Carrie - The Musical
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''Carrie'' (also known as ''Carrie: The Musical'') is a
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by
Dean Pitchford Dean Pitchford (born July 29, 1951) 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, e ...
, and music by
Michael Gore Michael Gore (born March 5, 1951) is an American composer. He is the younger brother of singer Lesley Gore. Biography A 1969 graduate of the Dwight-Englewood School, Gore received the school's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004. Gore, along wi ...
. It is based on
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
's
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
, and integrates elements from the 1976 film. The musical focuses on
Carrie White Carietta N. White is the title character and protagonist of author Stephen King's first published novel, '' Carrie''. In every adaptation and portrayal of ''Carrie'', she is portrayed as a high school outcast, bullied and abused by students ...
, an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers, whose lonely life is dominated by her oppressive religious fanatic mother,
Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
. When she is humiliated by her classmates at the high school
prom A promenade dance or prom is a formal dance party for graduating high school students at the end of the school year. Students participating in the prom will typically vote for a ''prom king'' and ''prom queen''. Other students may be honored ...
, she unleashes chaos on everyone and everything in her path out of vengeance. Co-produced with the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
, with direction by
Terry Hands Terence David Hands, (9 January 1941 – 4 February 2020) was an English theatre director. He founded the Liverpool Everyman Theatre and ran the Royal Shakespeare Company for thirteen years during one of the company's most successful periods; ...
and choreography by
Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award ...
, the original production of ''Carrie'' premiered on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
at the
Virginia Theatre The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1925, the theat ...
in April 1988, after completing pre-Broadway tryouts in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
at
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
's
Royal Shakespeare Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a Grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespea ...
in February and March of that year. Its original stars included
Linzi Hateley Linzi Hateley (born 23 October 1970) is an English stage actress. At the age of 21, in 1992, she became one of the youngest nominees for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as the Narrator in the West End ...
as the title character,
Sally Ann Triplett Sally Ann Triplett (born 15 April 1962, London, England) is a British singer and actress. She participated in two editions of the Eurovision Song Contest and West End productions. Career Triplett first represented the United Kingdom in the Eu ...
as
Sue Snell Susan D. Snell is a fictional character created by American author Stephen King in his first published 1974 horror novel, '' Carrie''. She is a popular teenage girl dating Tommy Ross. After tormenting Carrie White in the locker room, Sue begins ...
,
Charlotte d'Amboise Charlotte Lorraine d'Amboise (born May 11, 1964) 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 ...
as Chris Hargensen,
Gene Anthony Ray Gene Anthony Ray (May 24, 1962 – November 14, 2003) was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. A native of New York City, Ray was best known for his portrayal of dancer Leroy Johnson in both the 1980 film '' Fame'' and the ''Fame'' ...
as Billy Nolan, and
Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), also known by the stage name Darlene Love, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and also a solo recording artist. She began singing as a ch ...
as Miss Lynn Gardner.
Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...
played Margaret during the tryouts, but was replaced by
Betty Buckley Betty Buckley (born July 3, 1947)LuKanic, Steven A (1995). Film Actors Guide'. Los Angeles, CA: Lone Eagle Publishing. p. 55. . is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for an additional Ton ...
for the Broadway run following Cook's resignation after a technical accident. The show received mostly negative reviews and closed after 16 previews and five regular performances in Broadway. With a budget of $8 million, it is considered one of the most notable and expensive failures in Broadway theatre history. Its reputation, the story behind its difficult production, and its limited run created a passionate response from fans, with the show gaining a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
. The original production's legacy continued in several unofficial productions at
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It also maintains campuses in Los Angeles and Well, Limburg, Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of Public Speaking, o ...
, Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium, and
Stagedoor Manor Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts training center located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Since its opening, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theater. Stagedoor Manor is ...
. A 1991 book written by
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 e ...
, which chronicled the history of flop Broadway musicals, was partially entitled ''Not Since Carrie'', and a 2021 podcast and subsequent 2023 book, ''Out for Blood'', documented its creation and development. An
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
revival premiered in 2012 at the
Lucille Lortel Theatre The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse at 121 Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village. It was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse. The interior design is large ...
, with the book and score almost entirely revised by Cohen, Pitchford, and Gore. The show removed most of the exaggerated and playful style from the original and focused on transforming the musical into a psychological-drama. The revival received better reviews than the original production, although some described it as dull. It became the official version of the show, and opened the rights for licensing the following year. The 2015
Off-West End Off West End refers to theatres in London which are not included as West End theatres. The term is a relatively recent one, coined after the similar American term "off-Broadway" (though without the same strict definition). It is usually used synon ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
production followed after the 2012 revival, both receiving positive reviews. " Chapter Thirty-One: A Night to Remember", a second season musical episode of '' Riverdale'' centered around the musical and using the revival versions of the songs aired on
The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
in 2018.


