Carrie (musical)
Encyclopedia
Carrie: The Musical is a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

 with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen
Lawrence D. Cohen
Lawrence D. Cohen is an American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on Brian De Palma's Carrie , an adaptation of Stephen King's novel. Following this he scripted a simplified film adaptation of Peter Straub's novel Ghost Story in 1981...

, lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, seven Grammy Awards and two Tony Awards.-Early life:Pitchford was born in...

, and music by Michael Gore
Michael Gore
Michael Gore is an American composer. He, along with lyricist Dean Pitchford, won the Oscar in 1980 for best original song for "Fame" from the film of the same title. He also won the award that year for best original score. Gore is the younger brother of singer/songwriter Lesley Gore.Gore wrote...

. Adapted from Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...

's novel Carrie
Carrie (novel)
Carrie is American author Stephen King's first published novel, released in 1974. It revolves around the eponymous Carrie, a shy high-school girl, who uses her newly discovered telekinetic powers to exact revenge on those who tease her...

, it focuses on an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...

 whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic
Religious fanaticism
Religious fanaticism is fanaticism related to a person's, or a group's, devotion to a religion. However, religious fanaticism is a subjective evaluation defined by the culture context that is performing the evaluation. What constitutes fanaticism in another's behavior or belief is determined by the...

 mother. When she is humiliated by her classmates at the high school prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...

, she wreaks havoc on everyone and everything in her path. Francis X. Clines, in The New York Times (March 2, 1988) noted that Carrie is "Mr. King's carmine variation on Cinderella".

Production history

Inspired by a 1981 performance of Alban Berg
Alban Berg
Alban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Early life:Berg was born in...

's opera Lulu
Lulu (opera)
Lulu is an opera by the composer Alban Berg. The libretto was adapted by Berg himself from Frank Wedekind's plays Erdgeist and Die Büchse der Pandora .-Composition history:...

at the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center)
The Metropolitan Opera House is an opera house located on Broadway at Lincoln Square in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the theater opened in 1966. It replaced the former Metropolitan Opera House at Broadway and 39th St...

, Lawrence D. Cohen
Lawrence D. Cohen
Lawrence D. Cohen is an American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on Brian De Palma's Carrie , an adaptation of Stephen King's novel. Following this he scripted a simplified film adaptation of Peter Straub's novel Ghost Story in 1981...

, who wrote the script for the 1976 film version of Carrie, and Michael Gore
Michael Gore
Michael Gore is an American composer. He, along with lyricist Dean Pitchford, won the Oscar in 1980 for best original song for "Fame" from the film of the same title. He also won the award that year for best original score. Gore is the younger brother of singer/songwriter Lesley Gore.Gore wrote...

 began work on a musical based on the Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...

 novel. Gore's Fame collaborator, Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, seven Grammy Awards and two Tony Awards.-Early life:Pitchford was born in...

, was brought in to work on the project, which underwent numerous rewrites. In August 1984, a workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...

 of the first act was staged at 890 Broadway (New York City) with Annie Golden
Annie Golden
-Career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Golden began her career as the lead singer of The Shirts . During the early 1990s she performed as part of the duo Golden Carillo with Frank Carillo. They released three albums,Fire in Newtown, Toxic Emotion, and Back for More. She then returned to The Shirts...

 as Carrie, Maureen McGovern
Maureen McGovern
Maureen Therese McGovern is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her premier renditions of the Oscar winning songs "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno in 1974.-Early life:McGovern was...

 as Mrs. White, Laurie Beechman
Laurie Beechman
Laurie Hope Beechman was an American singer. As a performer, she was known for her Broadway performances in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, and Les Misérables...

 as Mrs. Gardener, and Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway is an American actress and singer, famous for providing the singing voices of many female characters in films, such as Anya in Anastasia, Odette in The Swan Princess, and Kiara in The Lion King II:Simba's Pride....

 as Chris. It was soon announced that Carrie would be produced on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 in 1986. Funding was not raised until late 1987.

Stratford Try-out

The show was produced by Friedrich Kurz and the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...

 and had its first four-week run beginning on February 13, 1988 in Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, where it received mixed reviews. Directed by Terry Hands
Terry Hands
Terence David Hands is an English theatre director. He ran the Royal Shakespeare Company for 20 years during one of its most successful periods.-Early years:...

 and choreographed
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...

 by Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...

