BWW Carrie Preview

What are our thoughts on this? I like the Sue, but the guy playing Tommy looks far too old, IMO. I know a lot of people are still hating on this, but I'm not giving up hope.
Carrie Meets The Press!

Ranson is too pretty, IMHO. In fact, I would've stayed away from traditional Broadway types and cast more average looking performers.

That song makes me even more skeptic, I hope they're not trying to balance this out by giving us a modern mainstream sound for the new songs. What I personally love about the original is how raw it was. It might have seemed awful back then, but a lot of the score still feels fresh to me. I'm worried they might want to give it some sort of modern appeal, and if that is the case, they might as well have started from scratch.

If they wanted to rescue the material, they should have started with the original score and try a new staging, which most seem to indicate was the main problem back in the day. Cutting half of the score sounds like they don't trust much of the original to begin with and that can't be a good sign.

I hope they prove me wrong.

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Updated On: 1/18/12 at 02:36 AM

Updated On: 2/20/18 at 02:37 AM

Bobbybaby give me a break! (and that is just starting with your name, not your post)

I have seen Derek (Tommy) performing in the Southern California theatre circuit for many years. He started as a child performer. Most recently he was Link in Hairspray and was wonderful. He is a musical theatre student at UCLA.

Maybe he isn't that "known" in NY but "talentless"- give me a break. He is a wonderful performer. I am assuming you are making your entire review on a few clips.

He just graduated from high school a few years ago so no, not 25+ (um that would be YOU).

What is it with these nasty, bitchy people like you? If you see a show and don't like it fine. Do a little research next time. But to make the rude, vicious proclamations like this is truly sickening. Not sure why you are so bitter but don't feel you always have to share your negative vibes with the world. This attitude is really sickening!

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This might get interesting..

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Good lord, calm down folks. I thought he looked fine. In comparison to the Tommy from the film and the 88 musical he practically looks like a baby so I have no idea why people think he looks too old.

The song ‘You Shine’ is from the 2009 reading (it replaces It Hurts To Be Strong), it’s a nice song but not one of the best replacement songs, it’s much improved over It Hurts to Be Strong however. And as for it sounding contemporary.....really? to me it fits with the feel of Carrie perfectly.

As for keeping the whole score and just redoing the staging. I LOVE Carrie but half of the score did need to go. Dream On, It Hurts To Be Strong, Wotta Night, Out For Blood, I’m Not Alone etc were either terrible or did not fit the style of the show. The songs that really moved Carrie forward and had an impact (Eve Was Weak, I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance, When There No One etc) are all still there.

As for Molly looking to ‘thin’, I’m not even sure what that is about, we had a plump girl in Linzi Hately for the 88 production and 2 skinny girls (Sissy and Angela) for the Carrie movie and remake so I don’t really think Carrie has to be a certain type. Also I don’t think Molly is ‘too pretty’, yes she is pretty but so was Linzi, I think she looks fine. I agree about her singing though, I hope it has improved since the 2009 reading.

And bobbybaby85, of course they would have checked out the original material, I have no idea why you think they have not from watching a couple of minute video, in fact one of the cast says on another video how he has the DVD, Soundboard etc and did his college thesis on Carrie the Musical I’m sure you just say things for the sake of saying things.

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Updated On: 2/20/18 at 02:48 PM

I think there is a beautiful, powerful show buried here, so I'm glad to hear someone involved with this production actually say they are stripping out the camp, but at the same time this team was involved with the 2009 reading, and that version seemed to wallow in campiness.

People will already want to hate this show, and critics will come with knives sharpened and horror film puns aplenty; if Marin Mazzie still has that AWFUL line about "dirty pillows" on January 31st, the producers might as well post the closure notices immediately.

As for Molly looking to ‘thin’, I’m not even sure what that is about, we had a plump girl in Linzi Hately for the 88 production and 2 skinny girls (Sissy and Angela) for the Carrie movie and remake so I don’t really think Carrie has to be a certain type. Also I don’t think Molly is ‘too pretty’, yes she is pretty but so was Linzi, I think she looks fine. I agree about her singing though, I hope it has improved since the 2009 reading.

My point was that she isn't too pretty and she looked sufficiently'different' from the other girls that night (thinner/smaller/paler) to suggest she is an outsider..

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Updated On: 1/18/12 at 03:45 PM

For the transformation of Carrie to work in film/theatre, you need an actress who can be sufficiently dumpy and then radiant in the prom sequence. I'm a little surprised people are actually making any kind of evaluation based on this footage when both she and Mazzie are obviously going to be costumed very differently then they appear in a press interview.

As will Mazzie, who I bet could bear a striking similarity to Piper Laurie once she's wigged (yes there is no way Margaret can have blond highlights)

I'm a little surprised people are actually making any kind of evaluation based on this footage

I never understand comments like these. If they release these promotional videos I can go by what they are showing me. If they will work wonders when I get to see it live, then great. But so far, these rehearsal/press videos do a poor job of promoting the show and I assume they are released to create excitement and not the opposite. Maybe I need to work on my imagination a bit more.

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