Characters


Plot


1988 production

Act I Opening in a high school gym, the gym teacher, Miss Lynn Gardner, is leading her girls' gym class in a strenuous workout ("In"). After class, the girls head to the
locker room A locker is a small, usually narrow storage compartment. They are commonly found in dedicated cabinets, very often in large numbers, in various public places such as Changing room, locker rooms, workplaces, schools, transport hubs and the like ...
and have fun teasing a less attractive, plump girl named
Carrie White Carietta N. White is the title character and protagonist of author Stephen King's first published novel, '' Carrie''. In every adaptation and portrayal of ''Carrie'', she is portrayed as a high school outcast, bullied and abused by students ...
. The girls start to shower while talking about boys and their plans for the upcoming prom ("Dream On"). Carrie has her first
period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...
in the shower and, not understanding what is happening, thinks she is bleeding to death. The other girls taunt her mercilessly until Miss Gardner hears the commotion, and slaps Carrie to end the frenzy, causing her to break a lightbulb overhead with telekinesis. The girls look on with amazed curiosity and pitiful disregard. Miss Gardner sends the girls away, and explains menstruation to Carrie. On the way out of the gym,
Sue Snell Susan D. Snell is a fictional character created by American author Stephen King in his first published 1974 horror novel, '' Carrie''. She is a popular teenage girl dating Tommy Ross. After tormenting Carrie White in the locker room, Sue begins ...
and Chris Hargensen 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 Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
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 in a twisted display of her corrupted religious psyche that the blood is a sign of her sin, and the materialization of her mysterious power ("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 A drive-in theater/theatre or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, c ...
, including Sue and her boyfriend Tommy Ross and Chris and her boyfriend Billy Nolan. 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 Gardner tells the girls they must all apologize to Carrie. Sue and the other girls comply, but Chris refuses. Upset, Miss Gardner tells Chris that she will not be allowed to go to the prom, and Chris vows revenge. Miss Gardner encourages Carrie to dream about her
Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales ...
("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, including her own father ("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 to collect the blood of a pig for the prom night revenge. Billy warns Chris to look inside herself and consider the consequences ("Out for Blood"). Back at the high school, preparations are underway for prom night. Sue is confronted by girls who are upset that Carrie is going to the prom. Sue, having been abandoned by her friends, steps into Carrie's shoes. She 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 laments her past and 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 and begin to slowly accept her. Miss Gardner 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, Margaret, and Miss Gardner soliloquize about the events unfolding in a full cast septet ("Heaven (Reprise)"). At the height of the nights rapture, Tommy and Carrie are declared king and queen of the prom, and they are crowned as the students applaud and sing the "Alma Mater". Suddenly, Billy and Chris appear and dump a bucket of pig blood on Carrie. In a flash, the night's joy is turned into horror. Carrie, humiliated and incensed, realizes in fiery rage her full powers. She closes off the gym exit, sparing a horrified Sue, and kills everyone present ("The Destruction"). After this, Carrie exits the prom where she is met by her mother on the steps of the school. Margaret lures Carrie in and sings her to sleep ("Carrie (Lullaby)"). But in a final display of her corruption and confused love, Margaret stabs her fatally, believing her daughter will be saved from God's wrath. Carrie retaliates, killing Margaret with her powers, expressing immediate remorse as her mother dies. Sue, the sole survivor and only witness to this final scene, goes to Carrie and comforts her as she dies. As the show comes to a conclusion, Carrie reaches her hand out to the audience, as the lights fade to black.


