She's Back! CARRIE - First preview !!! — Page 39

Namo: Too funny. But still, gleefully malicious posting and vindictive wishes against something, even something we don't love, feels mercilessly destructive and antithetical to the idea of loving the form of the theater, and certainly contrary to the spirit.

I know this has passed already, but getting back to the whole "Why do people try to 'understand' or humanize people who do bad things arguement." I have to say that any actor who DOESN'T humanize monsters isn't much of an actor at all. We have to search for the underbelly of every beast to understand them.

New: I'm cofident in my ability to survive it.

It's clearly Stafford, if anyone. You definitely are in the minority to say Ranson is the worst thing in the show. I thought her performance was so powerful that when she came home after the prom in Act II crying to Margaret I myself felt a little teary-eyed. She gave an incredible, heart-felt performance, and if this were on Broadway, would be worthy of a Tony for sure.

I'm pretty confused as to how this EVER made it out of a rehearsal studio, let alone onto a Broadway/Off Bway stage. I thought it was quite literally one of the most atrocious things I've ever seen. I'm quite dumbfounded by what I just saw. Is it a parody? Is it MEANT to be taken seriously? Did the book writer/composer even READ 'Carrie' the novel when adapting the characters? Why was half of the script 'modernized' and the other half dated? The dialogue was laughably trite, and everything happens way too fast. I felt like I was watching 'Silence the Musical'.

I honestly can't remember one song. But I do remember some of the worst lyrics I've ever heard. Some of those songs made 'Roses are red, violets are blue' sound like a masterpiece.

Marin and Molly are fantastic performers, but even they couldn't bring life to such a dead script. There was no character development...just spectrum to spectrum. Call me crazy, but I don't think either actress was directed to go FAR enough. I've tried to look at this show so many ways to understand the cult following, and I'm guessing the trick is to NOT take it seriously and embrace how over-the-top ridiculous the whole thing is? (And I'm not talking about the story. I'm solely talking about the music and the book). I've never been so underwhelmed by a musical. If anyone would like to discuss what merits they think this production has (I'm not familiar with anything besides what I saw tonight) I really am quite curious to hear others' perspective. I have no qualms with the performers. Just the freakishly weak material.

Updated On: 2/29/12 at 01:56 AM

All this writing about the material as though its a sacred text is hilarious. It's compelling source material, but it's a pulp novel that has problems of its own, not least of which are some stock characters, clunky dialogue and cumbersome narrative passages. The movie also has issues masked by two great perfs and DePalma's virtuoso direction (even his destruction on film isn't all it could/should be, by his own admission). Macbeth it ain't. Recognizing the limitations inherent in the material, I still had a good time and was moved and think there is definitely much to admire along the way. That opinion seems to get shot down a lot by the vocal ones on this thread, but I'm hardly alone. I'm glad she's back and I'm glad to see that they did not seem to treat the material so preciously. Flaws and all, it's totally worth seeing for one's self.

Did you say shrill???

I never could understand why anyone is bothered even if a person IS a shill. How does that impact your life in any way? It's just like any other advertisement on tv, radio, magazines, the net, etc. If you don't want the product, don't get it.

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^ aww, I'm sorry for you. Now would you mind telling me why you do care if someone's a shill?

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Oh, jane, stop this crazy thing.

Swing and a miss...

I also thought Linzi Hateley was more "Carrie" than Molly Ranson, but she was still good. I didn't think she was vulnerable enough in the beginning.. especially with how quickly the title song comes in this production. I thought Molly was a pretty confident Carrie, which is wrong.

And you're right, I am so in the minority on this opinion and I don't know why.

I am, as well. Ranson, and her director, sacrificed much of Carrie's vulnerability. She was very confident, bold, and even sassy towards her mother and fellow students. I did not see a broken girl. And her smirk towards Margaret at the close of Act One just left me cold. Ultimately, I found the performance pretty unsympathetic.