CARRIE Reading?- Page 3

[Cheshcat13]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 6:29pm

I think real teenagers could make the show work better. NOT Diana DeGarmo schmacting like a "bad girl". - Fairies could you please expound on that statement.

Famebroadway2 – Could you please give us you insight on the actors' performances

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:26pm

Please keep in mind. They only had 22 hours to put this together its not fair to trash people on their performance. These are just my observations.


Performances:

Molly R (Carrie)- Had a wonderful character and her acting was perfect. Even for this 1st reading it was clear that she WAS Carrie. Her singing was adequate but, there were WAY to many pitchy moments. way to many.. even for a professional reading. If she is cast in the role I hope they work with her. My BF also said to me remember this was a 22hr rehearsal process. Once they work with her she will be perfect.

Diana D (Chris)- I hope she was sick. Her singing was nasal all the way. Her speaking lines were nasal sounding also which made me think she had a cold. Diana is an ok actress. Some moments she had down and some moments she didn't. A few times I remember thinking wow that delivery was all wrong.

Jenn D (Sue)- Either she is an AMAZING actress or she isn't acting at all because she was so natural it was uncanny. She is Sue in every way. Perfect vocals.

Sutton F (Miss Gardner)- 1st let me say it was nice to see her in a more serious role. They made the gym teacher a 1st year teacher. Its not a huge role but, she made it work with what it was. Unsuspecting Hearts was great on her end but with Molly being so pitchy at moments it was hard to listen to. Sutton works with the serious material well. I wish she had another song.

Marin M (Margaret)- If this goes to Broadway just give her the Tony. She packed more of an emotional punch than Betty B. ever did and this was in a studio. Vocals were haunting and sung/belted perfectly. Her character of Margaret has so much more behind the eyes. With a little bit more time... This could be the Star making role she needs!

Guys -

Tommy - was cute and very adequate. Not much else to report as the role isn't that much.

Billy- Had some problems with the high notes at moments but,had the "bad boy" character down.

The ensemble was good. 2 girls stood out to me. I don't know their names but,

Girl 1 -, heavier and had on a red shirt, black hair and an eye brow piercing that was PHENOMENAL!!! Her voice and presence made her stand out in the ensemble.

Girl 2- was a blond haired girl with curly hair. She stood out for great character work also.


Funny side note. My BF went with me. He has never seen or heard anything Carrie. Not even the movie or book. I wanted to see if he could follow the story.

He LOVED all the music and said he would run out an buy the CD but, he HATED the ENDING. He hated how Carrie Kills EVERYONE and then dies. I said "that's how all the versions end". He said that will make the show flop.
I dunno how if I agree with him that it would make it flop but, It did get me thinking....How will the normal tourist public react to the ending? Thoughts?




Updated On: 11/21/09 at 07:26 PM

[Amanda15]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 7:50pm

I'm not surprised to hear Jennifer D. was a standout. I love her performance in Next to Normal. She's incredibly talented.

If the show moves to Broadway with this cast I think both Molly and Diana will improve with further rehearsal (Molly for her vocals, Diana for her line delivery). I do think Diana D. has a cold. She sounded sick a couple days ago during Toxic and at the stage door.

Thanks for all the extra observations, by the way. It's appreciated.

[Dantes]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 8:29pm

Sounds silly but what musicians did they have, was a just piano or did they get a band in?

[tourboi]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 9:20pm

I think tourists will react fine to the ending. THey're expecting it. Anyone who doesn't know how the story of "CARRIE" ends by now has been living under a rock.

If ANYTHING the ending will be the draw!

[FlyingMonkey1223]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 9:31pm

Most of the people I know my age aren't that familiar with Carrie. The ending might be a surprise to them! I really can't wait to see this if/when it eventually makes it way to Broadway!

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 11:24pm

I hope there plans to maybe open next fall happens, I missed the show back in 88 by a day.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 11/21/09 at 11:31pm

Thanks to all those who attended and shared their thoughts/ opinions. Fascinating.

[massofmen]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 12:03am

"Anyone who doesn't know the ending to CARRIE has been living under a rock?"
That's awesomely ignorant. I think you could say, "anyone who doesn't know what shrek is has been living under a rock" since its a billion dollar industry.