2012 production

Act I Sue Snell, haunted witness and tour guide to our story, struggles to recount the incidents leading up to the tragic night of May 28. As she's questioned about the past, figures from her life in high school appear. Whatever their differences – be they good girl Sue, her varsity-athlete boyfriend Tommy Ross, her spoiled-rotten best friend Chris Hargensen, Chris' trouble-maker boyfriend Billy Nolan, or perennial misfit Carrie White – they are all wrestling with the same insecurities and united in their desire to belong ("In"). After gym class, Carrie experiences her first period in the shower. Her terrified screams for help and seeming ignorance about what's happening to her amuse and inflame the girls. With Chris as ringleader, Sue and the others encircle Carrie, gleefully chanting names and savagely taunting her. As gym teacher Miss Lynn Gardner races in at the height of Carrie's hysteria, an overhead light bulb inexplicably explodes. When the girls are reprimanded, they dismissively rationalize, "It's just Carrie", the butt of their jokes since childhood. Miss Gardner and guidance counselor/English teacher Mr. Stephens send Carrie home for the rest of the day. But even as she leaves, her classmates' hurtful insults and name-calling ricochet in Carrie's mind until she cracks in fury ("Carrie"). Tommy and his pals discuss the upcoming senior prom as Billy roars in on his skateboard, clowning around. Carrie passes by and he jeeringly ridicules her. When she turns a furious glance in his direction, he goes sprawling. Angry and embarrassed, Billy tries to blame his seeming clumsiness on Carrie, but the other guys just laugh. At the White bungalow, Carrie's mother Margaret works at her sewing machine and sings along to her favorite evangelical radio program ("Open Your Heart"). When the still-troubled Carrie arrives home, she reluctantly joins in the hymn. Carrie summons the courage to tell her mother about the day's traumatic event. The realization that her child is now a woman throws Margaret into a God-fearing panic. When Carrie resists, Margaret locks her in a closet to beg for repentance ("And Eve Was Weak"). With her parents out of town, Chris throws a party at which she recounts to the kids the details of that day's incident with Carrie in the locker room. When Sue – confused and upset about her role in the hazing – protests that it wasn't funny, Chris perversely instructs her in the natural order of things. Billy backs up Chris, detailing an encounter he had with a male classmate who had a crush on him ("The World According to Chris"). Upset by Chris' toxic message, Sue turns her back on her best friend and leaves with Tommy. Back at the White household, Carrie is still locked in her prayer closet surrounded by religious icons. Margaret, meanwhile, pleads for her own divine guidance. As Carrie puzzles over this new sensation she's been feeling, she grows more agitated. Suddenly, a little figurine of Jesus levitates, leaving Carrie to wonder if this strange power might possibly be coming from within her. Margaret releases her from the closet and tearfully apologizes for her actions, prompting Carrie to beg for forgiveness as well. The two find solace in each other's goodnight embrace ("Evening Prayers"). In English class, Mr. Stephens praises a poem Tommy has written, and has him recite his work ("Dreamer in Disguise"). When the teacher asks the unruly students for reactions, Carrie volunteers. Her heartfelt emotion only provokes the other kids' mockery. After class, Sue acts on Tommy's advice and tries to apologize to Carrie but, thinking it's some kind of trick, Carrie explodes at her and storms off. Shaken and shocked into awareness, Sue muses on their encounter ("Once You See"). Miss Gardner rebukes the girls for their reckless mistreatment of Carrie and demands that they apologize to her – or else they will be sent to detention for one week. They all do, except for Chris, who instead hurls a vicious invective at Carrie, causing Miss Gardner to change Chris's charge from detention to suspension, thus kicking her out of the prom. Frantic, Chris tries to rally the girls to join her in defying their teacher until Sue shouts at Chris to shut up and that everything does not revolve around her. Battle lines are drawn as the best friends are now enemies. When Miss Gardner apologizes to the sobbing Carrie for what just happened, Carrie surprises her by insisting that she's got to let Chris go to Prom. Carrie points out that for girls like Chris, Prom is like a dream. When pressed, Carrie admits that she herself is not going. Moved by Carrie's lack of self-esteem and her need for support, Miss Gardner assures her that things can change ("Unsuspecting Hearts"). Determined to do right by Carrie, Sue asks Tommy for help with a plan she's devised. Similarly, Chris, blaming Carrie for her humiliation, interrupts a make-out session with Billy to get his help in her plot for revenge ("Do Me A Favor"). Alone in the library, Carrie reads about telekinesis from a book. Concentrating intensely, she succeeds in moving chairs across the room without touching them, startling herself with this newfound power. In retrospect, the exploding light bulb in the shower and Billy's tumble from his skateboard start to make sense. Nervous but honoring Sue's request, Tommy arrives at Carrie's front door and asks her to Prom. Wary, she repeatedly refuses, until Margaret calls her in for dinner. Worried that her mother will find her with Tommy, Carrie hurriedly accepts the offer to be his date. As he leaves, she calls out a joyous "thank you" as it begins to rain. While the storm outside intensifies, Carrie excitedly tells Margaret of her Prom invitation, triggering Margaret's own tortured reverie ("I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance"). When she orders Carrie to tell Tommy that she can't go, they battle and, as rain starts to blow in, Margaret walks away to close the windows. "I'll get them!" Carrie shouts and uses her mind to slam them shut. Horrified by this display of power that she's certain is the work of the devil, Margaret cowers in fear as Carrie calmly finishes her dessert. Act II Preparations for Prom and the news that Tommy's taking Carrie preoccupy everyone at school, including Chris and Billy, who sneak into the gymnasium with a bucket of pig's blood and set their own nasty prank in place ("A Night We'll Never Forget"). Miss Gardner, suspicious of Sue's motives in having Tommy invite Carrie, warns them both that if they hurt Carrie in any way, they'll have to answer to her. Sue worries that Tommy is mad at her too, but insists he's merely disappointed, wanting to take his girlfriend to Prom. To make up for the event they're going to miss, he takes her into the half-decorated gym to share a private romantic moment ("You Shine"). It's finally Prom Night. The kids are electric with nervous excitement, and Carrie, no less anxious, resolves to make the most of the evening ("Why Not Me?"). Frantic with worry, Margaret tries to undermine Carrie's confidence ("Stay Here Instead"). Just then, Tommy arrives, and Carrie, looking ravishing in the gown she's made herself, departs with him. Alone, Margaret struggles with fundamentalist scriptures: "She must be sacrificed. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live". Her duty – however horrific and tragic – is clear ("When There's No One"). At the gym, the psyched kids show off their Prom finery and pose for yearbook photos. Tommy enters with Carrie, and the crowd's reaction to her stunning transformation turns from initially hostile to unexpectedly welcoming ("Prom Arrival"). Miss Gardner, surprised and delighted by Carrie's new self-assurance, shares her own recollection of Prom, and teacher and student trade notes on this timeless high school ritual ("Unsuspecting Hearts – Reprise"). After much coaxing, Tommy leads a hesitant Carrie onto the dance floor where they're observed – first by Sue, who has felt compelled to sneak in and see how her plan has worked out, and then by Chris' partner-in-crime, Norma Watson ("Dreamer in Disguise – Reprise"). Chris and Billy, hidden high in the rafters above, prepare to unleash their prank, as Sue comes upon Norma switching real Prom ballots for fake ones, arousing her suspicions ("Prom Climax"). Votes tabulated, Mr. Stephens and Miss Gardner announce Tommy and Carrie as Prom King and Queen. While the assembled salute them with the school song ("Alma Mater"), Sue spots the bucket dangling above the coronation area, confirming her worst suspicions. Frantic, she tries to warn Miss Gardner, but the teacher, who's been wary of Sue's motives in forgoing her Prom in favor of Carrie, pushes her out of the gym. Chris cues Billy, who yanks the bucket and drenches Carrie in blood. As the Prom-goers' stunned silence turns to derisive laughter, her unimaginable humiliation turns to fury – and then madness. Lashing out with her power, she exacts a terrible revenge on friend and foe alike, killing everyone present ("The Destruction"). Powerless, Sue watches her classmates perish. As emergency whistles sound and sirens wail, Sue follows the path of destruction that leads through the street to Carrie's house. Carrie arrives home in her bloody prom dress and finds momentary solace in her mother's arms ("Carrie – Reprise"). Just as she's lulled into a sense of safety, Margaret – fulfilling what she believes to be her biblical duty – plunges a knife into her daughter. Wounded and trying to defend herself from further assault, Carrie uses her powers to stop her mother's heart. Sue stumbles into this horrific scene and, hearing Carrie's anguished cries, rushes to her side to comfort her, but she's too late. As Carrie dies in her arms, the figures from Sue's memory provide a final, haunting testimony of redemption ("Epilogue").