, the cast included Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 veteran and cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...

 singer Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook is an American singer and actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s after starring in the original Broadway musicals Candide and The Music Man among others, winning a Tony Award for the latter...

, Charlotte d'Amboise
Charlotte d'Amboise
Charlotte d'Amboise is an American actress and dancer. She has played starring roles in musical theatre, and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and won the Los Angeles Ovation Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Chicago...

, Gene Anthony Ray
Gene Anthony Ray
Gene Anthony Ray was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. He was best known for his portrayal of dancer Leroy Johnson in both the 1980 film Fame and the 1982–1987 Fame television series based upon the film.-Early life and career:Born in Harlem, New York, Ray grew up in the...

, Darlene Love
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....

, and Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley is an English stage actress who is currently starring as one of the leads in the West End production of the musical Mamma Mia!. Her performance as Donna started on 5 March 2007....

, in her stage debut, as Carrie.

The production was plagued with script and technical problems. For starters, the crew were unable to douse Hateley with fake blood without causing her microphone to malfunction. Rewrites continued following each show, and the program cited a song ("Once I Loved a Boy") which was rewritten and renamed ("When There's No One") prior to the first performance. Cook was nearly decapitated by an elaborate set piece on opening night, so she promptly resigned but agreed to stay on until a replacement could be cast, which was for the remainder of the Stratford run of the show. A musical section of the Shower Room Scene (which has come to be known as Her Mother Should Have Told Her) was removed after the initial few performances, and another song, "White Star", was later excised.

1988 Broadway Production

The show transferred to Broadway at an expense of $8 million (at the time an exorbitant amount). Hateley (who ultimately won a Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...

) and other members of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 cast remained with the show, but Cook was replaced by Betty Buckley
Betty Buckley
Betty Lynn Buckley is an American theater, film and television actress and singer. She is a Tony Award winner and Grammy Award nominee.-Early life:...

 (who had played the teacher Miss Collins
Rita Desjardin
Miss Rita L. Desjardin is a fictional character created by Stephen King for his horror novel Carrie. In the film versions, she was portrayed by Betty Buckley and Rena Sofer. She was portrayed in the musical by Darlene Love .-Novel:In the book, she at first feels the same disgust everyone feels...

 in the 1976 film version).

The show started previews on April 28, 1988 at the Virginia Theatre
August Wilson Theatre
The August Wilson Theatre, located at 245 West 52nd Street in New York City, is a Broadway theatre.Designed by architects C. Howard Crane and Kenneth Franzheim and constructed by the Theatre Guild, it opened as the Guild Theatre in 1925 with a revival of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and...

. After the final song, boos were heard mixed in with applause. Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum is an American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre.Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mandelbaum was introduced to Broadway musical theatre by his parents and grandparents at an early age...

 is quoted by Wollman, MacDermot, and Trask: "Ken Mandelbaum writes of an audience divided during early previews, the curtain calls of which were greeted with a raucous mix of cheers and boos. However, in an instant, when Linzi Hateley and Betty Buckley
Betty Buckley
Betty Lynn Buckley is an American theater, film and television actress and singer. She is a Tony Award winner and Grammy Award nominee.-Early life:...

 rose to take their bows, the entire theatre turned to a standing ovation. According to the New York Times, "The show had received standing ovations at some previews, as well as on opening night..." The show officially opened on May 12, 1988. Hampered by scathing reviews, and despite the fact that the theatre was sold out every night, the financial backers pulled their money out of the show, and it closed on May 15, 1988 after only 16 previews and 5 performances, guaranteeing its place in theatre history as one of the most expensive disasters of all time. According to The New York Times, the "more-than-$7 million show...was the most expensive quick flop in Broadway history."

Subsequent productions

In 1999, the Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts summer camp located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Over the past 36 years, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theatre....

 theater camp in upstate New York staged their own version of Carrie. With amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....

 performing rights never having been released for the show, this was an illegal, unlicensed production. Much to the surprise of all involved, Michael Gore and Larry Cohen were in the audience at one of the performances. An additional two unauthorized performances were later staged at Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...

. When the play was staged at a high school in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 in 2001, the only soundtrack that was recorded specifically for disc was made, though the songs are in Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...

. In 2008 Lochaber High School in Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...

, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 performed an unauthorized adaptation of Carrie. The school changed the script slightly in order to make the show "flow" better. They performed the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 version along with a full orchestra accompaniment. Prior to the opening night of Carrie, Lochaber High School invited all the British actors from the original Carrie musical to visit the school, watch the show and meet the cast. Linzi Hateley and several members of the original chorus came to watch the show.

2012 Off-Broadway Revival

A reading was held on November 20, 2009 in New York. The score and book were revised by original composers Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford, and writer Lawrence D. Cohen. The songs "Dream On", "It Hurts to Be Strong", "Don't Waste the Moon", "Heaven", "I'm Not Alone", "Wotta Night" and "Out for Blood" were removed and replaced with new songs (see below). The reading was directed by Stafford Arima
Stafford Arima
Stafford Arima is a Canadian-born theatre director. Arima studied at York University in Toronto where he was the recipient of the Dean's Prize for Excellence in Creative Work.Arima is directing Carrie Stafford Arima is a Canadian-born theatre director. Arima studied at York University in Toronto...

 and starred Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer. Foster has received two Tony Awards, in 2002 for her role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie and in 2011 for her role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes...

, Marin Mazzie
Marin Mazzie
Marin Joy Mazzie is an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theater. She was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Olivier Award for her role as Lilli/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, and won the Outer Critics Circle Award...

 and Molly Ranson.

On October 5, 2010, it was confirmed that Carrie is expected to be produced Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...

 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre by MCC Theater
MCC Theater
MCC Theater is an Off-Broadway theater company located in New York City, founded in 1986 by artistic directors Robert LuPone and Bernard Telsey along with six graduates of the New York University drama department, including Jana Herzen...

. The show will be directed by Stafford Arima with the show's creators going through revisions of the show. The show will be produced in MCC Theater's 2011/2012 Off-Broadway season. From May 25 through June 7, a developmental lab for the show was held at MCC, directed by Stafford Arima and choreographed by Matt Williams.

On May 3, 2011, the first casting for the revival was set. From the reading held in 2009, Marin Mazzie will star as Margaret White and Molly Ranson as Carrie. The revival is expected to start previews on January 31, 2012 with an opening night scheduled for March 1. No additional casting has been announced but tickets are currently on sale until March 25, 2012. On August 1, 2011 a benefit preview of the revival was presented at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Titled "Revisiting Carrie", the event gave an audience a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming production with the show's authors, Lawrence D. Cohen, Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford. Director Stafford Arima was also present as well. Throughout the evening, Mazzie and Ranson, as well as other cast members, performed song selections from the show.

Legacy

The Broadway show
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 was instantly legendary and soon inspired the title of Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum is an American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre.Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mandelbaum was introduced to Broadway musical theatre by his parents and grandparents at an early age...

's 1991 book Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops
Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops
Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops is a book by Ken Mandelbaum that describes and analyzes various flops throughout Broadway history, including the infamous Carrie: The Musical. Jesuit High School created FLOPS:The Musical, a musical re-view based on the book.- External links...

.

Although there is no official cast recording of the show, several bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...

 audio tapes were surreptitiously made during live performances in both Stratford and New York, along with video footage shot from the audience, in addition to the professionally-made review tape sent to various journalists to promote the show. These recordings began to circulate soon after the show closed, and it was rumored in the early '90s that there were plans to record an official cast album, though it never happened. Buckley recorded the song "When There's No One" for her 1993 album Children Will Listen (the song also appeared on her 1999 album Betty Buckley's Broadway), and Hateley released the title song on her album Sooner Or Later. In 1999, "Unsuspecting Hearts" was recorded by Emily Skinner
Emily Skinner
Emily Skinner is an American musical theatre actress and singer. She has performed in such Broadway shows as Side Show, James Joyce's The Dead, The Full Monty, Dinner at Eight and, currently, in Billy Elliot...

 and Alice Ripley and released on their album of the same name.

Early in the 21st century, playwright Erik Jackson attempted to secure the rights to stage another production of the musical, but his request was denied. Jackson eventually earned the consent of Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...

 to mount a new, officially-sanctioned, non-musical production of Carrie, which debuted Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...

 in 2006 with female impersonator Sherry Vine
Sherry Vine
Sherry Vine, a drag performer who works primarily in New York City and Fire Island, but also around the US and in Europe, is known for her parodies of popular songs. Sherry Vine will also be featured on an upcoming web series entitled "Queens of Drag, NYC."-Songs:Vine performs a wide variety of...

 in the lead role.

