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#1

Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 12:33am

I was wondering if anyone here had the pleasure (or punishment) of seeing the short lived broadway run of Carrie? From the footage I have seen, it did not seem that bad.

How were Charlotte D'Amboise, Linzi Hateley, Betty Buckley, and the rest of the cast?

Does anyone think a majorly reworked revival would ever have a chance?

I wish I had been around for the run, and although a disastrous flop, I love a few of the songs, and i think Linzi and Betty are amazing.

"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable." -F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise
#2

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 1:58am

Well, 'Carrie' actually did enjoy a revival recently with a reworked book along with some new material.
It was called, 'Dance of the Vampire Lestat' Frank Wildhorn did alot of the creative work on the rewrites.

I forget where, but there is a full video flaoting around of the Stratford RSC production.
I personally think the score has some gems, but alas, also has some complete stinkers... instance: 'Wotta Night'
#3

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 2:04am

there's a big rewrite in the works right now.

an institution I work for wanted to do a concert reading of the original and Mr. Gore (the composer) objected to it due to a series of rewrites going on right now.

it has some potential, in my opinion. I just don't think it was ready for Broadway.
#4

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 2:06am

I love Wotta Night. The choreography was actually something that I liked throughout the show, with the exception of a few numbers, including this one. On the last chorus, some of the lines are delivered with this weird mix of force and urgency and I think it's some little touch that makes this number exciting and potent.

However, seeing this song performed and reading the lyrics comes across in such a silly way that makes it seem absurd to read into it as much as I tend to. It appeals to me on these two accounts of ridiculousness and subconsciously powerful mess.

edit; I know it sounds weird saying I love this song and yet criticizing the choreography in the next sentence. I wanted to edit and clarify that whole bit to make it seem sensical, but leaving it the way I initially meant perfectly illustrates how one can enjoy something from this while acknowledging how poor some of it is. So cheers! That's Carrie for you!

Updated On: 8/4/08 at 02:06 AM

#5

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 12:26pm

badumbump
"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable." -F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise
#7

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 1:28pm

TDH-
These "readings" and "re-writes" have been tossed about since the early 1990s. Nothing conclusive has EVER turned up, and typically they are unauthorized. As long as Dean Pitchford says "No." there is NOTHING that can be done with this property in a legal way.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#8

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 1:34pm

Husk. Perhaps it wasn't Mr. Gore but whomever currently owns the material said "No" due to rewrites currently in the works.
#9

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 1:43pm

TDH-
Again, something that's been said since the early 90s.

Michael Gore wants more to come of the piece. Pitchford is still bitter.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#10

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 2:23pm

please ignore TooDarnHot im pretty sure he has mental problems lol

I watched Carrie when i was a kid in Stratford and loved it, it had some problems (the sets and costumes and some book work) but i thought it would be stuff they would sort out...turns out they didn't lol.

The audience we watched it with loved it, it got a standing Ovation at the end.Ive watched it many more times on DVD and still enjoy it, so much so that my company here in the UK has been in constant talks with Lawrence D. Cohen about doing a production here in the UK.

Will the show be done again in NY???? according to Cohen ..yes
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
#11

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 3:04pm

"please ignore TooDarnHot im pretty sure he has mental problems lol"

shut it you british wanker/LEGALLY BLONDE schiller.

The President of the Conservatory relayed that exact message to me.... shove a pipe up your tight british ass.
#13

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 3:46pm

I think with some serious revisions to the book and the score, Carrie could work if it was done as a serious piece and not the over stylized manner of the original production. The mother/daughter scenes and songs were pretty well done and so is the "Unsuspecting Hearts" scene with Carrie and the teacher, but most of the ensemble songs (especially Wotta Night and Out for Blood) were pretty bad.

I'd like to see it revived with an improved book and some new songs,including a new opening number, along with better sets and costumes(the big white box and the giant staircase has to go along with the spandex costumes) so the production looks like it's set in an actual American high school instead of a hospital or something. Get a good director, one who can stage the destruction scene right and a good choreographer and change the orchestrations so that everything doesn't sound so synthesized.


"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Updated On: 8/4/08 at 03:46 PM

#14

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 7:00pm

I saw Carrie on Broadway and although it was awful, I put it into my "Brilliant Failure" category. There were many things about Carrie that were right: Linzi Hately and Betty Buckley, and much of the music. Even the set could have worked given the proper script and direction. If they had changed just the costumes alone, Carrie would have been taken far more seriously. The costumes go down in my book as the worse I've ever seen on Broadway.

I fault much of Carrie's failure (after the ridiculous costumes) to a script that was incoherent at best and direction that didn't take advantage of the many opportunities of the piece. Even the set could have worked, but wasn't used appropriately. When the curtain first rose we saw a very white stage. Knowing the story, I immediately thought how wonderful this is going to look during the climax when the blood is splatter across this set. No go. In fact, the whole climatic sequence was laughable. And, it didn't have to be that way. Why didn't the blood fall from the rafters and splatter the stage? Why weren't some obvious stagecraft opportunities not used to create the intensity of the situation? What we saw was uneventful at best, but mostly just silly.

Carrie had potential. It had some wonderful moments (the initial lighting cue with the theater going immediately to black was breathtaking) and some truly good performances. It's a shame that it was so misguided.

Updated On: 8/4/08 at 07:00 PM

#15

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 7:35pm

LMAO at TooDarnStupid
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
#16

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 7:40pm

I heard that they couldn't douse Lizi Hateley from the rafters with blood without making her mic malfunction, a problem that I think would be easily solved today. Still, you would think they'd find a better way to stage it rather than having Chris and Billy run up to her and pour a tiny bucket over her head!
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
#17

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 8:18pm

During Rehearsals it was planned that a red sheet would be used to symbolize blood, it was Linzi who told them just to cover her in the liquid they used
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
#18

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 8:18pm

During Rehearsals it was planned that a red sheet would be used to symbolize blood, it was Linzi who told them just to cover her in the liquid they used
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
#19

re: Carrie Broadway

Posted: 8/4/08 at 11:51pm

I remember reading something at the time regarding the blood and her mic. It's unfortunate that the technology didn't exist to resolve this.

I think if they had completely rethought the costumes, better integrated the whole telekinesis thread including cutting the absolutely ridiculous song with her elevating various articles, resolved the blood (as in flooding that entire stage with blood at the climatic moment) and added one or two effects during the prom scene, Carrie might have worked.

Linzi Hately was wonderful as was Betty Buckley.

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