She's Back! CARRIE - First preview !!! - Page 20

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 7:36am

""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? "

Sorry I left out "inept" from my list. That also factors into the equation. As for the other three shows you list, I'll say outright that I'm not a fan of any of them. Sweeney aims to fill you with disgust and revulsion. It succeeds. I guess that's why I can't stand it. But it's certainly better written than Carrie. I don't think Carrie itself is exactly sure what it is aiming to be. That's a detriment. The other two are intentional camp. There are some amusing moments in both, but not enough in either. I think Rocky Horror is junk, plain and simple. But I think that Carrie should have taken the tack of these two and just played it for out and out camp. The audience would have gone along for the ride from the beginning and everyone could have had a wild, rip-roaring good time.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 10:45am

I saw the show yesterday and here are a few of my thoughts:

1.) I found the entire cast quite talented, but I have to give a special shout-out to Molly Ranson who was an excellent Carrie. The praise that she has been getting on this board is well deserved. I don't think the second act would have been nearly as tragic or effective (for me) had it not been for her performance.

2.) I was actually more impressed with the destruction than I thought I was going to be after reading about the lack of blood, but it all happened too fast. The same goes for the scene in the shower. If I hadn't been familiar with the story beforehand, I would have been very confused.

3.) I really felt like the new songs had no place in the show. It was blatantly clear which ones weren't from the original, as their lyrics were leagues cruder and their music obviously written in the style of more recent rock musicals (especially "The World According to Chris" and "A Night We'll Never Forget").

4.) Some of the dialogue was SO AWFUL. There were a few lines that were so pedestrian I was actually cringing ("I'd expect a stunt like that from Chris, but Sue?").

5.) Perhaps my biggest problem with the show was their decision to set it in the present. Especially with the bullying aspect of the story, this just didn't work. I'm not trying to say that there isn't bullying in 2012 (that's clearly not the case), but I don't think it's nearly as open as this musical made it seem. There's no way that high school students would openly mock someone in their class and call her "Period Girl" in front of their teacher, and there's also no way that the teacher would just attempt to continue on with the discussion. Similarly, it would be easier for me to accept Miss Gardner pushing Chris if this were set in the 70s rather than modern day.

6.) I disagreed with their characterization of Margaret, for many of the reasons that have already been discussed on here. Mazzie played her wonderfully, but it was clear that the writers spent too much time trying to convince the audience that she loved Carrie unconditionally -- which, in my opinion, is not at all the case.

Carrie is one of my favorite stories of all time so, even with all of these problems, I guess I'm not surprised that I still ended up enjoying myself yesterday. It was definitely worth my $20, if for no other reason than to be a part of something that has so much history in the theatre community.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:47pm

'5.) Perhaps my biggest problem with the show was their decision to set it in the present. Especially with the bullying aspect of the story, this just didn't work. I'm not trying to say that there isn't bullying in 2012 (that's clearly not the case), but I don't think it's nearly as open as this musical made it seem. There's no way that high school students would openly mock someone in their class and call her "Period Girl" in front of their teacher, and there's also no way that the teacher would just attempt to continue on with the discussion

That disturbs me highly that you even think that.

[whatacharacter]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:55pm

Unfortunately the bullying aspect is still very out in the open in high schools today. As a teacher in an urban school system, I can tell you that is not secrative, and many teachers don't know how to handle it, so they just carry on. It is criminal what teens get away with sometimes. This story is very relevant today!

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 1:59pm

"That disturbs me highly that you even think that."

With the things already stated in this long, long thread THIS disturbs you? I'm guessing you're just mad that one other person has put a dent in your "the Margaret and Carrie scenes are soooo beautiful" myopia.

The poster gave a very concise opinion on this show and you try to insult his moral integrity. Shame on you.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:12pm

No Owen i am VERY vocal everywhere about bullying in high schools and how things are getting so bad that we are having to see reports of so many young kids killing themselves. I wrote a play on the subject matter and we raise money for similar charities here at my production company and stand up for victims of bullying as often as we can (something I went through for being gay and dyslexic). I could not care less if he/she liked the show or thought it was the worst thing he/she has ever seen, i was shocked at him/her thinking that bullying is not as 'open' as the musical says.

Also he/she was not even commenting on the Margaret and Carrie scenes he was talking about the high school scenes so i have no idea what the hell you are talking about.

As for the poster giving their opinion on the show, yes they did and it was very good and enjoyed the read and have not said anything about what they thought of the show, i was commenting on a comment about bullying.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:14pm

Setting it in the present made me feel so guilty. It was much more powerful because I looked inward to see what my role in this would have been. I think that's the most successful part of this revival. Looking inward was haunting and uncomfortable, which is a good thing.

