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.
former sadm2 (wink)
Updated On: 10/19/09 at 10:06 AM
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