Rarely Done Musicals, a theatre that is dedicated to performing musicals that no one else will, have announced they plan to perform a concert version of Carrie: The Musical. Similarly, other unofficial spoofs have been staged over the years, most notably Scarrie! The Musical
Scarrie! The Musical
Scarrie! the Musical is an unauthorized musical stage spoof of the Brian De Palma film Carrie and the Broadway musical, both based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, the tale of a high school misfit. The musical had a script by David Cerda with music and lyrics by Cerda, Scott...

, Carrie White the Musical and Carrie's Facts of Life, which was a hybrid of Carrie and the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 sitcom The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...

.

Act I

Opening in a high school gym, the gym teacher, Miss Gardener, is leading her girls' gym class in a strenuous workout ("In"). After class, the girls head to the locker room and have fun teasing a less attractive, plump girl named Carrie White
Carrie White
Carietta "Carrie" N. White is a fictional character created by Stephen King who has the power of telekinesis.In every adaptation and portrayal of Carrie, she is shown as an outcast, loathed and taunted by her fellow students and constantly scolded by her mother, Margaret White, an abusive, mentally...

.

The girls start to shower while talking about boys and their plans for the upcoming prom ("Dream On"). Carrie has her first period
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...

 in the shower and, not understanding what is happening, thinks she is bleeding to death. The other girls taunt her mercilessly until Miss Gardener hears the commotion, sends the girls away, and explains menstruation to Carrie.

On the way out of the gym, Sue and Chris talk about what just happened in the locker room. Sue is already feeling remorseful for her part in the incident, but Chris calls Carrie "Scary White." Carrie is hurt by their name-calling and teasing, but dreams of being vindicated and gaining respect from her peers ("Carrie").

Carrie's mother Margaret is praying ("Open Your Heart") when Carrie arrives home. Carrie joins her mother in prayer for a few minutes and then explains what happened in the locker room. Margaret tells Carrie that the blood is a sign of her sin ("And Eve Was Weak") and forces her into the cellar to pray for forgiveness.

That night, many of the high school students are at the drive-in theater
Drive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...

, including Sue and her boyfriend Tommy and Chris and her boyfriend Billy. Sue tells Tommy that she is still upset about what she and the other girls did to Carrie in the locker room, while Chris complains about Carrie to Billy ("Don't Waste the Moon"). While the other teenagers are at the drive-in, Carrie and Margaret are home praying ("Evening Prayers"). Margaret prays for the strength to help her daughter while Carrie, depressed, questions God's love for her. Margaret apologizes for hurting Carrie and assures her that she loves her unconditionally.

At school the following day, Miss Gardener tells the girls they must all apologize to Carrie. Sue and the other girls comply, but Chris refuses. Upset, Miss Gardener tells Chris that she will not be allowed to go to the prom, and Chris vows revenge. Miss Gardener encourages Carrie to dream about her Prince Charming ("Unsuspecting Hearts").

Still upset over the way Carrie has been treated, Sue asks Tommy to take Carrie to the prom instead of her ("Do Me a Favor"), and he reluctantly agrees. At the same time, Chris asks Billy to help her get revenge on Carrie.

Tommy surprises Carrie by knocking on her door and asking her to go to prom. Though at first confused and uneasy, Carrie eventually agrees to go with him. When she tells her mother the news ("Invited"), Margaret forbids her to go, insisting that all boys just want to take advantage of girls ("I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance"), and the prom would be an occasion of sin. Carrie reveals her supernatural powers, telling her mother that she is determined to attend the prom and will not be stopped.

Act II

The act opens at a pig farm while a storm rages, where Chris, Billy, and several of his friends are on a mission ("Out for Blood"). For their planned revenge on Carrie, they kill a pig and collect its blood. Back at the high school, Sue is confronted by girls who are upset that Carrie is going to the prom. Sue believes she is doing the right thing but realizes that doing the right thing is not always easy ("It Hurts to be Strong").

