Broadway Producers Putting Together Fall Reading of CARRIE: THE MUSICAL- Page 3

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 1:03am

^ I think with some re-working it could be positively glowing.

Besides, I don't really see it as any worse than trotting out Chess every 2-5 years to try and fix it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 2:33am

I think "some" reworking would be not enough. Radical reworking could create something interesting. Could.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 2:36am

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS

[philly03]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 2:38am

This won't really be good, it'll be great for the theatre fans of the world but pretty much nothing else will come out of it. A Limited Engagement of X weeks would do this wonders, seeing as it'd have tons of the fans having to cram into their schedule. If it's an open run, I don't see why people would need to see it right away and thus would close very soon!

That said, some of the music is pretty good, the lyrics: usually a clever phrase in there which is repeated (ie: "I'm Not Alone"), but not too much else is good about this. THe effects of today could do wonders for it where atleast they'd be nice though!

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 2:53am

This needs a creepy minimalist production. Sure can get done well.

And I think that a lot more of the score can stay in than you give it credit to. Maybe not the 80's group songs, but the solos and duets are intense.

[Sant]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 10:37am

I hope they will end up reviving it!

The score has actually lots of great stuff in it! "And Eve was weak", "I remember how those boys could dance", "When there's no one", "Unsuspecting hearts", "Open your heart", "Heaven"...

It does need some re-writes, especially the lyrics and a couple of songs got to go ("Out for blood" in part.!)

But I don't see why this couldn't be a full scale revival. If not done as a "metaphorical" production as the original was trying to be, it really could work well.

[James885]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 11:22am

^^
Yes, there are a few gems in the score. Mostly the above ones that Sant mentioned. I'd also add "Evening Prayers", which is an extremely haunting song.

But a lot of the 80's-style ensemble numbers like "Wotta Night", "Do Me A Favor", "Out For Blood", "Dream On", "Don't Waste The Moon", as well as "It Hurts To Be Strong", should be tossed in favor of some better songs.

I have more of a problem with the book, which gives no character development to anyone but Carrie and her mother. There also some other plot issues that should be addressed; for instance, Chris decides to get her revenge on Carrie at the prom with pig's blood BEFORE Carrie agrees to go to the prom.

Another book issue is that Carrie's powers weren't clearly established by the end of Act 1. In fact they were barely mentioned at all. If the audience wasn't familiar with either the book or the movie, then they had no idea why this girl was suddenly setting her hands on fire at the end of the first act. The only previous hint of her powers was at the beginning of the show when a lightbulb exploded. The audience needs to know without a doubt that Carrie is telekinetic.

IMO, the book needs some major re-writes.

Updated On: 10/19/09 at 11:22 AM

[JasonM12480]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 11:45am

What a dreadfully awful, money-wasting idea.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 12:36pm

I'm hoping this happens!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 1:07pm

James, didn't the various beauty aids on Carrie's nightstand come to life and do her hair (I'm not making this up, you know) in act one? Or was that before the prom in act two?

[James885]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 1:20pm

I believe that stuff with the brushes and the dress coming to life was during the "I'm Not Alone" sequence in second act.

[phantom39]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 1:30pm

This is AMAZING news!! I can't wait for it to happen!!

[seemynameinlights]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 6:52pm

I was doing some reading on the Carrie The Musical website and Carrie's understudy was a black girl. That's very interesting, I bet that would be a show to see.

[Dantes]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 7:04pm

Great News
Im such a fan of this show and have everything possible to do with it.

It's about time.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 8:42pm

Okay, I saw it three times. Not the first, infamous preview but I THINK the 2nd (it was a Friday night, if someone can timetable it), and a penulimate preview, the Mother's Day matinee, from the last row of the orchestra, in a broken seat. I have posted often about how much I loved the mother-daughter material, and I still do. No matter what anyone says, it was actually devoid of camp. If anything, it was more complex, more troubling and musically soaring than anything in the King story. "If only..." everyone felt about the rest of the show. It's almost as if it were written by two different teams of collaborators. Though I still find much of the entier score, musically (despite banal lyrics) salvagable. Don't discard the high school stuff just yet -- hey, we have BIRDIE on hand to show you that musicalized teens are harder to do well than one might imaginge.

I think it's the right time to bring it back. I think the damned thing could be stunning. It needs careful retooling, and a director who can pull disparate elements (high school vs. White home) together. But don't write it off. CARRIE always had strokes of brilliance.

No matter how you feel about Buckley in anything else (the bizarre recast in SONG AND DANCE, the Papermill GYPSY), she was legendary for a reason in CARRIE. A brave and enirely fearless performance as Margaret. (I saw a brief glimpse of it in that dreadful M. Night Shymalian film last summer, by the way.)

