Help get Carrie '88 into the National Recording Registry!

[VinnieRattolle]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 6:45pm

Apologies in advance, cuz I tend to be long-winded – especially when I’m passionate about something. So bear with me here…

Following the success of The National Film Registry, in 2002 The Library of Congress set up The National Recording Registry, and each year based on public nominations they select 25 audio recordings to preserve (songs, full albums, live recordings and collections) which are deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” (a vague term intended to be all-inclusive). The 2016 list was announced last week and included the song "Over the Rainbow," the original cast album of “The Wiz” and David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" album, among others.

Last year, I sent in mp3s of the 1988 Broadway closing night soundboard bootleg of "Carrie" along with an impassioned letter about why I thought the bootlegs should be included -- and although their site clearly states that they don't reply to nominations, I quickly got a response from a library worker who was intrigued by the notion and implied that they’d push for it. Well, obviously it didn’t make this year’s list, but I’m just one man – they practically outright state on their site that a big fan push will influence the library’s voters (which is precisely how “Back to the Future” wound up in the Film Registry in 2007).

I’ve got a long history with “Carrie” and feel like I played a minor but crucial role in the musical’s revival. So here’s the Cliff’s Notes (feel free to skip this and the next two paragraphs if you don’t care). At the end of 2002, I started a little Geocities site where I covered all of the versions of “Carrie,” with the main focus being the original 1976 movie. There was only a short page about the musical because I didn’t know very much about it yet – I remembered seeing a news clip when the show closed, but the two existing fan sites really didn’t offer any substantial information (cast lists, reviews, a few jpegs and midis) and I couldn’t find much more anywhere else. A few years later, I relocated the site to blogger and, around the same time, discovered a mishmash of recordings from the Broadway and Stratford shows on someone else’s blog which they’d amassed from a p2p browser. The quality generally sucked, but it was love at first listen. So on my new site, I started building up a big musical wing with song lyrics, an overview of the story based on Ken Mandlebaum’s synopsis and a link to the other person’s blog to download mp3s. Then it began to snowball out of control.

Fans came out of the woodwork offering up more bootleg audio/video recordings and scripts, plus I had original cast members and Broadway aficionados feeding me insider information. My little fan site for the ’76 film began shifting as information and interest in the musical grew. People kept putting audio/video on YouTube and they were getting taken down almost immediately, so I paid to offer downloads of the various bootlegs on my own site – but I had such immense traffic coming from BroadwayWorld (in particular) and abroad that I kept exceeding the monthly bandwidth limit and eventually lost my file host as a result.

As the playwrights were readying their new workshop in 2009, I had the means to finagle a seat but I’d become so thoroughly overwhelmed by the cult of Carrie that I didn’t bother – by this point, it was becoming a huge thorn in my side. Then in a moment of temporary insanity when it was revived Off-Broadway in 2012, I wound up essentially destroying my site. The show was back, I was sick of it and decided I was done with Carrie. However, time and distance have altered my perspective. The revival was destined to happen with or without me, but I think I gave it the ginormous kick in the ass needed for it to happen quickly by making the bootlegs and information so easily accessible. I’m proud of that and happy that the show’s now being officially staged worldwide… even though nothing I’ve seen/heard has quite held a candle to the ’88 Broadway incarnation.

I really don’t wanna get sucked back into Carrie craziness again, my intention with this post is merely to rally the troops because there was something truly magical about that original Broadway version – particularly the final performance (which 3 different people recorded) – and I feel like it should be  acknowledged and preserved for posterity. Without all the amazing bootlegs, the show never would’ve been revived and played for so many audiences, it would have remained the flop punchline that it once was – and on that basis alone, those recordings are absolutely “historically significant” in the musical theater world.