Carrie on the other hand? Let's be a little more reasonable. Most people under the age of 25 have no idea what Carrie is except for musical theater people and Stephen King fans (which account for about 20% of every high school/college)

And women 35-60 being the main tix buying demographic, probably wouldn't go in packs to see 170 kids burning in a gymnasium right before the mother gets impaled on a cross after she stabs her daughter in the kitchen. Just a thought.

Name me the last blood and guts musical that made money on Broadway. The revival of Sweeney maybe made 14 dollars, but the original never made a dime, and that was when the dollar was actually worth something, not when the country is headed to almost 20% unemployment.

Moving this to Broadway would be a bad idea. You think this could sell to families? Good luck.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 7:00am

Agreed Dolly. I would have gone a little crazy if we past 11/20 and heard nothing about the reading. Its been so wonderful to hear all your insites. Thanks Fairies and Famebroadway2!

[amoni2]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 8:59am

'Carrie on the other hand? Let's be a little more reasonable. Most people under the age of 25 have no idea what Carrie is except for musical theater people and Stephen King fans (which account for about 20% of every high school/college)"

Wow, what a ridiculous statement.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 9:56am

There are people under the age of 25 who don't know who Bette Davis is, never heard of Gone With the Wind, Citizen Kane, or Casablanca, etc.

So I'm not surprised by that statement.

If it didn't happen in their lifetime, they don't care.

Pride of ignorance.

[massofmen]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 10:06am

why is that a ridiculous statement? I would venture to wager that's about accurate.
You think Carrie is mainstream media? come on let's be reasonable. Stephen King is hardly the worldwide famous writer he was in the 80s and 90's. And the Carrie movie that was released in 2002 was barely seen (not to mention they will have no cluse who sissy spacek is from the original), so why would anyone 25 and under know who he is or what the book is about?

It's not like Carrie is required reading at any educational facility. So again, why would people under the age of 25 know who stephen king is or even the book/movie? Any facts to back up why my statement is ridiculous, or are you just making a blanket emotional response.

Posted: 11/22/09 at 10:14am

Most of my friends are in their mid 20s, and NOT musical theatre people--I'd be willing to bet cash that a much larger percentage of them know Carrie's ending than have even seen any of the Shreks... Have they seen it? maybe not, but the bucket of blood at the prom thing is very much a part of pop culture (i saw THREE Halloween costumes inspired by it--here in "small town Victoria"--this year alone)

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 10:45am

People tend to freak out when they first realize that all that was "important" or "wildly popular" or "iconic" in their lifetimes becomes mostly forgotten in a decade or two.

It's a jarring realization of how quickly life passes by, and how, in the grand scheme of things, insignificant we all are as human beings.

Not an easy pill to swallow, but it will happen to all of us. It's happening already.

Just wait until nobody remembers the Harry Potter books, or Twilight, or rap music, or Star Wars, or the Rolling Stones.

It will happen.

EDIT: I will add that it is happening FASTER now, because of this "pride of ignorance" I mentioned before. People used to have a desire to learn about the past, especially the recent past. They were less connected (no Internet), yet more aware. Go figure.

Updated On: 11/22/09 at 10:45 AM

[Dantes]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 10:56am

"Moving this to Broadway would be a bad idea. You think this could sell to families? Good luck. "

Who said its for families?

I dont watch theatre with mine, i go with my partner, and what about shows like Sweeney Todd?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 11:02am

They counted on people knowing the story and background the first time around, and a large, large majority of the audience were left in the dark. Carrie's status in pop culture is pretty much relegated to the bucket of pigs blood and the destruction of the prom. That's where most people's knowledge ends. The telekinesis and the aftermath of the prom are largely unknown outside of the fans. It sounds like they've done a better job at explaining the telekinesis, rather than just lighting her hands on fire at the end of Act 1, but the moments after the prom will probably still come as a bit of a surprise to those who haven't seen it.