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 9:39pm

Some of the book scenes from the original workshop definitely need to be re-explored. As others have said, character development is virtually non-existent in the script as it currently stands. The design does need to have a more realistic feel to it. Carrie's powers need that very realistic backdrop to make them stand out all the more as special, one of the reasons the book and the movie worked so well. That's also not to mention that her powers need to be explained in some way. Even though the movie is definitely a part of the pop culture lexicon, the true premise of it is not. Many people who haven't seen it only know it as "the girl who gets blood dumped on her at the prom and then kills everyone." The telekinesis factor is not nearly as well known.

And though I seem to see people defending it, "I'm Not Alone" would have to go into that list of numbers that would seriously need to be re-worked or jettisoned all together. Carrie's telekinesis is a manifestation of her emotional turmoil and fears, not an opportunity for her to do a cutesy, soft-shoe solo turn with a cheap black-light magic show behind her.

I actually really like the tone of "Do Me a Favor." It just needs to be adjusted so that Tommy asks Carrie to the prom earlier in the song, rather than at the end, so that Chris can formulate the idea of the pigs' blood knowing full-well that Carrie will be there and she can take her revenge.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 9:49pm

And they also need to work the bucket of blood thing better. Running out and basting Carrie like a holiday turkey just didn't cut it.

"not an opportunity for her to do a cutesy, soft-shoe solo turn with a cheap black-light magic show behind her."

Hey! SPOILER alert!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 9:56pm

Victoria Clark is Margaret White.

[goober1632]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 2:08am

Alice Ripley as Mrs. White.

After hearing her sing and act "Epiphany" as Sweeney. She's perfect. She can sing soprano AND scream the score every night. Betty Buckley's Margaret will be hard to live up to, but Alice is the only one raw enough, that I can think of...

[binau]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 2:26am

Plus she'll bring the crazy fans who will hopefully attempt to keep the show alive.

[magic8ball]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 3:05am

Carolee Carmello and Celia Keenan-Bolger. Yes, please.

[Dantes]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 10:06am

I love this show but am not blind to the problems with it.

I was actually the person to get hold of the Stratford DVD and first release it over 5 years ago now (Thanks to a mate at the RSC Archive lol) Iâ??m so glad that so many people got to see this through the video/DVD.

The show itself suffered from one big problem and that was too many cooks in the kitchen. Both Terry Hands and Debbie Allen were pulling for control and neither would back down on their opinions. What this resulted in was a schizophrenic musical which could not make up its mind.

Hands control of the show from the off was questionable with odd choices to set the show up as a kinda Greek morality tale and bill it as the 'first serious musical since West Side Story'.

The only way Carrie could have worked would of have to of been to ground it in reality. It is in fact a very human story if you take away the telekinetic powers, itâ??s a Cinderella story, a story about bullying, a motherâ??s love for her daughter etc, all of these things were swept aside by red cat suits, cheap laser lights and leather.

I spoke to a guy a few years ago who worked on the Stratford and Broadway run of Carrie backstage. He said how many cast members were unhappy with Hands as he did not seem to have any idea what he was doing and did not make any substantial changes during the Stratford and Broadway run. He did say however the cast did like the show but could all see what needed to be changed, he also said he heard some great arguments between Allen and Hands and Hands and Cook.

The 1984 workshop shows promise. It was set in reality and the book scenes were strong (many from the movie or book). The act 1 finale was more realistic and the part of Tommy was far more developed. Carrie's powers were also mentioned in a scene where she found out what her powers were (the musical made no reference to the fact she was telekinetic, it just presumed that you knew). The act 2 script for the 84 workshop was still in development but clearly showed the ending would take place at the White House instead of the Staircase it used in the 88 production.

Open Your Heart started as a song on the radio what Margret was listening too as she sat at a sewing machine, the radio went down and Margret continued the song.
'In' was not in the Workshop and was instead a song called 'Aint life a b***h' (though it sounded very similar to 'In')

Tommy had a solo song in act 1 called Tommy's Poem which introduced Carrie's attraction to Tommy and the scene in the principalâ??s office from the movie where he keeps calling her Cassie was also in the workshop.

It was once Hands and the RSC got hold of it that it all went downhill. During 87 the score was rewritten and then locked. During rehearsals the only song that was dropped was 'Once I Loved A Boy' which was replaced by 'When Thereâ??s No One', both songs are good (the 1st programs for the Stratford run still had 'Once I Loved A Boy' listed) but the bigger problem was how songs like 'Crackerjack/Out For Blood' remained in.