Now, I don’t know precisely who was responsible for the original soundboards/bootlegs, but numerous names were dropped many by a theater writer whom I chatted with many years ago. I’m kicking myself for not saving that mind-bogglingly insightful chat or at least retaining the gentleman’s contact info. Even if the original tapes no longer exist, I’ll bet someone who frequents these boards has good first-or-second generation copies (or knows someone who does), so let’s get the tapes stored in a temperature-controlled vault! I should note that with this program, whomever owns the material retains their ownership (Universal Pictures certainly didn’t hand over their rights to Back to the Future!), the whole point is to ensure the recordings are safely stored for future use. So if you’re holding onto any good “Carrie” bootlegs from the pre-digital age, I hope you’ll consider offering them to the Library of Congress to preserve in one of their facilities.

It’s easy to nominate a title for the Recording Registry, all you’ve gotta do is fill out the form at the bottom – but make sure to specify the 1988 (and prior) Broadway bootlegs, so they don’t think you’re nominating the 2012 cast album, which is ineligible (nominees have to be at least 10 years old).  I’m also unsure if the Stratford recordings are eligible because they were made outside of the USA, but I surmise they could be included as part of a bootleg collection since the show germinated in the states and played here with (essentially) the exact same cast and crew.

If the LOC gets even a fraction of the response to this that I got on my old site, then there’s little doubt in my mind that it’ll end up making the 2017 list of preserved recordings – which would be pretty freakin’ amazing, considering it was never supposed to be heard outside of The Virginia Theatre on a scant few electric nights nearly 30 years ago. If you've read this far, you're obviously a fan, so hit the form at the bottom of this post and spread the word!

About the National Recording Registry

Nomination Information

Nomination Form

Updated On: 4/4/17 at 06:45 PM

[And Peggy]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 7:23pm

You do good work, Vinnie Rattolle. Your original blog was a boon to my music collection, and I love your Carrie blog. I hope this is successful!

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 8:16pm

**Removed**

Updated On: 4/6/17 at 08:16 PM

[emlodik]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 8:26pm

Hi! Thank you so much for helping revive this show. And I agree, the new revival lacks a lot. It doesn't have the original's lush orchestrations, some of the new songs are dull, and I hate that they trimmed some of the best arias in the show. Also, the new expositional scenes don't really work, they have the look and feel of a cheesy after-school special. Even the revised 2015 LA production was lacking. I just wish R&H would allow theatre companies to mix and match material from the three different versions of the show (Stratford, New York, Revival) to help create the best possible version of the show, kinda how Samuel French gives carte-blanche with "Chess."

[VinnieRattolle]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 10:41pm

emlodik, I agree that a mix 'n' match version would be vastly superior. Don't recall off the top of my head if it was at Stagedoor Manor or Emerson College, but changes were made with one of those unauthorized '90s productions, which absolutely benefited the story. With all the material they have to work with now, some really amazing productions could be mounted if they were allowed to tinker with it. And I think everyone who ever heard it misses "I'm Not Alone" (people still hunt me down to obtain the sheet music for it on occasion!). 

g.d.e.l.g.i., I figured the site had to exist somewhere in some incarnation. One day it was suddenly gone, no one informed me where it moved to, I couldn't find it and eventually stopped looking.

And Peggy, happy to have helped flesh out your music collection. Those sites seem like a lifetime ago, and at moments like this, I really miss 'em.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 11:23pm

Just submitted it for consideration.

Your passion for this really shines - and I have to admit, I love the original Carrie. The recordings are phenomenal. I remember collecting all the recordings I could find: 2nd and 3rd preview, the fabled opening night, and 2 from closing night (one the incredible soundboard). Apparently there's one from the 4th preview, but I haven't found it yet. I really adore the score and the high camp inherent in the material. Nothing from the revision has really rivaled Hateley and Buckely (or even Cook). Still, one of my favorites.

[VinnieRattolle]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 5:55am

The idea for this post/campaign came to me pretty spur-of-the-moment after I saw it didn't make this year's list -- it didn't even occur to me that if this works, it'll be inaugurated into the Registry RIGHT on the 30th anniversary of the show  - and oh, the headlines that would make! "Who's laughing now? 30 years later, Broadway's biggest flop is deemed an important piece of history!" And with that in mind, dear friends, it would also prove without a doubt to Gore, Pitchford and Cohen that the '88 version is the one people love the most... which could potentially lead them/R&H to let companies mix 'n' match.