Musical numbers


Stratford-upon-Avon

; Act I * Prelude – Orchestra * "In" – Miss Gardner and Girls * "Dear Lord" – Carrie * "Dream On" – Sue, Chris, Carrie, and Girls * "Her Mother Should Have Told Her" – Miss Gardner, Sue * "Carrie" – Carrie * "Open Your Heart" – Margaret, Carrie * "And Eve Was Weak" – Margaret, Carrie * "Don't Waste the Moon" – Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy, Boys and Girls * "Evening Prayers" – Margaret and Carrie * "Unsuspecting Hearts" – Miss Gardner and Carrie * "Do Me a Favor" – Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy, Boys and Girls * "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance" – Margaret, Carrie ; Act II * "Crackerjack" – Chris, Billy, Boys * "Dream On Reprise (The Prom)" – Girls * "White Star" – Sue * "I'm Not Alone" – Carrie * "Carrie II" – Margaret, Carrie * "When There's No One" – Margaret * "Wotta Night" – Boys and Girls * "Unsuspecting Hearts" (Reprise) – Miss Gardner, Carrie * "Heaven" – Miss Gardner, Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy, Carrie, Margaret, Boys and Girls * "Alma Mater" – Boys and Girls * "The Destruction" – Carrie * "Carrie III (Finale)" – Margaret


