She's Back! CARRIE - First preview !!! - Page 19

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:00pm

Watching the movie again (yeah, all this talk made me take it for a spin yet again on the DVD player) ...

Some thoughts (new observations) ...

Margaret definitely shows some affection toward Carrie, but not necessarily for her. I do see a difference. When Carrie behaves herself, Margaret acts quite satisfied with their relationship. She has a light in her eyes and a smile on her face, and her voice has a singsongy quality in it (very musical actually---God, I love Piper Laurie).

But the instant Carrie "disappoints" her by saying or doing something, and I do mean the INSTANT she does it, Margaret switches on a dime. It's as if she freezes up and turns to stone. Then we get the "Christian soldier" ready to punish and (eventually) kill her own daughter. It reminds me a little bit of Kathy Bates's performance in "Misery," where Annie is all cute and bubbly one second and then turns into a monster one second later. Same thing.

That could easily be reflected in the music, the songs, and even the lighting. And it could be chilling.

I was reminded about the moment were Margaret "punishes" herself by hitting her own face and pulling her own hair, right before Carrie leaves for the prom.

I was also reminded of the chilly look on Margaret's face as if "a decision had been made" right after Carrie walks out of the house. She also says to herself, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

Updated On: 2/4/12 at 07:00 PM

[bobbybaby85]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:07pm

MB, completely agree. Sweeney Todd is as much a horror musical as it is dark comedy... hilarious and chilling all at the same time. And THAT's great writing. It's the reason I can't enjoy Tim Burton's film. The story doesn't work unless that audience can laugh along the way. It says so much more about humanity to have them laughing about killing people and putting them into pies only to make them feel horrified at the end. THERE's the real horror. You've turned the villains into heroes... You feel mortified that Sweeney kills Lucy and you've fallen so far in love with Lovett that it's heart wrenching she gets the ax as well. In a way you don't want Toby to slit Todd's throat either. Scary stuff.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:10pm

We all talk a lot about the Carrie/Mother music but the new version has some decent songs for the teens. Do Me A Favour has always been a good song as has IN and the reworked versions show that. The New act 2 opener is also very good, and as 'cute' as it is You Shine works well.
The feeling that it was 2 shows in one in the original was a problem down to the feel of the show, you can't go stage a show so abstract and with the Greek tragedies in mind then do a song like Out For Blood or Don't Waste The Moon.

However
The show will and should always have a separation between the high school scenes and the scenes with Carrie and her Mother. The whole point is to show the 2 worlds, how different Carrie's world is from regular life, there has to be SOME separation, from the audio it would appear this has managed to bridge that gap but keep it open just enough. The film has the same separation, even down to the way certain scenes are shot.

Me and my partner have just re-watched the 80s Carrie and the book is awful, it makes no sense and the show spends far too long trying to be a design concept rather than a story.In the new one the book feels richer, fleshed out, it has dramatic tension, you care about Carrie (and that’s just from the audio).

It's strange I’m hearing so many reports back from friends on Facebook, industry friends, theatre fans etc who have seen the show and who think the show is working really well (with a few nips and tucks here and there) but here is the only place where it seems more negative. Guess i will see for myself soon enough, but going off the audio its already leaps and bounds ahead of the 88 train wreck, for that all involved must be applauded.


As for Sweeney, as much as i like the show I’m sorry but i never feel a thing for anybody in the show because of its structure and the humour i think is weak. I don't look at Sweeney as a serious musical (in terms of story or characters) it’s an over the top opera, and a very good one. The folks at Carrie know they are telling a story about bullying, coming of age, wrestling with fear and wanting to be accepted, like it or not that is what they are doing and from the sounds of it they are doing it well. That may not be what some people want from Carrie, and that's fine, but that is what they are doing. I for one am THRILLED that it’s no longer filled with humour (intentional or unintentional), the humour left in Carrie (and yes i think it still has plenty in) feels like it comes from a natural place.

