Carrie - The Musical

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Carrie - The Musical is a musical with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore.

Adapted from Stephen King's novella Carrie, it focuses on an awkward teenaged girl with telekinetic powers whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic mother. When she's humiliated by her peers at the high school prom, she wreaks havoc on everyone and everything in her path.

The show was produced by Friedrich Kurz and the Royal Shakespeare Company and had its first four-week run following workshop productions in Stratford-upon-Avon, where it received mixed reviews. Directed by Terry Hands and choreographed by Debbie Allen, the cast included Broadway veteran and cabaret singer Barbara Cook, Charlotte d'Amboise, Gene Anthony Ray, Darlene Love, and Linzi Hateley, in her stage debut, as Carrie.

Despite its lukewarm reception, the producers decided to transfer the show to Broadway at an expense of $8 million, at the time an exorbitant amount. Hateley (who ultimately won a Theatre World Award) and other members of the UK cast remained with the show, but Cook was replaced by Betty Buckley.

After 15 previews plagued by script and technical problems, the production opened on May 12, 1988 at the Virginia Theatre where, hampered by scathing reviews, it closed after only five performances, guaranteeing its place in theatre history as one of the most expensive disasters of all time. It inspired the title of Ken Mandelbaum's 1991 book Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops.

Although there is no official cast recording of the show, several bootleg audio tapes were surreptitiously made during live performances in both Stratford and New York, along with video footage shot from the audience, in addition to the professionaly-made review tape sent to various journalists to promote the show.

In 1999, the Stagedoor Manor theater camp in upstate New York staged their own version of Carrie. With amateur performing rights never having been released for the show, this was an illegal, unlicensed production. Much to the surprise of all involved, Michael Gore was in the audience at one of the performances. While he castigated Stagedoor for producing the musical without permission, having enjoyed seeing the show with its re-worked ending, he allowed the run to be completed.

Rumors that a West End revival is scheduled for 2007 remain unsubstantiated.

Contents

[edit] Song List

Act 1

Song Title Performers
In Miss Gardner, Female Chorus
Dream On Chorus
Carrie Carrie
Open Your Heart Margaret and Carrie
And Eve was Weak Margaret
Don't Waste the Moon Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy and Chorus
Evening Prayers Margaret and Carrie
Unsuspecting Hearts Miss Gardner and Carrie
Do Me a Favour Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy and Chorus
I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance Margaret and Carrie

Act 2

Song Title Performers
Out For Blood Chris, Billy, Male Chorus
It Hurts to be Strong Sue
I'm Not Alone Carrie
Carrie - Reprise Margaret and Carrie
When There's No-One Margaret
Wotta Night Tommy, Carrie and Chorus
Unsuspecting Hearts - Reprise Miss Gardner
Heaven Tommy
Heaven - Reprise Tommy, Carrie and Chorus
Alma Mater Chorus
The Destruction Carrie / Instrumental
Carrie - Reprise 2 Margaret and Carrie

[edit] Plot Summary

Act 1

The show opens in the gym of Carrie's school, during PE class. The girls sing about the importance of popularity and looking good (In). At the end of the song, Carrie, in the corner of the gym, offers a prayer to God (Dear Lord). The school bell rings and the scene changes to the shower room as the girls all call Carrie names. The girls sing about boys and their prom dreams whilst showering (Dream On), except for Carrie who dreams only of being liked. We learn that Sue and Tommy, are an item, and intend to go to the prom together.

The girls hear screams from the shower room and Carrie cries out that she's 'dying'. The girls discover that Carrie is having her period and, led by Chris, cruelly begin to taunt her, telling her to 'plug it up', and that she 'has the curse'! Miss Gardner enters and, after calming the class, slaps Carrie to calm her. Seemingly magically, the light explodes. The girls leave, and in the dialog we learn the depth of Chris's hatred for Carrie, and that Sue feels sorry for Carrie. Chris nicknames her "Scary White". Carrie is left alone on stage (Carrie) and sings about her feelings, finally declaring "Some day - Someone will know my name".

As Carrie leaves the changing room, she encounters the boys gym class, among whom is Tommy. Tabs then open to reveal the White Home and Carrie's mother, Margaret White, praying (Open Your Heart). Carrie joins her mother in prayer. and then tells her mother about the incident in PE class. Margaret is enraged and tells Carrie that she has the curse of blood due to her sinful ways (And Eve Was Weak), that she will be damned, and must pray to God to forgive her. She forces a frightened Carrie into the cellar, and prays for her daughter's salvation.