Getting ready for the prom, Carrie dreams about her date and, in a positive display of her special powers, she sends her dress, shoes, and hairbrush dancing through the air ("I'm Not Alone"). Margaret tries one more time to convince Carrie not to go to the prom ("Carrie (Reprise)"), but Carrie doesn't listen. She leaves for the prom with Tommy. Alone, Margaret plans to save Carrie from damnation the only way she can ("When There's No One").

Tommy and Carrie arrive at the prom ("Wotta Night") and everyone is surprised at how beautiful Carrie is. Miss Gardener is there as a chaperone and talks to Carrie about how it feels to be in love ("Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)"). Carrie is nervous about dancing with Tommy, but he finally convinces her to go out on the dance floor with him ("Heaven"). As the votes for prom king and queen are cast, Tommy, Carrie, Sue, Chris, Billy, and Miss Gardener soliloquize about the events unfolding ("Heaven (Reprise)"). Tommy and Carrie are declared king and queen of the prom, and they are crowned as the students sing the "Alma Mater."

Suddenly, Billy and Chris appear and dump a bucket of pig blood on Carrie. Humiliated and incensed, Carrie realizes her full powers. She closes off the gym exit and kills everyone present ("The Destruction"). Carrie leaves the prom and is met by her mother. Margaret comforts her daughter ("Carrie (2nd Reprise)") and then stabs her fatally, thinking it will save Carrie's soul. Carrie retaliates, killing Margaret with her powers, and she apologizes as her mother dies. Sue, the only student who was not at the prom, discovers Carrie and comforts her as she dies.

Differences from the novel

  • Billy and Chris run on stage and throw the blood on Carrie instead of dumping it from the ceiling. This was because of the difficulty in drenching Linzi Hateley in stage blood, which would clog her body microphone. Since her song "The Destruction" began almost immediately, there was no time to clear the microphone before it was needed.
  • In the novel, Chris is forbidden from attending the prom because she skips detention (as punishment for teasing Carrie). In the musical, the detention is not mentioned. Chris is punished for refusing to apologize to Carrie, instead choosing to yell out her standard taunt, "Carrie White eats shit."
  • The musical does not include Carrie's destruction of the whole town following the prom, which occurs in the novel.
  • Chris and Billy are killed during the prom massacre in the musical. In the novel Carrie causes their car to crash a few hours after the prom.
  • The characters of the principal and the teacher are merged into a single character named Miss Gardener.
  • The "sanctuary" that Margaret forces Carrie into is a cellar rather than a closet.
  • The Alma Mater is different from the Ewen High School's song in the book.

Original Workshop

Act I
  • "Our Father" - Carrie
  • "Ain't It a Bitch?" - Miss Gardener and Female Ensemble
  • "Dream On" - Female Ensemble
  • "Somebody Should Have Told Her"1 - Miss Gardener
  • "I Can Hear My Heart" - Carrie
  • "Open Your Heart" - Radio Voice, Choir, and Margaret
  • "And Eve Was Weak" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Don't Waste The Moon" - Ensemble
  • "Evening Prayers" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Tommy's Poem (Dreamer In Disguise)" - Tommy
  • "Do Me a Favor" - Ensemble
  • "It Only Has To Happen Once"2 - Miss Gardener and Carrie
  • "I Never Dreamed" - Carrie
  • "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance" - Margaret


Act II
  • "White Star" - Sue
  • "Out For Blood" - Chris and Male Ensemble
  • "Crackerjack" - Billy
  • "Unsuspecting Hearts" - Carrie
  • "Evening Prayers (Tag)" - Margaret
  • "Wotta Night" - Ensemble
  • "Heaven" - Tommy and Carrie
  • "Alma Mater"3 - Ensemble
  • "The Destruction" - Carrie
  • "Innocent Eyes" - Margaret
  • "Carrie (Finale)" - Margaret and Sue


1 This song was not performed in the actual workshop. In the script to the workshop it is sung in the scene inside the principal's office right before Carrie enters.

