Carrie - The Musical SPOILERS GALORE

[skynyc]

Yes, the night before I saw the new production of most notorious flop of the early 80s, I saw the new production of the most notorious flop of the late 80s. And like Merrily which was flawed but improved...Carrie still has some serious defects, but the improvements are pretty vast.

 

I did manage to see a preview of the original Carrie with Betty Buckley, Linzi Hateley, Charlotte d'Amboise and Gene Anthony Ray. The second act opener of that production was called Out for Blood, and became colloquially known as the "Kill the Pig Ballet". It's choreography by Debbie Allen (of Fame fame) was one of those "Macauley Culkin/Home Alone-Hands on Cheeks in chagrin" moments. A true Springtime for Hitler. In fact, I second acted the show two more times because I couldn't believe what I had seen. That being said...Buckley and Hateley were stunning and received cheers when they took their bows each night. It was the over the top camp/spectacle, and dreadful choreography that doomed it to infamy.

 

Now it's back...at the much more intimate Lortel on Christopher Street. The ridiculous camp value has been cut significantly, although not completely...and they play up the very contemporary bullying theme very well here. In the early scene where Carrie has her first period after gym class, it is recorded on someone's cell phone and posted immediately so that everyone in school is instantly aware. Much of the music from the first act has been kept, although tweaked, and still features the very powerful songs "Open Your Heart", "And Eve was Weak" and "Evening Prayers".

 

Marin Mazzie (who has been ill with the flu for much of the last week--including tonight, apparently) is awesome as Carrie's mom...especially in the number "When There's No One" pretty much the only second act number left from the original, and probably the strongest number in the show.

 

Molly Ranson is terrific as Carrie and she cleans up beautifully for the prom sequence...she's just lovely, adding to the theatricality of the big "prom" number.

 

The audience really liked it the night I was there...including my whole party. The scene where Carrie is doused in blood has been changed from the original, (when the blood continually and legendarily kept ruining Carrie's mic, thus rendering her un-hearable for the big denouement) is done with lights here, and this is probably the big controversy of this production, because it didn't have the same effect. (Obviously.) Although she is covered in blood when she returns home for the final scene.

 

I don't know that I need to see this again. And I don't know that I would purchase a cast CD...but I would download a couple of songs. It opens next week, and I suspect the critics will once again thumb their noses at it...but I think it could find a following.

[uwsman2]

I saw Carrie this afternoon.

I thought the plot simplistic, the music even more simplistic, but the cast very talented and hard working. It certainly held my attention throughout. The male lead is stunningly beautiful. And all the leads sing very well.

[+ Lucky]

The male lead is Derek Klena, once on American Idol and featured in the votefortheworst blog.

http://american.idolblog.com/images/ai9/auditions/derek-klena.jpg

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1741/derekcoat.jpg

[edjames]

I saw "Carrie' down at the Lucille Lortel last night. I agree with your critique. This scaled back version lacks all the outrageous production of the original version. I saw that, too, and came away awed at the performances and the music. The music holds up well and Marrie Mazzie is amazing. Young Molly Ransom is terrific, too. The audience last night all seemed to be big Carrie fans (God, I hope they don't think they're seeing a musical version of SATC!!) and the 20-something group in front of me gleefully announced this was their third time seeing the show. The show is where is should be, off-Broadway. It seems to fit well at the smaller Lortel theater. It's been extended for four more weeks and I wonder if the producers might just transition it elsewhere when it ends its MCC run. It seems to have a cult following that might keep it alive.

 

Broadway trivial...did anyone else remember that the show was originally staged at the RSC in the UK and Barbara Cook played the mother? She jumped ship before Broadway, perhaps a wise career choice considering the quick demise of the original show.