Broadway

; Act I * Overture – Orchestra * "In" – Miss Gardner, Girls * "Dear Lord" – Carrie * "Dream On" – Sue, Chris, Carrie, Girls * "Carrie" – Carrie * "Open Your Heart" – Margaret, Carrie * "And Eve Was Weak" – Margaret, Carrie * "Don't Waste the Moon" – Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy, Boys and Girls * "Evening Prayers" – Carrie, Margaret * "Unsuspecting Hearts" – Miss Gardner, Carrie * "Do Me a Favor" – Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy, Boys and Girls * "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance" – Carrie, Margaret ; Act II * "Out for Blood" – Chris, Billy, Boys * "It Hurts to Be Strong" – Sue * "I'm Not Alone" – Carrie * "Carrie II" - Margaret, Carrie * "When There's No One" – Margaret * "Wotta Night!" – Boys and Girls * "Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)" – Miss Gardner, Carrie * "Heaven" – Tommy, Sue, Miss Gardner, Carrie, Margaret, Boys and Girls * "Alma Mater" – Miss Gardner, Boys and Girls * "The Destruction" – Carrie * "Carrie III (Finale)" – Margaret


Off-Broadway revival

;Act I * "In" – Ensemble * "Carrie" – Carrie White * "Open Your Heart" – Reverend Bliss, Margaret, Carrie, Choir * "And Eve Was Weak" – Margaret, Carrie * "The World According to Chris" – Chris, Billy, Sue, Tommy, Kids * "Evening Prayers" – Carrie, Margaret * "Dreamer in Disguise" – Tommy * "Once You See" – Sue * "Unsuspecting Hearts" – Miss Gardner, Carrie * "Do Me a Favor" – Sue, Chris, Tommy, Billy, Kids * "I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance" – Carrie, Margaret ; Act II * "A Night We'll Never Forget" – Carrie, Chris, Billy, Sue, Ensemble * "You Shine" – Tommy, Sue * "Why Not Me?" – Carrie, Kids * "Stay Here Instead" – Margaret, Carrie * "When There's No One" – Margaret * "Prom Arrival" – Ensemble * "Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)" – Carrie, Miss Gardner * "Dreamer in Disguise (Reprise)" — Tommy, Carrie, Ensemble * "Prom Climax" – Chris, Billy, Carrie, Tommy, Ensemble * "Alma Mater" – Ensemble * "The Destruction" – Carrie, Ensemble * "Carrie (Reprise)" – Margaret * "Epilogue" – Sue, Ensemble


Casts


Production history

Inspired by a 1981 performance of
Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( ; ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...
's opera ''
Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...
'' at the Metropolitan Opera House, Lawrence D. Cohen, who wrote the script for the 1976 film version of ''Carrie'', and
Michael Gore Michael Gore (born March 5, 1951) is an American composer. He is the younger brother of singer Lesley Gore. Biography A 1969 graduate of the Dwight-Englewood School, Gore received the school's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004. Gore, along wi ...
began work on a musical based on the
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
novel. Gore's '' Fame'' collaborator,
Dean Pitchford Dean Pitchford (born July 29, 1951) 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, e ...
, was brought in to work on the project, which underwent numerous rewrites. In August 1984, a
workshop Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...
of the first act was staged at 890 Broadway in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, with
Annie Golden Annie Golden (born October 19, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She first came to prominence as the lead singer of the punk band the Shirts from 1975 to 1981 with whom she recorded three albums. She began her acting career as Mother in ...
as
Carrie White Carietta N. White is the title character and protagonist of author Stephen King's first published novel, '' Carrie''. In every adaptation and portrayal of ''Carrie'', she is portrayed as a high school outcast, bullied and abused by students ...
,
Maureen McGovern Maureen Therese McGovern (born July 27, 1949) is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her renditions of the songs " The Morning After" from the 1972 film '' The Poseidon Adventure''; " We May Never Love Like This Again" from ' ...
as Margaret White,
Laurie Beechman Laurie Hope Beechman (April 4, 1953 – March 8, 1998) was an American actress and singer, known for her work in Broadway musicals. She also had a career as a cabaret performer and recording artist. After her death, the West Bank Cafe Downstair ...
as Miss Lynn Gardner, and
Liz Callaway Liz Callaway (born April 13, 1961) is an American actress, singer and recording artist, who is best known for having provided the singing voices of many female characters in animated films, such as Anya (Anastasia), Anastasia in ''Anastasia (1997 ...
as Chris Hargensen. It was soon announced that ''Carrie'' would be produced on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
in 1986.Mandelbaum 348 Funding was not raised until late 1987.


