Broadway Producers Putting Together Fall Reading of CARRIE: THE MUSICAL- Page 8

[BwayBuff2]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 11:33am

Well, he's wrong.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 11:42am

Donna Murphy also did one of the earliest readings of CARRIE in the 80s as Miss Gardner. Its definitely not always been conceived for a black actress.

PS All of you saying Foster is too old for Carrie are guilty of age discrimination and are just jealous because she is a professional Updated On: 10/28/09 at 11:42 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 12:09pm

Sutton Foster being involved at all seems like they're putting together a parody cast.

[JRybka]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 12:30pm

Here is my opinion..... (not that anyone cares but still....)

Lea Michele as CARRIE
Alice Ripley or Emily Skinner as Mrs White
LaChanze as Mrs. Garner

I persoanlly thing Lea would be PERFECT for Carrie.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 12:45pm

I hate to bring up the old Effie argument, but I wonder if they are thinking of how to go with Carrie's weight. In the novel she is quite overweight with terrible skin, but our visual of Carrie will always be Spacek...rather skinny, pale and waiflike. Hateley was overweight and was dressed in very bulky clothing, so they were going with the original novel's idea of what Carrie should look like?

So, should Carrie be overweight?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 12:58pm

Hately wasn't really overweight, though you are right in saying she was costumed to make her look so.

I think what is most important is that Carrie is able to look beautiful at the prom and for a moment needs to be believable as a "prom queen" in this school of kids who once have given her such hell. Thus the betrayal of the destruction is all the more powerful.

I think it was part of the idea in casting Spacek who could look mousy or like a beauty queen and I'm sure her thin weight was at least part of that consideration when casting her.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 12:59pm

That's a good question, doodle. I"ve been thinking about what she should look like. I don't think it matters about her weight though. I think she's got to look like anything except what the "in crowd" looks like.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:02pm

Except that her creator King described her as quite homely and overweight.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:02pm

Oh I disagree Jane. That would be a very pat decision for Carrie to not be accepted by the girls simply because she looks different.

That was actually a mistake in the Broadway musical. Hately looked ridiculous next to the too-old Broadway dancers cast as a chorus line of high school girls.

The film's casting of different body types was a lot more believable. Carrie is a freak because of a lot of different things - but not just because she doesn't look like Chris or Sue

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:05pm

"Except that her creator King described her as quite homely and overweight."

Margaret Mitchell also described Scarlett O'Hara as not beautiful. Books and film/stage adaptations call for different things to get the idea of the character across for an audience experiencing the story visually.

Its not like Carrie's destruction is carried out by her fat obese body rolling over everybody - she's unattractive and unkempt - thats all that matters.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:12pm

Well, I was hoping for a discussion, but since you've put your foot down, I guess we're done.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:18pm

Discuss all you want doodle - I'm just stating my opinion that her weight is not germaine to the actual plot.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:25pm

"Except that her creator King described her as quite homely and overweight."

Yeah, that's kind of what I mean, doodle.

"Oh I disagree Jane. That would be a very pat decision for Carrie to not be accepted by the girls simply because she looks different."

That's not how I"m looking at it. I see her being rejected for that superficial reason-realistically, teenagers *wouldn't* accept her for her looks. That happens all the time. But what I'm focusing on is how at the end, the "homely fat girl" gets her revenge. It's a lesson learned.

I don't see how Carrie's looking like the rest of the girls would work at all.

Updated On: 10/28/09 at 01:25 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:38pm

I agree with that - except the challenge is how do you make the homely fat girl for a moment beautiful before her ultimate humiliation?

King may have intended her to be fat, but I think he also meant for the tragedy to be that for a moment she feels like the other girls. She feels accepted. She doesn't see the betrayal coming. The obvious visual representation for film or theatre is to have her *look* at the prom like the conventional picture of a prom queen - ie finally Chris and Sue's equal.

You could certainly make a directorial decsion to go in a different direction and to have Carrie go to the dance still looking fat, and wearing a makeshift prom dress, but I don't think thats the moment King was going for.

And I think the moment is more important than anything as basic as she's fat, or she looks different than the other girls.

In a story where being "in" is such a big driving factor - I think she needs to be able to have a moment where she does look like everybody else.

But that's just my opinion...

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:50pm

To answer your question - the moment that Carrie feels beautiful and accepted is when she is voted prom queen, not to mention that she's even asked to the prom at all.

I think the lesson learned is not to judge a book by its cover. Therefore, I don't see any reason for her to ever look like the others.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:50pm

double post

Updated On: 10/28/09 at 01:50 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 1:55pm

But if she doesn't look like she fits in - why is she not humiliated by the others (not in on the hoax) when she arrives? Why does she so blindly accept the impossible (that she could be voted prom queen)? I think the script supports her feeling accepted and beautiful for the entire prom sequence - not just the moment she is crowned. My question is just how do you convey that on stage if she never *looks* conventionally beautiful...

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 2:03pm

"I think the script supports her feeling accepted and beautiful for the entire prom sequence - not just the moment she is crowned."

I think I'm saying the same thing. I said that she's feeling accepted and beautiful by just being asked to the prom to begin with. Yes, she's elated during the entire prom scene. She's at the prom with a great date, and believes that yes, she could and was elected prom queen. The way the script was written certainly led me to believe that Carrie would be the type of girl who fantisizes quite a bit and would be happy beyond belief that she was prom queen.

I never got that she felt unworthy of it.

Anyway, each to his own, as you say - it's just our opinions!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 2:11pm

I agree she definitely strikes me as one who lives in her fantasies. So perhaps that would be your directorial key if you wanted to cast an actress who more closely fits King's description of her in the book.

The book is written from a bunch of different points of view. I don't remember who's point of view is the driving narrative factor in the book for the prom sequence. If the prom feels like its from her point of view - that could influence a lot.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 2:39pm

It's been a while since I've read the book, but I never got the impression that Carrie was grossly obese, more along the lines of say America Ferrara in Ugly Betty. Shorter, a bit heavier than "ideal," but not obese.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 2:47pm

I remember reading the book and based on King's description picturing Danielle Ferland.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 2:54pm

Im not sure if it exactly essential for her to be overweight but it defiently gives the girls another reason for her not to be "in". Aside from her crazy religious mom she doesn't have much going against her for them to not like her in the first place. Also having Carrie overweight does help with the plot point of pigs blood, not sure about the book/movie its been awhile, but musical wise Chris wants "pigs blood for a pig billy". But her being overweight doesnt mean she can't be beautiful in the end, Hairspray manages to have Tracy look beautiful and get the cute guy. Also in Wicked, Elphaba may be green and strange to others but somehow Fiero still falls for her. I think either way it doesnt matter it could be formed to fit each one of the types.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 3:04pm

I never said grossly obese to start, and didnt mean to infer that she needed to be that big...but overweight, unlike the film Carrie.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 3:35pm

I said it once and I'll say it again - Barbara Walsh for Margaret!

This could be the Tony-worthy leading lady part she's been waiting for. Ripley would be brilliant but she's had her shot. And Walsh would be completely up to the challenge in terms of vocal stamina.

I also love the idea of Lea Michele, but I'm sure it's not a possibility thanks to GLEE.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 3:47pm

Lea Michele is the anti-Carrie. She could pull off Chris, perhaps.