1951. The show eventually returned to the West End stage 42 years later.