Early productions


Stratford try-out

The show was produced by Friedrich Kurz and the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...
and had its first four-week run beginning on February 13, 1988, in
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
, England, where it received mixed reviews. Directed by
Terry Hands Terence David Hands, (9 January 1941 – 4 February 2020) was an English theatre director. He founded the Liverpool Everyman Theatre and ran the Royal Shakespeare Company for thirteen years during one of the company's most successful periods; ...
and
choreographed Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer creates choreographies thr ...
by
Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award ...
, the cast included Broadway veteran and
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
singer
Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...
,
Charlotte d'Amboise Charlotte Lorraine d'Amboise (born May 11, 1964) 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 ...
,
Gene Anthony Ray Gene Anthony Ray (May 24, 1962 – November 14, 2003) was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. A native of New York City, Ray was best known for his portrayal of dancer Leroy Johnson in both the 1980 film '' Fame'' and the ''Fame'' ...
,
Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), also known by the stage name Darlene Love, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and also a solo recording artist. She began singing as a ch ...
, and
Linzi Hateley Linzi Hateley (born 23 October 1970) is an English stage actress. At the age of 21, in 1992, she became one of the youngest nominees for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as the Narrator in the West End ...
, in her stage debut, as Carrie. The massive, technically complex production, which was made with the help of designer
Ralph Koltai Ralph Koltai Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE, Royal Designers for Industry, RDI (31 July 1924 – 15 December 2018), was a German-born, naturalised British stage designer, who worked as associate designer of the Royal Shakespe ...
, featured pyrotechnics, lasers, automated scenery, and a gigantic white staircase that would lower from the ceiling for the final scene of the show (with a completely automated lighting rig underneath, which would lower for the final scene to make room for the staircase). The production was plagued with script and technical problems. The crew was 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 had been rewritten and retitled "When There's No One" prior to the first performance. Cook resigned when she was nearly decapitated by an elaborate set piece — the Whites' Living Room, during "Open Your Heart" — on opening night, but she agreed to stay on until a replacement could be cast, which turned out to be the remainder of the show's Stratford run. A musical section of the "Locker Room Scene" (which has come to be known as "Her Mother Should Have Told Her") was removed during the run, then re-added and dropped partway through the Broadway previews. Another song, "White Star", was excised after the Stratford run.


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 The Theatre World Award 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. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...
) and other members of the UK cast remained with the show, but Cook was replaced by
Betty Buckley Betty Buckley (born July 3, 1947)LuKanic, Steven A (1995). Film Actors Guide'. Los Angeles, CA: Lone Eagle Publishing. p. 55. . is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for an additional Ton ...
(who had played the teacher Miss Collins in the 1976 film version). The show started previews on April 28 at the
Virginia Theatre The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1925, the theat ...
. After the final song, boos were heard mixed in with applause.
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 e ...
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 rose to take their bows, the entire theatre turned to a
standing ovation A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding, often after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. Standing ovations are considered to be a special honor. Often they are ...
". According to ''The New York Times'', "the show had received standing ovations at some previews, as well as on opening night..."Rothstein, Mervyn
"After Seven Years and $7 Million, 'Carrie' Is A Kinetic Memory"
''The New York Times'', May 17, 1988, p. C15.
The show officially opened on May 12. Hampered by mostly negative reviews, the financial backers pulled their money out of the show, and it closed on May 15 after only 16 previews and 5 performances, guaranteeing its place in Broadway history as one of the most expensive disasters ever. According to ''The New York Times'', the "more-than-$7 million show...was the most expensive quick flop in Broadway history". It is often erroneously reported that the show sold out every night, however this is not true. For the week ending May 1, 1988, capacity was at 78%; for the week ending May 8, 1988, capacity dipped to 74%; and, finally, for the week ending May 15, 1988, capacity was only at 62%.
Rocco Landesman Rocco Landesman (born July 20, 1947) is a long-time Broadway theatre producer. He served as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts from August 2009 to December 2012. He is a part owner of Jujamcyn Theaters. Early life Landesman was bor ...
of Jujamcyn Theaters, which supported the show, considered it the biggest flop in theatre.
Terry Hands Terence David Hands, (9 January 1941 – 4 February 2020) was an English theatre director. He founded the Liverpool Everyman Theatre and ran the Royal Shakespeare Company for thirteen years during one of the company's most successful periods; ...
claimed ''Carrie'' failed due to the lack of preparation and fixing issues within the production.
Frank Rich Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is ...
in his review for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote: "What burning passion is to be found in this ''Carrie'' has little to do with teen-age eroticism or
Gothic horror Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean m ...
." The horror element from the novel and film did not translate to the Broadway stage, where the musical numbers was dubbed as "
bubble-gum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, tha ...
." Stephen King was among the people who enjoyed the performance.


