Post by santtu on Feb 12, 2012 14:48:13 GMT -5
Okay, I think most of us are familiar with this musical and it's success (or the lack of it) in 1988. The show closed after only 5 regular performances on Broadway. So traumatic obviously was the experience that some of the creators didn't want this musical to be mentioned in their credits for many years afterwards.
Now, this legendary flop has been reconceived and re-worked for MCC's Lucille Lortel Theatre, in NYC. The cast includes Marin Mazzie as Carrie's mother Margaret White, Molly Ranson as Carrie, Christy Altomare as Sue, Jeanna de Waal as Chris, Carmen Cusack as Ms Gardner, Derek Klena as Tommy and Ben Thompson as Billy plus an ensemble of seven actors, including Wayne Wilcox in a couple of roles.
The story is based on Stephen King's first novel and it tells a story of high school girl, Carrie, an outcast and bullied girl with a more or less fanatically religious mother. And Carrie also has telekinetic powers, as she discovers she can move objects with her mind.
First, I heard that the story would still be a bit difficult to follow if you don't know the story already. I do know the story, but I found the story to have enough narrative that one can follow the plot just fine. The story is now also set in the present time but that factor is pretty much only shown in costumes and in the fact that one or two characters use cell phones during the show. Carrie's supernatural powers are also displayed already in Act I (first briefly in "Evening prayers") but not 'showcased'. Sure at some points the book could be sharper and a bit less naive, but overall the book is better than some of the current Broadway shows!
The score is excellent! There's been a lot of re-writes and a lot of the songs have been cut and new material has been written to replace them. They've added "Dreamer in disguise" (Tommy's poem) from the original workshop/previews and I'm glad they did, short but nice song which opens up the character of Tommy more. Many of the original score's songs have been revised heavily, mainly the opening number "In" which also now includes a well conceived girls' volley ball game like in the movie. Of the new material "The world according to Chris" was very catchy song as was the Act II opening number "A Night we'll never forget". The only change I did not like was the cutting of the bridge in "I remember how those boys could dance". With the bridge missing, Margaret now goes straight from "There'll be promises! They will break your heart!..." -verse into "Don't you know their game? Have you lost your mind?..." and I didn't really like that. And I'm not sure I liked the idea of having same style of arrangements for all the songs, very rock-sound arrangements. The original production was critisized for being like "two shows in one", so maybe the arrangements were kept in one style to smooth that out, don't know. But perhaps for some songs, like "And Eve was weak" the rock-ish sound wasn't the best choice.
The actors were great. Molly Ranson is excellent Carrie. Not too pitiful or too geeky, but enough to have the audience feel for her. And she has a great voice! Marin Mazzie was very good as Margaret White. Though she is a great singer, I felt the songs were a bit out of her range, they didn't suit her voice that well. And I have to say I was a bit disappointed with her performance of "And Eve was weak". The recurring line "he will burn you" is sung with longer notes on each word ("Heee wiiill buuurn youuu") but she sang it like "Heee wiiill buuurn you" sounding like she barely had any breath left to get the last word out. But generally she did a great job and her Act II solo "When there's no one" was absolutely heartbreaking! As the other teenagers, Sue, Chris and Tommy, Christy Altomare, Jeanna de Waal and Derek Klena, respectively, were also very good. Sue was a bit colorless but ok as a character. And Klena gave a nice touch to Tommy as an All-American Boy-Next-Door who had softer side. As for the ensemble, everyone did a good job though it did feel a bit odd in The Prom scene where they only had six couples plus Tommy & Carrie in the Prom. Not really a crowd. But since this was an Off-Broadway production, a smaller cast was expected.
Visually the show was quite minimalistic. But I liked it! David Zinn had designed a fixed set that didn't feel slightest bit strange as it served both the school gym and the White family house. Moveable set pieces were about half-a-dozen chairs and a table. The White family house's scenes were created with projections on the back wall (used also in the climax at the end of Act I).
** SPOILER ALERT!!!! **
Now, The Scene...
What used to be split in several different songs and reprises, is now simply called "The Prom". The scene includes some reprises and also the Alma Mater song as well as the section what used to be called "The Destruction". The biggest spoiler is probably (stop reading now if you don't want to know!!!) that this time there is no actual (fake) blood poured on Carrie on stage. It's done with projections and loads of red light. Maybe a bit overdone, it did seem a bit odd solution at first. But it ended up working surprisingly well, mostly thanks to Molly Ranson's performance. In the actual destruction scene we don't see lasers or 'bombs' or a huge staircase descending from the ceiling but red light, strobe lights and projections. And what I liked probably the most in this sequence was that once Carrie is through with her vocal part of the section, she turns her back to the audience for the whole destruction part. And eventually calmly walks out of the double doors at the back of the stage without turning back. For the last scene she has a quick change into a bloody dress and wig, so when Carrie arrives home she's covered in blood staining her mother's white night gown. Carrie killing her mother is now more like in the King's book, slowing her heartbeat until Margaret's heart stops. Just like in the book and original stage production, Carrie dies in the arms of Sue.
The most curious thing about the book is that now the whole story is told by Sue as flashbacks. As the show starts (no Overture!) she's being interrogated of the events that we're about to see, and every now and then we go back to that interrogation.
** END OF SPOILERS **
Though CARRIE is not even now a flawless show, it is not the flop it once was, either. Now more coherent, realistic and with better narrative, this was actually very enjoyable show with good music and great performances! I really hope this show will have a longer life this time! Hopefully there will be a cast recording this time, the score is really good! And if I get the chance I will seriously consider seeing this for the second time.