Some people on here think Carrie is a good show or a great idea for a show, some don't like it, some think it's now taken itself to serious whilst others think it now has the tone right etc, nobody is right or wrong, art is subjective.
However as much as I’m trying to put my point across that i think it does work as a show and it seems to playing in a way that it should be doing, and people like Michael Bennet thinks it does not work as it is now etc we are not gonna change each other’s minds. At the end of the day Carrie has got people talking, it's selling well and its here, end of story.

Now let’s all just arrange a day to meet up, get drunk and turn Cujo in to a musical.........i think we are on to a winner.

Updated On: 2/4/12 at 07:10 PM

[bobbybaby85]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:15pm

"That could easily be reflected in the music, the songs, and even the lighting. And it could be chilling."

On paper, it was in the original. Look at the transition from the stoic opening to Eve Was Week into the rest of the song. There are moments in I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance as well that navigate from a more level-headed motherly concerned place and the crazy.

[Idiot]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:17pm

Oh no, songanddanceman. Everything else you wrote is so on the money... but then this?

"As for Sweeney, as much as i like the show I’m sorry but i never feel a thing for anybody in the show because of its structure and the humour i think is weak."

Do you not like dark humor or do you just think the dark humor in SWEENEY doesn't work?

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 7:22pm

Well I’m the biggest horror fan and biggest musical fan but i don’t find the dark humour in Sweeney very dark or humorous, don't get me wrong i do like the show though.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 8:10pm

There have been plenty of mixed and negative reports on other chat boards as well- I think you really want this production to succeed song and so you may be looking a little bit for what you want to see. Of course some are truly liking the show too- don't get me wrong- I'm not dismissing that- but you shouldn't spin the idea that this show is turning into a run away word of mouth hit except for on the coccoon of this message board because it just ain't so.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 8:53pm

I don't for a second think it is turning in to a runaway hit other than on here. An actor friend of mine went to watch it the other night and thought it was 'OK at best', but lets be honest Broadway World is kinda known for being the most negative chat board in theatre history, it's kind of a running joke amongst actors/director's etc lol

I think the rsponse is mixed but most seems to be mixed of positive with very few out and out negative, that's kinda what i thought it would be. I don't really care to much if it becomes a hit Off Broadway, as long as the rights get released so my company can finally get our hands on it and our team can do it the way we have wanted to do it for years.

Now is everyone really gonna ignore my Cujo The Musical idea? come on folks, it's a singing dog.

[Idiot]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 8:57pm

I'll bite, Sondanddance.

Perhaps it should be a 'mash up' using CUJO and the film RABID from the seventies. That way the rabies thing won't be so one sided.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 10:45pm

haha i love it

I will call Terry Hands

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 11:14pm

The response was incredibly enthusiastic tonight. Marin got cheers and massive applause after "When There's No One" and the audience really seemed to be enjoying it overall. Many audience members at intermission were talking about how amazing Molly Ranson is. Stafford Arima said that there are going to be a lot of changes starting next week.

Words cannot describe how much I adore this show and this production. Can't wait to see it again.

[bobbybaby85]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 11:26pm

Someone should mention to him that he should listen to Margaret's Once I Loved A Boy.

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 11:27pm

Well, I commend the talented cast for giving it their all, and for doing a fine job, especially Molly Ranson as Carrie.

I admire the authors for having faith in their work. There is some good music in the score, and I liked the new song, "You Shine."

The staging and choreogaphy do well by the space.

Unfortunately, the problem remains the material itslf. Just as it was the first time around, it's tawdry, preposterous, grotesque, and trashy. It's just less screechingly outrageous about it.

I didn't find it boring. But there were plenty of derisive laughter-provoking lines here, just as there were the first time. Practically every line out of the teens' mouths was of that variety. Yes, "Out for Blood" is sorely missed, but when Carrie's tormentor and her lunkhead boyfriend paint each other's faces in pig's blood, it perfectly captures the grotesquely ludicrous spirit of that other number.