2012 Off-Broadway revival

Theater producers and critics were skeptical when the news of ''Carrie'''s revival surfaced and considered the production was "unfixable." The creators reworked the musical's book to a psychological-drama and focused on bullying, Margaret and Carrie's relationship, and coming-of-age themes. A reading was held on November 20, 2009, in New York City. 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. The reading was directed by
Stafford Arima Stafford Arima (born March 14, 1969) 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. He is a member of the SDC (Stage Directors and ...
and starred
Sutton Foster Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical seven times, winning in 2002 for her role as ...
,
Marin Mazzie Marin Joy Mazzie (October 9, 1960 – September 13, 2018) was an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theatre. Mazzie was a three-time Tony Award nominee, for her performances as Clara in '' Passion'' (1994), Mother in ''R ...
and Molly Ranson. In October 2010, ''Carrie'' was confirmed to be produced
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at the
Lucille Lortel Theatre The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse at 121 Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village. It was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse. The interior design is large ...
by
MCC Theater MCC Theater (Manhattan Class Company) is an off-Broadway theater company located in New York City. The theater was founded in 1986 by artistic directors Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey and William Cantler. Blake West joined the company in 2006 ...
. The director is Stafford Arima with the original creators working on revisions of the show. From May 25 through June 7, a developmental lab was held at MCC, directed by Arima and choreographed by Matt Williams. The initial cast for the revival was announced in May 2011. From the reading held in 2009, Marin Mazzie starred as Margaret White and Molly Ranson as Carrie. Additional cast was announced on November 21. On August 1, a benefit preview of the revival was presented at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Titled "Revisiting ''Carrie''", the event gave a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming production with Cohen, Gore and Pitchford. Arima was also present as well. Throughout the evening, Mazzie, Ranson and other cast members, performed song selections from the show. The Off-Broadway revival received mostly positive reviews.
Richard Zoglin Richard Zoglin (born August 8, 1948) is an American journalist and author. Career Zoglin wrote about entertainment for ''Time'' for over 20 years. He is the author of ''Hope: Entertainer of the Century'', a 2014 biography of comedian Bob Hop ...
in his review for ''Time'' wrote: "''Carrie'' tries to turn ordinary, all-too-familiar high school angst into the stuff of tragedy. The show has guts." Other reviewers criticize that the revival lacked the unique qualities that made the original special, such as the decision to use lighting and projection to depict blood splatter instead of splashing red liquid over Carrie.


2015 Off-West End production

In early 2015, Paul Taylor-Mills (producer) and Gary Lloyd (director) announced that they were bringing the revamped ''Carrie'' to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's
Off-West End Off West End refers to theatres in London which are not included as West End theatres. The term is a relatively recent one, coined after the similar American term "off-Broadway" (though without the same strict definition). It is usually used synon ...
theatre, the
Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London with two venues, both located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They ident ...
running for a limited season from 1 to 30 May. Casting for this production included
Evelyn Hoskins Evelyn Hoskins (born 13 May 1988) is an English actress best known for her role as Shona Wark in the British BBC1 hospital drama series ''Casualty''. Hoskins's other television appearances include an appearance in ''Holby City'', also as Shon ...
in the title role,
Kim Criswell Kim Criswell (born July 19, 1957) is an American musical entertainer and actress. Life and career Criswell was born in Hampton, Virginia, United States, and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After she graduated from Hixson High School in subu ...
as Margaret White, Sarah McNicholas as Sue Snell, Gabriella Williams as Chris Hargensen, Jodie Jacobs as Miss Gardner, Greg Miller-Burns as Tommy Ross and
Dex Lee Dex Lee (born 16 May 1993) is an English actor. He began his professional career as a dancer in a touring production of ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', before going on to make acting appearances in numerous theatre productions. Then in 201 ...
as Billy Nolan. The production opened to mostly positive reviews, mostly congratulating Hoskins on her performance as Carrie and Criswell as her terrifying mother Margaret.