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:21pm

okay, since you missed the point of my chastising I will spell it out for you.

This perfectly nice poster included in his review the point that he didn't believe a kid would bully another kid in front of a teacher and the teacher would let it slide. I do agree with you, I'm sure that does happen.

But you decided to question the poster's sense of morality, he/she "disturbed you".

You did this, IMO, not because you were truly incensed by his bullying comment, but because he dared to say anything negative about the musical's Carrie/Margaret dynamic that you seem to find so sacred.

My opinion stems from the many other passive/aggressive comments you have made on this board.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:29pm

Owen give it a rest, it had nothing to do with anything other than i was shocked that anyone looked at bullying in that way, and since you seem to be paying such attention to my apparent passive aggressive posts you will see i have mentioned bullying A LOT.

So don't try to make this something it is not, this has been a great debate thread so far, let’s keep it that way shall we?

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:38pm

Pot. Meet kettle.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 2:49pm

OK Owen

Now moving on....

[PalJoey]

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

I think we all agree that the issue of bullying has only become more important since King first wrote Carrie's story.

But to turn this musical into a cautionary tale of the effects of bullying on a little girl whose mother, deep down inside, really loves her is to remove the overall tone of Stephen King horror that makes Carrie, well, Carrie.

If those are the two aspects of the story that this production (or the new version) stresses, it probably won't be a good version of Carrie. It will then have to work on its own terms.

But in King's novel, Carrie becomes a monster because her mother is a monster and the kids at school are monsters, and she gets revenge on their monstrous treatment of her by finally being able to commit acts more monstrous than theirs.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 3:11pm

It sounds like they're trying to write "Next To Paranormal" instead.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 3:47pm

Just to clarify about my previous comment: I wasn't trying in any way to say that bullying is no longer an issue in schools. If anything, I agree with PalJoey that the topic has become even more important since the novel's initial publication. But as someone who recently went through high school in a public school in a small town, I felt that the bullying I witnessed there differed from the bullying portrayed in this version of Carrie. It seemed that the majority of what I saw in my high school happened online, through social networking sites, or in the hallways or cafeteria, away from the teachers.

It was wrong of me to make such a criticism of this musical based on my limited experience, and I apologize if my ignorance has upset anyone reading this thread. And thank you to everyone for your comments on here, especially those that have helped me gain a wider understanding of the state of bullying in 2012.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 3:54pm

I had forgotten when I watched the movie yesterday that the gym teacher Miss Collins slaps Chris (hard!) in the face in front of her whole class, after Chris calls her a name.

Today, that would get a teacher fired or sued (by parents most likely) or both. They must have "softened" this disciplinary act in the musical, if they set it "modern times."

[missthemountains]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 4:54pm

I would also agree that I have very mixed feelings about the modernity of this version. I think it honestly would be close to impossible in this day in age for a girl whose a senior in high school to not know what her period was. There are entirely too many health classes that go over it. IMO, the only way she could not have known was if she was homeschooled a majority of her life or something.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 5:26pm

Her mother probably opted her out of sex ed.

[Idiot]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 5:27pm

Excellent point, missthemountains. If King had written this story today, Carrie would undoubtedly have been home schooled up to a point then thrust into public schools for some reason of necessity.

Great comment.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 5:46pm

I think it works. That makes Carrie's situation even more special and unusual. Even though characters are supposed to be relatable their circumstances are heightened, especially in this story. People simply don't write plays about ordinary days and situations. As unlikely as it would be to not know, she is that one girl who doesn't. That's why that part of the story is worth telling.

I also think that's why songs like "The World According to Chris" don't work. That's just another teenager talking about being a bitch which makes me respond..... "So?"



Updated On: 2/5/12 at 05:46 PM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 7:07pm

I saw the show this afternoon. It was, in essence, my first exposure to the material...I've never read the King novel, never seen the movie (except the prom scene, after someone posted it here), and I knew a few songs from the musical and listened to audio of the '09 reading once. I knew the basic story and the major events (like the shower scene, destruction, etc.) going in, but that's about it. That said, I really enjoyed myself, but there are some problems. The biggest one I had was the prom and the destruction...everything seemed to happen so quickly, and with the lighting design for that scene (at least from where I was sitting in the front left orch), I basically couldn't see anyone except for Carrie and a little bit of Chris. I think that the staging of that moment robs it of its horror...you don't see Carrie attacking each person who she feels has hurt and betrayed her individually as you do in the original film. Obviously the extent to which they can show that sort of thing realistically is more limited than on film, but I think the moment should be scarier and more intimate than it is.