In a 2012 New York Times interview, Michael Gore remarked of the criticism of the revival, “There are some people who would have been happy if the first two rows of the audience were given slickers and blood got all over them. Some theater companies will do that in the future, I imagine.” Even though he said it jokingly, Gore was clearly presuming people would be tinkering with the show, so I don't understand why they've locked the script.

The RSC/Broadway version certainly wasn't perfect, but the tremendous energy of the cast more than made up for any shortcomings in the ever-changing libretto. However far from perfect as it may have been, it played like... uh, Shakespeare (coincidental phraseology) compared to the little that I've seen of the revivals. Don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed that the show secured a second life. However, the playwrights were unquestionably driven even more mad by Carrie than I was (I can't begin to fathom it) and their numerous attempts to fix it resulted in a show that's considerably more coherent but not nearly as magical as it once was. At this point, it would sort of behoove them to entrust other companies to nurture their little baby so she can be all that she could be. After all, there's never been a musical like her!

Oh God, it's happening again, isn't it? My eyes are wide open this time and yet I'm walking right back into Carriesanity...

Updated On: 4/4/17 at 05:55 AM

[divarobbie2]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 12:59pm

Hmmmm.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 1:18pm

The original 1988 Broadway versions of "Do Me a Favor" (including the lead-in music), "Eve Was Weak" and "I Remeber How Those Boys Would Dance" are sheer brilliance.  I too have that soundboard recording and those tracks are my favorite.  

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 1:43pm

VinnieRattolle said: "...Then it began to snowball out of control."

I know very little about the Carrie musical, but passion like this just tickles me. Best of luck with your endeavor! 

[gleek4114]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 2:03pm

I too love Carrie without reservation. It was one of the first musicals I really "obsessed" over. I remember reading Entertainment Weekly when I was in the 8th grade, and reading a review of Brooke Shelids in the stage version of The Exorcist. In the review, there was a mention of Carrie the Musical. I mentioned it to my mother and she said she knew nothing about the musical, but that she loved the movie. She proceeded to order the original movie online, and when it came in we watched it and I fell in love with the story. On the DVD (whichever edition she bought), there was a bonus feature about the musical. I watched the 5 minute extra and was immediately obsessed. Closely after, I too discovered the many bootleg audios and videos. This was right around the time the revival's cast album was released, and I made sure I would have it the day it came out. As my obsession grew over the next couple years, I saw an add on Facebook that a local theater company was doing the show, and was holding auditions. I went in, and I was extremely enthusiastic. Long story short, Carrie was my first community theater show, at the age of 15. I'd be delighted to submit this for preservation. I'm so glad these recordings existed, as they ultimately (as you said) saved the show from obscurity, and brought all of us weirdos together. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 2:25pm

For those curious ones, here's an insanely fantastic montage of the original 1988 Broadway production's "Do Me a Favor".  Using the crystal-clear audio from the Broadway soundboard recording, this person combined footage from the original London rehearsal, the only existing footage from  the Stratford production as well as footage from the Broadway promo B-Roll.  It's well known that nothing was changed between Stratford to Broadway, which the cast didn't understand as the reviews were disastrous in the U.K. so they all expected things would be worked on for its Broadway incarnation.  Nope.  Nothing was changed so the footage you see is what both productions saw.  

Here you'll see Debbie Allen's sheer 80s choreography as well as the WTF costumes used for this number (shiny metallic/glittery bodysuits for the gals and leather-studded bodysuits for the guys!) as well as the legendary minimal black box set.   

Enjoy.  Rewatching this actually brought tears to my eyes.  The score is simply beautiful.

https://youtu.be/x0gwWByElss

Original Cast members:

Sally Ann Triplett as Sue

Charlotte d'Amboise as Chris

Gene Anthony Ray (from the original 1980 FAME film) as Billy

Updated On: 4/4/17 at 02:25 PM

[Fergalicious]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 2:42pm

I luuuurrrrv me some Carrie. It's the most bi-polar musical ever in the history of Broadway musicals.

It's Fame/Flashdance by way of Stephen King, A high school/rock-horror opera of epic proportions!