And when the jock/poet is called upon to read his (lousy) poem, and the lunkhead groans, I had to guffaw in agreement.

So aficianados of so-bad-it's funny theatre do not despair. You won't find the sustained hilarity of the original, but you'll still find plenty of it to enjoy in Carrie.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 11:45pm

"So aficianados of so-bad-it's funny theatre do not despair."

Yay! (seeing it tomorrow nite)

[binau]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:16am

I forgot about this I can't remember if it has been mentioned. Is there some kind of overture this time around?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:32am

No overture. Starts with Sue's interrogation, then goes right into "In."

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:59am

WithoutATrace - I'm seeing it next month, and I just wanted to thank you for your level-headed reports on the preview process. I appreciate them very much.

[bobbybaby85]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 1:20am

"Unfortunately, the problem remains the material itself...it's tawdry, preposterous, grotesque"

Couldn't the same be said about Sweeney Todd? Little Shop of Horrors? The Rocky Horror Picture Show?

I'm not saying Carrie is great at what it does. I'll leave my opinion about that out of this. But on paper, a musical about killing innocent Londoners and putting them into meat pies which you sell to unsuspecting other Londoners seems quite tawdry, preposterous, and grotesque as well. On paper, a musical about a nerdy poor guy who has a boner for a prostitute who starts killing and feeding people to a blood thirsty plant seems pretty tawdry, preposterous, and grotesque as well. And a musical about a man from outter-space that wears women's clothing who creates a human monster as his own personal sex toy... same thing.

Tawdry, preposterous, and grotesque things have made extremely successful musicals.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:36am

Is Audrey a prostitute? I never got that impression.

[bobbybaby85]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:43am

Well she worked at The Gutter. It's a night spot where she'd put on cheap and tasteless outfits. Low and nasty apparel and she trails off in the script... It's clear the assumption is that she had sex for money or stripped. But it's also safe to assume that most strippers, especially in urban areas, will do much "more" for extra money. Reguardless of what the act actually was, it's meant to be sexual in nature (she wouldn't go in depth about how cheap, nasty, and tasteless her clothing was to do the job if it wasn't).

Audrey is not a classy woman.

Of course I'm generalizing her and the other things on purpose to make a point. The very reasons people say Carrie shouldn't be a musical can be said about very successful musicals. Saying that this musicalization doesn't work is one thing, but saying that no musicalization could ever work is a very bold and naive statement. Very un-musical things have become very successful musicals. I've yet to hear one reason about why Carrie shouldn't be a musical that can't be paralleled against something that found success.

And I don't think that everything can be musicalized. Catch Me If You Can comes to mind, to me, as very un-theatrical. I don't think the variety show concept works at all. I think the creative team got scared knowing they'd have to find a way to make the chase scenes work, so they forced an arbitrary concept on the material that to me fails. I respect those who enjoy the show though. I'd also be interested in seeing the show actually staged. I don't mind the demo recordings. Updated On: 2/5/12 at 02:43 AM

[Idiot]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:58am

Audrey's not a hooker, but I'd love to see her trapped in an elevator with Margaret White.

[bobbybaby85]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 3:06am

Audrey may not be a hooker, but she didn't just work at Mushnik's. Whatever she did at The Gutter was enough for her to dress like one and embarrassing enough that she can't finish telling Seymour what it was. It's so bad she starts to cry. Updated On: 2/5/12 at 03:06 AM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 3:20am

All of this talk of "When There's No One" just makes me want to watch Betty Buckley's incredible interpretation of it. Simply stunning.



Betty Buckley- "When There's No One"

Updated On: 2/6/12 at 03:20 AM

[binau]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 4:24am

I know it's simple but I really like the lyric "Nobody's told me, who will hold me". I mean it does make me feel sorry for her..

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 5:37am

Audrey is NOT a hooker. She embarrassed to work at 'that' kind of club. DEEP down, she wants to be a good girl, but stuck in skid row keeps her scratching to survive.


And now we return to our regularly scheduled thread....