2 By the time the script to the workshop was archived, this song had already been replaced by "Unsuspecting Hearts".

3 This is another version of this song.

Stratford

Act I
  • Overture - Orchestra
  • "In"1 - Miss Gardener and Female Ensemble
  • "Dear Lord" - Carrie
  • "Dream On" - Female Chorus and Carrie
  • "Somebody Should Have Told Her" - Miss Gardener and Sue
  • "Carrie" - Carrie
  • "Open Your Heart" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "And Eve Was Weak" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Don't Waste the Moon" - Ensemble
  • "Evening Prayers" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Unsuspecting Hearts" - Miss Gardener and Carrie
  • "Do Me a Favor" - Ensemble
  • "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance" - Margaret and Carrie


Act II
  • "Crackerjack" - Chris, Billy, and Male Ensemble
  • "Dream On (Reprise)" - Sue and Female Ensemble
  • "Heaven (White Star)" - Sue
  • "I'm Not Alone" - Carrie
  • "Carrie (Reprise)"2 - Margaret and Carrie
  • "When There's No One"2 - Margaret
  • "Wotta Night" - Ensemble
  • "Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)" - Miss Gardener and Carrie
  • "Heaven" - Tommy
  • "Heaven (Octet)" - Entire Company
  • "Alma Mater" - Ensemble
  • "The Destruction" - Carrie
  • "Carrie (Finale)" - Margaret


1 Originally featured the Female Ensemble chanting about being overweight. This was replaced with Miss Gardener's infamous rap section before each verse and Charlotte D'Amboise's dance solo in rehearsals.

2 These two replaced the song "Once I Loved A Boy", sung by Margaret as well as a larger book scene.


Broadway

Act I
  • Overture1 - Orchestra
  • "In" - Miss Gardner and Female Ensemble
  • "Dear Lord"2 - Carrie
  • "Dream On" - Female Chorus and Carrie
  • "Carrie" - Carrie
  • "Open Your Heart" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "And Eve Was Weak" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Don't Waste the Moon" - Ensemble
  • "Evening Prayers" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Unsuspecting Hearts" - Miss Gardener and Carrie
  • "Do Me a Favor" - Ensemble
  • "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance" - Margaret and Carrie


Act II
  • "Out for Blood"3 - Chris, Billy, and Male Ensemble
  • "It Hurts to Be Strong"4 - Sue
  • "I'm Not Alone" - Carrie
  • "Carrie (Reprise)" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "When There's No One" - Margaret
  • "Wotta Night" - Ensemble
  • "Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)" - Miss Gardener and Carrie
  • "Heaven" - Tommy
  • "Heaven (Septet)"5 - Tommy, Sue, Miss Gardner, Carrie, Chris, Billy and Ensemble
  • "Alma Mater"6 - Ensemble
  • "The Destruction" - Carrie
  • "Carrie (Finale)" - Margaret


1 The "Overture" was rewritten when the show transferred. Modeled after "The Destruction".

2 Complete lyric change, removing all references to God.

3 Complete lyric changes to the chorus when the show transferred. No longer referenced Crackerjacks.

4 Replaced "White Star" when the show transferred.

5 Margaret's solos and counterpoint were removed when the show transferred.

6 Complete lyric change when the show transferred.

2009 Reading

Act I
  • "Our Father" - Entire Company
  • "In"1 - Ensemble
  • "Somebody Should Have Told Her" - Sue
  • "Carrie" - Carrie
  • "Open Your Heart" - Radio Voice, Choir, Margaret and Carrie
  • "And Eve Was Weak" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "The World According To Chris" - Chris and Ensemble
  • "Evening Prayers" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Tommy's Poem (Dreamer In Disguise)" - Tommy
  • "Somebody Should Have Told Her (Reprise)" - Sue
  • "Unsuspecting Hearts" - Miss Gardener and Carrie
  • "Do Me a Favor" - Ensemble
  • "I Never Dreamed" - Carrie
  • "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance"2 - Margaret and Carrie


Act II
  • "A Night We'll Never Forget"3 - Ensemble
  • "You Shine" - Tommy and Sue
  • "Why Not Me?" - Carrie
  • "Carrie (Reprise)" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "When There's No One" - Margaret
  • "A Night We'll Never Forget (Reprise)" - Ensemble
  • "Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)" - Miss Gardener and Carrie
  • "Tommy's Poem (Reprise)" - Tommy and Carrie
  • "I Believe In Getting Even/A Night We'll Never Forget (Reprise)" - Entire Company
  • "Alma Mater" - Ensemble
  • "The Destruction" - Carrie
  • "Carrie (Finale)" - Margaret and Carrie
  • "Our Father (Reprise)" - Entire Company


1 This song now features a verse for the boys and is performed in various locations including gym class and subsequently the locker room. Miss Gardner has been removed from the number.