Now, this legendary flop has been reconceived and re-worked for MCC's Lucille Lortel Theatre, in NYC. The cast includes Marin Mazzie as Carrie's mother Margaret White, Molly Ranson as Carrie, Christy Altomare as Sue, Jeanna de Waal as Chris, Carmen Cusack as Ms Gardner, Derek Klena as Tommy and Ben Thompson as Billy plus an ensemble of seven actors, including Wayne Wilcox in a couple of roles.
The story is based on Stephen King's first novel and it tells a story of high school girl, Carrie, an outcast and bullied girl with a more or less fanatically religious mother. And Carrie also has telekinetic powers, as she discovers she can move objects with her mind.
First, I heard that the story would still be a bit difficult to follow if you don't know the story already. I do know the story, but I found the story to have enough narrative that one can follow the plot just fine. The story is now also set in the present time but that factor is pretty much only shown in costumes and in the fact that one or two characters use cell phones during the show. Carrie's supernatural powers are also displayed already in Act I (first briefly in "Evening prayers") but not 'showcased'. Sure at some points the book could be sharper and a bit less naive, but overall the book is better than some of the current Broadway shows!
The score is excellent! There's been a lot of re-writes and a lot of the songs have been cut and new material has been written to replace them. They've added "Dreamer in disguise" (Tommy's poem) from the original workshop/previews and I'm glad they did, short but nice song which opens up the character of Tommy more. Many of the original score's songs have been revised heavily, mainly the opening number "In" which also now includes a well conceived girls' volley ball game like in the movie. Of the new material "The world according to Chris" was very catchy song as was the Act II opening number "A Night we'll never forget". The only change I did not like was the cutting of the bridge in "I remember how those boys could dance". With the bridge missing, Margaret now goes straight from "There'll be promises! They will break your heart!..." -verse into "Don't you know their game? Have you lost your mind?..." and I didn't really like that. And I'm not sure I liked the idea of having same style of arrangements for all the songs, very rock-sound arrangements. The original production was critisized for being like "two shows in one", so maybe the arrangements were kept in one style to smooth that out, don't know. But perhaps for some songs, like "And Eve was weak" the rock-ish sound wasn't the best choice.
The actors were great. Molly Ranson is excellent Carrie. Not too pitiful or too geeky, but enough to have the audience feel for her. And she has a great voice! Marin Mazzie was very good as Margaret White. Though she is a great singer, I felt the songs were a bit out of her range, they didn't suit her voice that well. And I have to say I was a bit disappointed with her performance of "And Eve was weak". The recurring line "he will burn you" is sung with longer notes on each word ("Heee wiiill buuurn youuu") but she sang it like "Heee wiiill buuurn you" sounding like she barely had any breath left to get the last word out. But generally she did a great job and her Act II solo "When there's no one" was absolutely heartbreaking! As the other teenagers, Sue, Chris and Tommy, Christy Altomare, Jeanna de Waal and Derek Klena, respectively, were also very good. Sue was a bit colorless but ok as a character. And Klena gave a nice touch to Tommy as an All-American Boy-Next-Door who had softer side. As for the ensemble, everyone did a good job though it did feel a bit odd in The Prom scene where they only had six couples plus Tommy & Carrie in the Prom. Not really a crowd. But since this was an Off-Broadway production, a smaller cast was expected.
Visually the show was quite minimalistic. But I liked it! David Zinn had designed a fixed set that didn't feel slightest bit strange as it served both the school gym and the White family house. Moveable set pieces were about half-a-dozen chairs and a table. The White family house's scenes were created with projections on the back wall (used also in the climax at the end of Act I).
** SPOILER ALERT!!!! **
Now, The Scene...
What used to be split in several different songs and reprises, is now simply called "The Prom". The scene includes some reprises and also the Alma Mater song as well as the section what used to be called "The Destruction". The biggest spoiler is probably (stop reading now if you don't want to know!!!) that this time there is no actual (fake) blood poured on Carrie on stage. It's done with projections and loads of red light. Maybe a bit overdone, it did seem a bit odd solution at first. But it ended up working surprisingly well, mostly thanks to Molly Ranson's performance. In the actual destruction scene we don't see lasers or 'bombs' or a huge staircase descending from the ceiling but red light, strobe lights and projections. And what I liked probably the most in this sequence was that once Carrie is through with her vocal part of the section, she turns her back to the audience for the whole destruction part. And eventually calmly walks out of the double doors at the back of the stage without turning back. For the last scene she has a quick change into a bloody dress and wig, so when Carrie arrives home she's covered in blood staining her mother's white night gown. Carrie killing her mother is now more like in the King's book, slowing her heartbeat until Margaret's heart stops. Just like in the book and original stage production, Carrie dies in the arms of Sue. The most curious thing about the book is that now the whole story is told by Sue as flashbacks. As the show starts (no Overture!) she's being interrogated of the events that we're about to see, and every now and then we go back to that interrogation.
** END OF SPOILERS **
Though CARRIE is not even now a flawless show, it is not the flop it once was, either. Now more coherent, realistic and with better narrative, this was actually very enjoyable show with good music and great performances! I really hope this show will have a longer life this time! Hopefully there will be a cast recording this time, the score is really good! And if I get the chance I will seriously consider seeing this for the second time.
