Upon sitting down to take in a theatrical performance, an audience member has passively signed an agreement. Whether in reality you’re in Bangor or Budapest, for a few hours you accept that the actors onstage are actually in Neverland, or are members of a Puerto Rican gang in New York City, or are on the side of the road, waiting for Godot.

In the Belfast Maskers’ production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel,” set to open Thursday, July 24, at Steamboat Landing on the Belfast waterfront, the suspension of disbelief required isn’t so much of a stretch. “Carousel” takes place in a coastal Maine village – and the Maskers’ “Carousel” is right there. There’s no need to pretend. That ocean isn’t fake. That wharf isn’t made of plywood. Those lobster boats aren’t part of the set; they’re real.

“A large part of the reason why we wanted to do ‘Carousel,’ and to do it outside, is that we’re actually here. We can perform against the backdrop of a working waterfront. It’s very unique,” said director Aynne Ames. “I mean, we’ve got people selling chowder and hot dogs on set. This is Maine, and this is exactly where the show takes place. How often do you see that?”

“Carousel” is among the most beloved musicals of all time – who can’t hum a few bars of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”? – so when auditions for the show were held over the winter, the community response was huge.

“All told, we’ve got about 90 people working on this production, cast and crew combined,” said Ames, who directed last year’s outdoor production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “It’s the biggest thing we’ve ever done. Trying to keep the lines of communication open between everyone has been close to impossible. And yet, here we are, getting ready to open. It’s been quite a ride.”

Music director A. Martin Smith has had to rein in his enthusiastic cast. From day one, all 37 cast members have been itching to sing, dance and don the late 19th century period costumes, designed by Suzette Gilbert.

“The biggest thing for me has been holding back everyone’s exuberance,” said Smith. “Everyone knows this material so well that they just jump right into it with so much gusto. And I’m amazed by the wealth of local talent. I’ve never seen a place with so many strong, talented voices. It has allowed us to bypass step one – learning the songs – and it’s let us focus on things like nuance and subtlety.”

Subtlety is key in “Carousel,” which was groundbreaking when it premiered in 1945. It was among the first musicals to contain a tragic plot, and its characters are complex – especially the leads, Julie Jordan and Billy Bigelow, whose relationship is by turns tender and abusive.

“We had a struggle with how we were going to deal with the issues of spousal abuse in the show,” said Ames. “It was very controversial in its time, and it’s of course completely unacceptable. So we had to figure out a way to not break from the script, but still convey that Julie’s situation was serious, and the fact that she said ‘He hit me because he was confused’ is part of the problem.”

“It’s difficult to wrap my head around it,” said Meg Richardson, a theater student at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y., who came to Maine to play the part of Julie. “The way I accessed it was in terms of how she felt about it. She was so deeply in love with her husband that, in her head, she justified it.”

Brian Thomas Wilson, a Belfast native who now works professionally as an actor in New York City, came home to play the tortured, gruff, yet undeniably charming Billy. Wilson is joined in the cast and crew by four members of his family – his mother, Diane Coller Wilson, designed the makeup and hair; grandfather Bob Coller plays the Starkeeper and Dr. Seldon; and grandmother Virginia Coller and aunt Marcia Coller are both chorus members.

“When I was a little kid, my grandfather Bob played Billy Bigelow in a production of ‘Carousel,'” said Wilson. “My earliest memory of theater, in fact, was him playing Billy. So I’ve had a strong connection to this show all my life.”

Wilson and Richardson, along with Emily Mayne (Cousin Nettie) and the highly talented 17-year-old Searsport District High School senior Abby Norman (Carrie Pipperidge), have strong, versatile voices – a necessity for such a musically dense production.

“It’s kind of like opera,” said Wilson. “It’s such a high level of singing. Billy is one of the most challenging roles in musical theater.”

Singing outside is also a challenge, though unlike last year’s outdoor production, the actors will face away from the water and toward the concrete wall that abuts the park, and the leads will use microphones. It’s a challenge that’s entirely worth it, though, as the gently sloping field that leads down to the waterfront is as picturesque a place to stage a musical as you could hope for.

And for Wilson, it’s a reminder that his hometown has turned into one of the most active artistic communities in the state. What a stroke of luck: the chance to sing a great role in a great musical, surrounded by family and friends, in the place you grew up.

“It’s great to come back home,” said Wilson. “Everything has changed in Belfast. It’s such an amazing town. I remember when this park used to be a chicken plant. And look at it now. We’re so lucky.”

The Belfast Maskers’ production of “Carousel” runs for 10 consecutive nights, July 25 through Aug. 2, at Steamboat Landing on the Belfast waterfront. All performances start at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Fertile Mind Bookshop in Belfast, or by calling 338-9668. For more information, visit www.belfastmaskerstheater.com.

eburnham@bangordailynews.net

990-8270