2015 Los Angeles production

On March 18, a new environmental-immersive version of ''Carrie'' received its
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
premiere at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Directed by Brady Schwind and choreographed by Lee Martino, the cast for the Los Angeles premiere included Emily Lopez as Carrie White, Misty Cotton as Margaret White, Kayla Parker as Sue Snell, Jon Robert Hall as Tommy Ross, Valerie Rose Curiel as Chris Hargensen, Garrett Marshall as Billy Nolan and Jenelle Lynn Randall as Miss Gardner. The production also featured Tiana Okoye as an alternate for Carrie. She is the first
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
actress to play the part in a mainstream production. The immersive production featured a further revised book and score and was renamed ''Carrie the Killer Musical Experience''. The lobby of the theater was decorated like a high school building, and the seating area was arranged like bleachers surrounding a school gym. For certain scenes, including the one where Carrie is bullied in the girls’ locker room, the first few rows of the audience are swung into place, creating a "boxed-in", intimate effect on the action. The production received largely positive reviews, especially for its cast and unique staging concept. Producers Jack W. Batman and Bruce Robert Harris planned a future productions of the staging for additional cities nationwide and internationally. The La Mirada production of ''Carrie'' received five 2015 Ovation Award nominations from the L.A. Stage Alliance: Best Production of a Musical, Best Actress: Emily Lopez, Best Actress: Misty Cotton, Best Director: Brady Schwind and Best Scenic Design: Stephen Gifford. The immersive production of ''Carrie'' would return to Los Angeles in October for a limited six-week engagement. The show began performances at the historic
Los Angeles Theatre The Los Angeles Theatre is a 2,000-seat historic movie palace at 615 S. Broadway in the Jewelry District and Broadway Theater District in the historic core of Downtown Los Angeles. History This Los Angeles Theatre was constructed in late 193 ...
in Downtown Los Angeles on October 1 in advance of an October 8 opening. The majority of the La Mirada cast returned, including all leading and supporting actors.


Legacy

The Broadway show was a flop and even inspired the title of Ken Mandelbaum's 1992 book ''Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops''. However, it eventually grew in popularity. Following the original production, there were two unauthorized productions at
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It also maintains campuses in Los Angeles and Well, Limburg, Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of Public Speaking, o ...
and at Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, Denmark in 2001. There was a performance at
Stagedoor Manor Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts training center located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Since its opening, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theater. Stagedoor Manor is ...
in 1999; it was unauthorized at the start. Once the creators of the musical found out, they were horrified, but rather than shutting it down, they embraced it and even came to see the production. Although there is no official
cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a stage Musical theatre, musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the ...
of the original 1988 production, several bootleg 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 1990s that there were plans to record an official cast album, though it never happened. However, a cast album of the 2012 Off-Broadway revival was released on September 25. ''Carrie'' received its first licensed US high school production at
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
,
Sandia Preparatory School Sandia Preparatory School is an independent college preparatory school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico serving students in sixth through twelfth grade. The school is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) ...
in New Mexico in February 2013. Following this, it received its licensed US collegiate premiere with Macabre Theatre Ensemble in
Ithaca, NY Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistic ...
in March 2013 directed by Sean Pollock. 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 and
Alice Ripley Alice Ripley (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and mixed media artist. She is known, in particular, for her various roles on Broadway in musicals, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' Next to Normal'' (2009 T ...
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 to mount a new, officially sanctioned, non-musical production of ''Carrie'', which debuted Off-Broadway in 2006 with drag queen
Sherry Vine Keith Levy, known professionally as Sherry Vine, is an American actor, drag queen, and musician. Vine is the creator and host of ''She's Living for This'', a variety series on Here TV. Vine works primarily in New York City and on Fire Island, Lo ...
in the lead role. Similarly, other unofficial spoofs have been staged over the years, most notably '' Scarrie! The Musical'', ''Carrie White the Musical'' and ''Carrie's Facts of Life'', which was a hybrid of ''Carrie'' and the American
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''The Facts of Life''. In 2018, a high school production of the musical is the focus of " Chapter Thirty-One: A Night to Remember" episode of '' Riverdale'''s second season. The episode drew inspiration from the 1988 Broadway production and 2012 Off-Broadway production. The ''Riverdale'' cast album of the musical was produced via
WaterTower Music WaterTower Music Inc. (formerly New Line Records from 2000 to 2010) is an American record label serving as the in-house music label run by entertainment company Warner Bros., ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The name and logo are based ...
. In 2021, a podcast called ''Out for Blood'': ''the Story of Carrie the Musical'' examined the show's tumultuous history and legacy in detail, interviewing original cast members and members of the creative team. The podcast was expanded into a book of the same name, published by Methuen Drama in 2023.


Awards and nominations


Original Broadway production


2012 Off-Broadway revival


2015 Off-West End production


References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Mandelbaum, Ken (1992). ''Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops'', pp. 3–9. 347–356, St. Martin Press.


External links


Official Los Angeles Production Website



Official Vancouver Production Website
*

* ttps://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/08/theater/theater-carrie-gets-the-royal-treatment.html?pagewanted=2 ''New York Times'' article with history, May 8, 1988*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrie (Musical) 1988 musicals Broadway musicals Teen musicals Musicals based on films Musicals based on novels Stage shows based on works by Stephen King Carrie (franchise) Fiction about matricide Fiction about discrimination Domestic violence in fiction Mass murder in fiction Works about murder Works about torture Works about abuse Musicals set in schools Musicals set at parties