2 Carrie's counterpoint in the middle of the number has been deleted. She still sings the tag at the end though.

3 This new number incorporates parts of "Out For Blood" and "I Never Dreamed".


Cast

Character Workshop Stratford Broadway 2009 Reading 2012 Revival Description
Carrie White
Carrie White
Carietta "Carrie" N. White is a fictional character created by Stephen King who has the power of telekinesis.In every adaptation and portrayal of Carrie, she is shown as an outcast, loathed and taunted by her fellow students and constantly scolded by her mother, Margaret White, an abusive, mentally...

Annie Golden
Annie Golden
-Career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Golden began her career as the lead singer of The Shirts . During the early 1990s she performed as part of the duo Golden Carillo with Frank Carillo. They released three albums,Fire in Newtown, Toxic Emotion, and Back for More. She then returned to The Shirts...

 
Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley is an English stage actress who is currently starring as one of the leads in the West End production of the musical Mamma Mia!. Her performance as Donna started on 5 March 2007....

 
Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley is an English stage actress who is currently starring as one of the leads in the West End production of the musical Mamma Mia!. Her performance as Donna started on 5 March 2007....

 
Molly Ranson Molly Ranson Main character, seen as a shy outcast. While showering at school, Carrie has her first period which prompts the events of the musical. Carrie discovers she has extraordinary powers and uses them for revenge when she is attacked with pig's blood at her prom. Carrie kills her entire class and the teachers but is eventually stabbed by her mother. Carrie is perceived as a Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...

-type character. Killed by her mother.
Margaret White
Margaret White
Margaret White is a fictional character created by Stephen King in his first published novel, Carrie. She was the abusive, mentally ill, fanatically religious mother of Carrie White, who has the power of telekinesis...

Maureen McGovern
Maureen McGovern
Maureen Therese McGovern is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her premier renditions of the Oscar winning songs "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno in 1974.-Early life:McGovern was...

 
Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook is an American singer and actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s after starring in the original Broadway musicals Candide and The Music Man among others, winning a Tony Award for the latter...

 
Betty Buckley
Betty Buckley
Betty Lynn Buckley is an American theater, film and television actress and singer. She is a Tony Award winner and Grammy Award nominee.-Early life:...

 
Marin Mazzie
Marin Mazzie
Marin Joy Mazzie is an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theater. She was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Olivier Award for her role as Lilli/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, and won the Outer Critics Circle Award...

 
Marin Mazzie
Marin Mazzie
Marin Joy Mazzie is an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theater. She was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Olivier Award for her role as Lilli/Katharine in Kiss Me, Kate, and won the Outer Critics Circle Award...

 
Carrie's religious mother; although she is abusive towards Carrie she loves her unconditionally and often sings of it. She eventually fatally stabs Carrie believing it will save her from hell. Killed by Carrie.
Sue Snell
Sue Snell
Susan "Sue" D. Snell is a fictional character created by Stephen King. She was one of the main characters in his first published novel entitled Carrie....

Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway is an American actress and singer, famous for providing the singing voices of many female characters in films, such as Anya in Anastasia, Odette in The Swan Princess, and Kiara in The Lion King II:Simba's Pride....

 
Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett is a British singer and actress most famous for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and many West End productions.-Eurovision:...

 
Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett is a British singer and actress most famous for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and many West End productions.-Eurovision:...

 
Jennifer Damiano
Jennifer Damiano
Jennifer Damiano is an American actress and singer, most known for originating the role of Natalie Goodman in Next to Normal on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in that musical...

 
Christy Altomare
Christy Altomare
Christy Altomare is an American actress and singer-songwriter who played the role of Wendla in the first national tour of the rock musical Spring Awakening.-Early life:...

 
Perhaps the most innocent character in the show. At first Sue hates Carrie and taunts her but soon feels remorse for what she has done and asks her boyfriend, Tommy, to take Carrie to prom. Sue witnesses Carrie's rage, but despite that she comforts Carrie during her last moments.
Tommy Ross
Tommy Ross
Thomas "Tommy" Everett Ross is one of the main characters in the horror novel Carrie by Stephen King.In both of the two film adaptations, as in the book, Tommy is asked by his girlfriend Sue Snell to take Carrie White to the prom instead of her. Susan feels guilty for taunting Carrie in the showers...