The other big problem is I think they've veered too far in the opposite direction of camp for Margaret. She doesn't have to be campy, but I think she needs to be bigger, more formidable, and more of a force. There are glimpses of it in Mazzie's performance, but I wish she were allowed to open up and go further with it. She's very good but she could be great if they allowed her to do more.

The big standout, as others have said, is Ranson. She's a perfect Carrie.

Ultimately, I think they have some work to do, but there is some really great material and if they're planning to make major changes, I hope they can make it work, because I think it's close and I'm probably going to head back later in the run to see what they've done.

Updated On: 2/5/12 at 07:07 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 7:10pm

I saw the show yesterday and thought I would chime in with a report.

The place was reasonably full, but not a sell-out. I don’t know how much of the creative team was in attendance, but I saw Stafford Arima and Dean Pitchford. I also happened to spot Pitchford getting some feedback from Stephen Schwartz during the intermission.

So, as for the show itself. Here’s my preview review:

----
I’m not new to Carrie. Is anybody anymore? I read the book twice in high school, and I’ve seen the movie probably half a dozen times. I’ll even watch the barely-related 90’s sequel when there’s nothing else on. I’ve been listening to the Broadway soundboard for five or so years with a regularity that might actually border on obsession. It’s not the best version of Stephen King’s story, and it’s certainly not the most competent, but it is also my favorite for all its ambition and wildness.

Maybe all of this makes me a poor judge of Stafford Arima’s production, but I was certainly looking forward to being surprised by his approach, and I was really hoping for the best. Arima wanted to make the story contemporary. I graduated from high school just half a decade ago, and an update didn’t seem like a bad idea to me. Arima wanted to make the relationships realistic, and I’m always for approaching extreme material with sincerity.

The show opens with a device from King’s book: Sue Snell is questioned by the police following the events of The Destruction. Not a bad place to start, especially for anyone in the audience who (amazingly) might not know what has happened. In theory, I suppose, this creates a tension and a sense of building dread. But the device continues throughout the show, and it eventually fails to justify its existence because we don’t learn anything through it. By the second act, it seems pretentious. I also have to wonder why the police seem so angry in their pre-recorded dialogue, or why one of them sounds authoritatively British. This device might have worked better if the director had a couple of ensemble members speak for the police from the shadows; the pre-recorded dialogue is very awkward.

From here, we go to the opening number, which is, as in the original Broadway production, “In.” I thought that this was a pretty terrific number, especially compared to the show’s other “teenage” songs. It really establishes the endlessness and over-the-top magnification of everything in high school. I think that it is a little more ridiculous than it intends to be (in context of the dead-seriousness of everything to follow), but that totally works for the material and matches the tone of the book and film. The song also works much better than the original version, and the lyrics are notably improved (even since the 2009 workshop). Great harmonies, too.

In fact, most of Act 1’s first half runs quite well. It feels pretty rooted in what Stephen King wrote, and it mostly works. The new lyrics on existing songs clarify the original, and there is some clever staging. I loved the ensemble singing along to “Open Your Heart” as if on a religious radio station, which was the song’s original intention.

But then, as Carrie tells her mother about her period, and the show theoretically crosses over into the real domain of Stephen King, the production first shows some major cracks. Arima seems terrified of allowing the audience to have any reaction to Margaret. Any line that might have gotten a laugh or a shudder has been cut since the 2009 workshop. This doesn’t just go for Margaret’s first scene, it goes for the entire show. “And Eve Was Weak” is directed to be underperformed, which is not just a tepid little disappointment, but a real failure as a creative choice. The static staging creates a huge dissonance with the song’s darkness and musical build that doesn’t make ANY sense. This remains one of the show’s central problems.

Much of the rest of the act focuses on the teenagers. Some of the new musical material is, frankly, atrocious. “The World According to Chris” is one of the worst numbers that I have seen in a musical, and it tells us nothing. Here, Chris is portrayed as something of a punk girl, which is a clichéd choice that, again, makes absolutely no sense. She’s meant to be a popular “mean girl.” If the director wants to make this a contemporary story about bullying, then he should recognize that bullying really starts with conformity. Any actual young person today who has been bullied would recognize this, but the creative team’s idea of “updating” the material usually amounts to tossing in more profanity.

The saving grace of this section of the show is Carrie’s developing telekinesis. There are some small, nicely done effects. I have no idea how they achieved a scene in which Carrie lifts a tiny figure of Mary without any visible wire. She also moves chairs around the stage (magnets?), which is very effective. There is a lot more life in these small moments than in the high school musical numbers, which are either static or do their best to emulate Spring Awakening.

Things really bounce back when Carrie is invited to the prom, and Marin lets loose for a moment with “I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance.” This number is probably the highlight of the production, and the moment after it finishes, as the lights begin to dim, features an effective little piece of direction. I wish that I could have occasion to use that phrase again.