The scene changes to the drive-in movie, where the boys and their girlfriends have gathered. Sue discusses Carrie with Tommy, and asks him to take her home, while Chris argues with her boyfriend Billy, telling him that all he thinks about is sex (Don't Waste the Moon). We return to the White Home, for Evening Prayers. Carrie prays but reveals that she feels something is changing within her. Margaret prays for the strength to help Carrie and sends her to bed.

In the gymnasium the next day. Miss Gardner forces the girls to apologize to Carrie. They all do so reluctantly except for Chris, who cries out that "Carrie White eats shit!". Miss Gardner then bans Chris from the prom. As Chris exits, vowing her revenge, Miss Gardner comforts Carrie and encourages her to wait for her Prince Charming (Unsuspecting Hearts). The scene changes to a nightspot where all the kids are hanging out. Sue persuades Tommy to ask Carrie to the prom, as she still feels guilty about taunting Carrie. Chris, on the other hand, orders her boyfriend, Billy, to help her get revenge on Carrie (Do me a Favour).

Back at the White Home, Carrie informs her mother that Tommy has asked her to the prom (I've Been Invited to the Prom). Margaret is furious, and vehemently refuses, on the grounds that she believes that Tommy wishes to take advantage of Carrie (I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance), which culminates in a violent argument where Margaret slaps Carrie. Carrie unleashes the power of her mind, pushing Margaret into a chair and creating a wall of flames around her as she sings "Nothing you can say or do will ever stop me again", while Carrie's hands are aflame.

Act 2

Act 2 opens at the pig farm with Billy and his gang killing pigs (Out for Blood) in order to collect blood for Chris' revenge. Once the blood has been harvested, we cut back to High School, where Sue is arguing with the other girls. The girls demand that Sue apologize to them for supporting Carrie but she refuses and is exiled (It Hurts to be Strong - In the original London Cast version, this was replaced by a song called White Star, in which Sue hopes that Tommy won't forget about her).

Meanwhile, at the White Home, Carrie is elated that she is going to the prom and has sewn her own prom gown. She sings to herself (I'm Not Alone) and, in one of the more uplifting scenes in the show, makes her shoes, hairbrush and dress dance around the stage. Margaret tries once again to convince Carrie that she is making a mistake (Carrie: Reprise), asking her to stay home with her and apologizing, but Carrie is adamant about going, reasoning that "they might like me". Tommy picks Carrie up, and Margaret is left alone. (When There's No One).

The kids turn up for the prom in Wotta Night. They are all surprised at how beautiful Carrie looks. Miss Gardiner is in attendance as the chaperone and talks to Carrie again to reassure her (Unsuspecting Hearts: Reprise). Tommy wants to dance, and eventually persuades the reluctant Carrie (Heaven). As the two whirl around the dance floor, Tommy realizes that he's falling for Carrie, just as Sue thought he would. When the voting starts for the prom King and Queen, Tommy wants to vote for himself and Carrie, but Carrie is frightened. Tommy eventually persuades her, and the two vote for themselves. As this happens, Sue is heartbroken over Tommy's betrayal, and Chris and Billy prepare for their revenge (Heaven: Reprise). Finally, the winners of the vote are announced: Tommy and Carrie are declared the Prom King and Queen, by only one vote. They walk down to the stage to the applause of the other students (Alma Mater).

In a change from the book, Chris and Billy, who have sneaked into the prom, run onstage and throw the pigs' blood over Carrie. Someone laughs, and soon all the kids are laughing. Carrie finally snaps, believing the cruel prank to be a set-up, and commences The Destruction, echoing her mother's earlier admonishments and commanding the students to 'pray for their own salvation from damnation'. She uses her powers to collapse the school, killing them all.

Carrie then descends to the school stairs, still covered in blood and falls into the arms of her waiting mother (Carrie: Reprise). Instead of comforting Carrie, Margaret decides to save her, and stabs her with a kitchen knife. Although she is now dying, Carrie uses her powers once more, by killing her mother by giving her a heart attack. Carrie crawls away, and the show closes with Sue, who, by nature of not going to the prom, survives, comforting the dying Carrie.

[edit] Stratford Cast

Character Actor
Carrie White Linzi Hately
Margaret White Barbara Cook
Sue Snell Sally Ann Triplett
Tommy Ross Paul Gygnell
Chris Hargeson Charlotte d'Amboise
Billy Nolan Gene Anthony Ray
Miss Gardiner Darlene Love

[edit] Broadway Cast

Character Actor
Carrie White Linzi Hately
Margaret White Betty Buckley
Sue Snell Sally Ann Triplett
Tommy Ross Paul Gygnell
Chris Hargeson Charlotte d'Amboise
Billy Nolan Gene Anthony Ray
Miss Gardiner Darlene Love

[edit] External links

[edit] Links

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