What's not to love?!!?

 

Updated On: 4/4/17 at 02:42 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 4/4/17 at 5:44pm

Vinnie, I have little to contribute to the Carrie story (although Elly Noble, who played Tink in my Off-Broadway musical opposite NATASHA AND PIERRE's Shoba Narayan, was Helen and understudied Carrie in the revival), but your Halloween mixes volumes 1 through 5 are beyond indispensable to me. Along with a somewhat edited and expanded version of "Monster Halloween Hits" and the Halloween DJ Mastermix compilation album, your five discs are the most important Halloween records ever produced.

[Sertzo19]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 3:38pm

Does anyone out there still have files/copies of those soundboard recordings? Asking for a friend... >_>

I have a DVD bootleg of one of the closing night recordings but would love audio files if they are available anywhere. PM me if any of you know where I can find this! Thank you in advance. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 4:21pm

divarobbie2 said: "Hmmmm."

I agree.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 5:22pm

I have a DVD bootleg of one of the closing night recordings but would love audio files if they are available anywhere.

Oh?  As many on here have known for decades, the only bootleg video that exists of the Broadway production is only of Act 1 and from a preview performance.  No one knows who exactly filmed it but legend has it that ensemble dancer Scott Wise put a camcorder up in the balcony hence the static shot of the stage.  His battery ran out therefore he wasn't able to record Act 2.  No full show bootleg video exists of the entire show.  Professional footage was filmed for the B-Roll so that's how we have clips of some of the numbers.  

The only full show bootleg that DOES exist is the static camera filmed video from the Stratford (UK) incarnation of the show (with Barbara Cook as Margaret White).

[Sertzo19]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 5:25pm

@BrodyFossee123 I actually haven't watched the DVD in years, but as soon as I get home I'll review it and let you know what I have. Maybe I do have a recording of the Stratford version with Barbara Cook. Will update forum tonight! 

[divarobbie2]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 5:28pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "No one knows who exactly filmed it but legend has it that ensemble dancer Scott Wise put a camcorder up in the balcony hence the static shot of the stage.  His battery ran out therefore he wasn't able to record Act 2. "

I can confirm Scott's story. 

[Sertzo19]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 7:16pm

You were right BrodyFosse123 I have a recording of the Stratford Production, so embarrassed! If anyone is interested in a DVD version of it, I was able to find it on this site https://www.mediacollectibles.com/music-concerts/794-carrie-the-musical-on-dvd-.html It's just a DVD version of the full recording that's already on Youtube if anyone is interested. 

[gleek4114]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 11:00pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "I have a DVD bootleg of one of the closing night recordings but would love audio files if they are available anywhere.

Oh?  As many on here have known for decades, the only bootleg video that exists of the Broadway production is only of Act 1 and from a preview performance.  No one knows who exactly filmed it but legend has it that ensemble dancer Scott Wise put a camcorder up in the balcony hence the static shot of the stage.  His battery ran out therefore he wasn't able to record Act 2.  No full show bootleg video exists of the entire show.  Professional footage was filmed for the B-Roll so that's how we have clips of some of the numbers.  

The only full show bootleg that DOES exist is the static camera filmed video from the Stratford (UK) incarnation of the show (with Barbara Cook as Margaret White).

 

"

It's such a shame that battery died before he could record Act 2. Wasn't there a rumor that the man who wrote "Not Since Carrie" had video of Act 2 from Broadway? Or that he claimed to have it but never released it? Something along those lines.

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 4/5/17 at 11:16pm

I too adore the original Carrie. I actually loved the revival but I find myself listening to the Broadway soundboard recording more than the revival cast recording. I wish that the original production had received a cast album. I've always dreamed that the original soundboard recording was digitally remastered and enhanced and released officially. It's such a good score. And those original orchestrations with that grand 24 piece orchestra were breathtaking.

Updated On: 4/5/17 at 11:16 PM

[metropolis10111]

Posted: 4/7/17 at 8:55am

I just wish that someone, somehow can get as close to the source tapes as possible and do a proper good release of it.