I won’t bother with being so thorough about the second act. The problems are the same as with the first. Margaret barely registers and her scenes are rushed through, despite some terrific singing from Mazzie. There are a few moments of intentional humor with the teenagers, and I wish that there were more. A horror story needs some release time, but I suppose that since this is no longer a horror story, it is no longer allowed to be funny either.

I should take a moment to say that, despite all of our speculation and worry on this board, The Destruction is one of the highlights of the show. Yes, I would like to be pushed a little more, and I would like it to take a little longer, and I would like some individual "punishment" of her tormentors, but it does work. It is genuinely exciting, which came as a huge surprise at that point in the production. The lack of blood is fine: the projections, sound, and lighting actually do the job pretty well. Maybe I was just happy to see a moment that remotely resembled the tone of the original story, but I enjoyed the hell out of it while it lasted. Some more practical effects like the ones we saw in the first act might have been nice, but I did not feel cheated as an audience member for that scene.

The following scene, however, is nothing short of preposterous in its incompetence. There is NO precedent for Margaret’s knife to come out. Nothing has prepared us for that moment, because this production refuses to acknowledge that Margaret is a disturbed woman. Of course, Margaret can be an extreme character and feel real, because the world is full of religious fanatics who are both ridiculous and frightening. Shirley Phelps, anyone? But no, here, Margaret has been a slightly concerned mom up until now. Ranson is heartbreaking in her last scene, as she is throughout, and Mazzie is still doing her best with what she has been given to do. But the scene earns sn*s. And I do mean “earns.”

I haven’t even mentioned the closing number, in which the entire cast invades Margaret’s living room and sings about how once you “See” Carrie, you can’t “Un-See” her. Margaret casually gets up to join them, and in this final moment, the show feels like an SNL parody of what a Carrie musical might be like. Which just goes to show that you can’t keep all of the camp out of this story. Why not use the story’s extreme nature and inherent humor to your advantage, like the film so smartly does?

I’ve pointed out places where the writing is weak, and yes, it probably always will be problematic in spots. But I don’t think that the writing is what's really holding this production back. Likewise, the performances (with the exception of Chris) are pretty terrific. Molly Ranson gives the show a center that, at times, makes the whole thing come frustratingly close to working. Mazzie shows so much potential, and I know that she could create a memorable, frightening, entertaining, and moving performance if she were given the chance. The ensemble has some real talent and personality. I may pine for the outsize weirdness of the original production, but the technical elements are often strong…especially for such a small production.

The real problem with this production is the cowardly direction by Stafford Arima, who has steered the show’s revision for several years. I have never called someone an artistic coward before, internet anonymity or not, but his work here cannot honestly be described any other way. I appreciate his supposed passion for the project, but it does not show for a moment. He seems ashamed of the story. He seems embarrassed by it. He seems to want to turn it into an episode of Degrassi High.

And that is not Carrie.

The efforts of the company cannot overcome Arima’s disastrous handling of the material, his banishment of every memorable story element, his largely flat staging, and his utter dearth of imagination. I do realize just how harsh and mean this sounds. I don’t say this lightly about a working artist. But there are countless other directors who would love to work with this material. We know that the writing team refused many of them before settling Arima. And yet, this director seems to have active contempt for the real essence of Carrie, and his interests and abilities seem better suited to daytime soap operas. I don’t know why he decided to touch this show.

I am glad to have seen some semblance of this legendary show, and I enjoyed some moments of it. I am just disappointed that this is where it landed after twenty-four years.












Updated On: 2/5/12 at 07:10 PM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 7:24pm

Scarywarhol, I totally agree with you about "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance"...it's a great number and I think it's the one moment where we're allowed by the director to see what Marin Mazzie could be doing with this role if she were given the opportunity. And the little moment just before the lights go out is also incredibly effective. I also really liked the development of Carrie's telekinesis...those little effects were really well-done.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 7:42pm

Very thoughtful, Scarywarhol. Thanks for posting.

[Idiot]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 8:37pm

Loved your feedback Scarywarhol -- thanks for taking the time.

I don't know what Arima's vision might have been if the creatives weren't so worried that 'they're all gonna laugh at them'. If he'd have pitched a knock down, drag out, true to the spirit of the original material production, I bet they'd have said 'no'.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 9:10pm

"I don't know what Arima's vision might have been if the creatives weren't so worried that 'they're all gonna laugh at them'. If he'd have pitched a knock down, drag out, true to the spirit of the original material production, I bet they'd have said 'no'."

I agree 100%. The creative team was so embarrassed the first time around. If they thought their show would be laughed *at* again, this production never would have happened.