One of the most famous interludes in musical theater history is "the bench scene" from "Carousel." We might think that it ends with the rhyming verses of "If I Loved You," but it actually ends with dialogue. Julie turns to Billy. "You're right about there being no wind. The blossoms are just comin' down by theirselves. Just their time to, I reckon." This is a spine-tingling moment. Wind does not knock down the blossoms. They just know to fall at a certain point. It's fate. That's like the fate of Julie Jordan; she is going to fall in love, whether she "chooses to" or not. It's just her time. In this sweeping tragedy, Julie struggles against her destiny. Struggles and loses. I suspect that Oscar Hammerstein--or the memory of Hammerstein--was a force behind the musical adaptation of "Grey Gardens." This adaptation doesn't need to exist, and it's not great. But it has a moment of greatness in its elev...