Billy Bigelow and Liliom are actually two versions of the same character. Billy Bigelow is the antihero of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel , which is a musical adaptation of Hungarian dramatist Ferenc Molnar's non-musical play, Liliom . In both cases, the character is a rough, macho carousel barker who falls in love and has a relationship with an innocent young woman, tries to commit a robbery to support his unborn child when he cannot find work after being fired, and dies after the robbery attempt goes wrong. Fifteen years later, he is given a chance to return to Earth for one day to set things right and help his now teenage daughter.