And best12, George Lucas will work until his dying breath (and maybe even from beyond the grave) to make sure nobody forgets Star Wars, even if it means completely tarnishing his reputation and the brilliance of the original three movies.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 11:04am

I will add that it is happening FASTER now, because of this "pride of ignorance"

My god. You sound like a crotchety old geezer shaking your first at "these kids of today." Instead of taking the liberty to label somebody with a different experience of the world with different priorities as being proud of their ignorance, maybe you should consider that there are people who don't share your idiosyncratic OCD obsessions with minutia about films beloved by the Boys in the Band era homosexuals? THEIR EXPERIENCE IS NOT YOURS.

People used to have a desire to learn about the past, especially the recent past.. What an insufferable blowhard. Go ahead and call me whatever you need to call me to feel better about yourself, though I'm not sure that's possible because you appear to think very highly of yourself already. But the fact is you come across as somebody who can't imagine your experience isn't universal. Maybe you don't mean to do that, maybe it's just horrible writing style.

As for the person mentioning the Carrie ending keeping audiences away (whether people know it's coming or through their "pride of ignorance," not) please remember that the producers of Wicked completely cheated on the ending so as to make little girls happy and sell out for years and years and years. Literally as well as figuratively. And one more stupid Wizard of Oz homage can trudge on and on and on.

It's an interesting point, one not worth dismissing out of hand.

Looking forward to hearing how you didn't read my post, B.

Updated On: 11/22/09 at 11:04 AM

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

"

EDIT: I will add that it is happening FASTER now, because of this "pride of ignorance" I mentioned before. People used to have a desire to learn about the past, especially the recent past. They were less connected (no Internet), yet more aware. Go figure"

Yes and totally, no. :P Thanks to the Internet, cable, the very fact that nowadays there are magazines like Ent Weekly which are devoted to popculture savvy-ness (from all the eras) and making referencing it cool, lots of these popculture references are better known and remembered (even if they haven't seen the sources) by younger people--who also have a sense of the modern context--than would be true of, say, a generation or two back (particularly when, for example, they wouldn't have had a friend or relative who had the DVD of Carrie, but would have had to rely on chancing upon it on TV) .

It's far from as simplistic as you make it sound. (I actually have an older friend, using your avatar as an example, who said how back in the 80s he didn't have any friends his age who knew who Monty Clift was--and now there seem to be many more younger people--he meant me but some of our friends too--who have discovered him on their own as teens).
Updated On: 11/22/09 at 11:18 AM

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 12:06pm

I'm with massofmen. You're a fool if you think the majority of 25 and younger's have even *heard* about the "Carrie" story.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 12:11pm

"It's far from as simplistic as you make it sound."

BINGO! You get to wear the tiara today.

Posted: 11/22/09 at 12:19pm

"I'm with massofmen. You're a fool if you think the majority of 25 and younger's have even *heard* about the "Carrie" story"

Where are these clueless 25 "and younger" year olds? Not watching Family Guy or one of the other shows that would throw in a bucket of pigs blood joke and assume their audience got the reference to some extent...

Are you all 50+ year olds who think that the "younger generation" are too into their hula hoops and hit single 45s to be even somewhat aware of any of this? Again, I think in some ways (I'll admit, only some ways) the current younger generations are even more aware of basic pop culture references--and not just modern ones--than any past generation.

Thanks for the pretty tiara Namo!

Updated On: 11/22/09 at 12:19 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 12:53pm

You're welcome. It looks good on you.

Are you all 50+ year olds who think that the "younger generation" are too into their hula hoops and hit single 45s to be even somewhat aware of any of this?

That certainly nails at least one person in this thread.

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 1:03pm

"Who said its for families?"

That's a problem. The more limited you make a demographic for a show, the less likely it will last very long, if at all. shows that run the longest are those that capture the tourist trade.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 11/22/09 at 1:28pm

I'm almost positive that Family Guy has made a reference or two to Carrie through the years.

And, for my generation, an entire episode of Tiny Toons was a parody of Carrie.

I think we have too many people representing the extremes. Do I think it's totally under the radar on teens minds? No. Do I think every single one of them knows it? No.

The same could be argued of Next to Normal (which is doing better business than I ever would have thought) and Spring Awakening.