Todd Graff  Paul Gygnell  Paul Gygnell  Matt Doyle
Matt Doyle
Matt Doyle is an actor living in New York City. He is perhaps best known for his work in Spring Awakening on Broadway and "War Horse " on Broadway.- Early life and performing :...

 
Derek Klena Carrie's version of Prince Charming. At first Tommy takes no interest in Carrie but takes her to the prom after his girlfriend, Sue, asks him to. Tommy is apprehensive but soon finds himself falling in love with Carrie. Tragically he dies when Carrie takes her revenge, although he had no hand in the prank. Killed by Carrie.
Chris Hargensen
Chris Hargensen
Christine "Chris" Hargensen is a fictional character created by Stephen King. She is the main antagonist in his first published novel, Carrie....

Laura Dean
Laura Dean
Laura Dean is a dancer, choreographer and composer.Dean is the recipient of many awards including the 2008 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. She has also received a "Bessie" New York Dance Award for her work with composer Steve Reich...

 
Charlotte d'Amboise
Charlotte d'Amboise
Charlotte d'Amboise is an American actress and dancer. She has played starring roles in musical theatre, and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and won the Los Angeles Ovation Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Chicago...

 
Charlotte d'Amboise Diana DeGarmo
Diana DeGarmo
Diana Nicole DeGarmo is an American singer and Broadway actress. She finished as the runner-up on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series American Idol, narrowly missing the win by about 2% out of over 65 million votes...

 
Jeanna de Waal The main villainess/antagonist of the show. Chris dislikes Carrie. She feels no remorse at all for what she does to Carrie and plans revenge after she is forbidden from attending the prom. She has the idea for the blood prank and is the one who actually does it. Chris dies during Carrie's revenge. Killed by Carrie.
Billy Nolan Gene Anthony Ray
Gene Anthony Ray
Gene Anthony Ray was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. He was best known for his portrayal of dancer Leroy Johnson in both the 1980 film Fame and the 1982–1987 Fame television series based upon the film.-Early life and career:Born in Harlem, New York, Ray grew up in the...

 
Gene Anthony Ray
Gene Anthony Ray
Gene Anthony Ray was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. He was best known for his portrayal of dancer Leroy Johnson in both the 1980 film Fame and the 1982–1987 Fame television series based upon the film.-Early life and career:Born in Harlem, New York, Ray grew up in the...

 
John Arthur Greene  Ben Thompson The "not-so-smart" boyfriend of Chris. Although he is not in school he plans to take Chris to prom until Chris is forbidden from attending the event. He helps in the blood prank and is killed along with Chris. Killed by Carrie.
Miss Gardener
Rita Desjardin
Miss Rita L. Desjardin is a fictional character created by Stephen King for his horror novel Carrie. In the film versions, she was portrayed by Betty Buckley and Rena Sofer. She was portrayed in the musical by Darlene Love .-Novel:In the book, she at first feels the same disgust everyone feels...

Laurie Beechman
Laurie Beechman
Laurie Hope Beechman was an American singer. As a performer, she was known for her Broadway performances in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, and Les Misérables...

 
Darlene Love
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....

 
Darlene Love
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....

 
Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer. Foster has received two Tony Awards, in 2002 for her role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie and in 2011 for her role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes...

 
Carmen Cusack
Carmen Cusack (Actress)
Carmen Cusack is a musical theater actress and singer, best known for playing Elphaba in the Chicago, National Tour and Melbourne productions of the hit musical Wicked.-Early life and Career:...

 
Carrie's "Fairy Godmother
Fairy godmother
In fairy tales, a fairy godmother is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies...

". At first she is disgusted by what she sees in the shower but soon realises Carrie has no idea what is actually happening. She explains to Carrie about menstruation and eventually about boys and prom. She is pleased to see Carrie happy during prom. Killed by Carrie.

Awards and nominations

  • 1988 Theatre World Award
    Theatre World Award
    The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...

    , Best Broadway Debut – Linzi Hateley (WIN)
  • 1988 Outer Critics Circle Award
    Outer Critics Circle Award
    The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...

    , Best Actress – Betty Buckley (nominated)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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