Allen took over most rehearsal time to put the split UK/US cast through the exhausting dance rehearsals changing the choreography every 5 mins, this made the rest of the show suffer. Even though i can see the talent of Miss Allen she was way of track with the choreography for this show.

The show opened to mixed reviews in the UK (Not negative as its reported many times). Many of the upper class papers called out the RSC on taking on Carrie but other critics seemed to think it was fun and campy but not RSC worthy.

Instead of taking the time to listen to the reviews from the UK and retool the show the only major things that were changed were the orchestrations (some not for the better) and the dropping a brief song after 'Dream On' called 'Somebody Should Have Told Her', a later bit in Act which was a reprise of Dream On. and Sue's song 'White Star' (which was the same music as Tommy's ballad Heaven) for a bland number called 'Hurts to be Strong'. Allen again retooled some of the choreography and the costumes for the ensemble for Do Me A Favour were changed (really bad) as well as Miss White's costumes and Carrie's prom dress.

By the time it arrived on Broadway the advance was respectable but not mind blowing as some reported, preview audiences (like the UK Audiences) loved the show but many knew that it had flop written all over it. The opening night was put back so many times that it missed the cut off date for the Tony awards (the publicity could have done it good). Even though the opening date kept getting put back nothing inside the Virginia seemed to be changing. Some effects were reworked, Debbie again played with the Choreography but Hands seemed to just play around with the lighting.

Once the show opened at the Virginia it was in no better shape. It got a couple of good reviews (inc the post) but was panned everywhere else. Producers were going to keep the show running and a deal to advertise the show on MTV was in place, but on the Saturday it was decided (to the cast surprise after they were told it would stay open) they posted the closing notice for the following day.

Carrie's problems are not that big

The score would all need reworking but many of the songs work fine (they would just need bringing up to date and some of Pitchfords lyrics need reworking)

What could stay if bought up to date
'In'
Carrie
Open Your Heart
Eve Was Weak
Don't Waste The Moon
Evening prayers
Unsuspecting Hearts
I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance
Carrie Reprise
When There's No One
Heaven Reprise

Dream On is dreadful and would need replacing all together or just having the moment become a scene rather that a song. Out For Blood should never have ended up in the show, its probably impossible to put that scene to music. Iâ??m Not Alone would be better off in a Disney movie that a horror musical. Wotta Night is just horrid and a stronger love song for Tommy would be better.
Do Me A Favour is actually a pretty good song and has a great sinister undertone to it which plays very well. The big problem with it though is that it tries to get so much story in to one song that audiences who had never read the novel or watched the movie Carrie were just left scratching their heads.

The book needs to move back to the 84 workshop cast, grounding it in reality and setting the characters and the powers up well. Let us see that Carrie has a crush on Tommy, let us see that she is invisible to the principal and so on and so on.

It's also fine separating the 2 worlds (Carrie and her mum and the Kids) but it has to be separated without it sounding clunky (Moving from the brilliant Eve Was Weak straight in to Don't Waste The Moon has to be one of the worst transitions ever).

Make the characters human instead of some fairytale characters they were presented as in the musical. It even suffered from Panto syndrome at some points where you wanting to boooh people like Chris)

Strip it down, and treat it as a story rather than an event.

Updated On: 10/19/09 at 10:06 AM

[devonian.t]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 11:45am

Give this show to the Menier or Donmar to do.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 12:08pm

I would love a full-blown revisal of Carrie! The book needs the most work, especially the awful rhyming dialogue, followed by the orchestrations, which give the show more of an 80s sound than most of the score itself. I think about 75% of the score is salvageable with several strong gems. But as it's been said time and again, nothing should remain of the original design, staging and choreography.

I'm not a obsessed cult flop fan, but I've always been a huge fan of the original Stephen King novel and I think the book and score did an adequate enough job at capturing the tone and emotion of Carrie's environment, especially in the mother/daughter scenes, as well as the melodramatic urgency of high school social hierarchy. I don't love Carrie because it is a notorious flop, but because it truly has moments I find moving, thrilling and very well told. It has songs I enjoy listening to regularly and have even performed on occasion.

And personally, I would love to see Carolee Carmello or Emily Skinner as Margaret White. Not so much Alice Ripley.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 12:22pm

Alice's voice wouldnt hold up anymore.

Judy Kuhn...though I want her for Danvers.

I think this is exciting and I do think there is so much to work with. There's so much right and the terrible things, choreog/direction) wont exist in a new production.

Updated On: 10/19/09 at 12:22 PM