TOM VS. CARRIE: THE  MUSICAL

Tom took his wife on a date to see the last local performance of Carrie: The Musical, but was he worried everyone would laugh at her or would it be a night we’ll never forget? 

Carrie White is a teenage outcast who longs to fit in. At school, she’s bullied by the popular crowd, and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she’s dominated by her loving but cruelly controlling mother. What none of them know is that Carrie’s just discovered she’s got a special power, and if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it.

Set in the present in the small New England town of Chamberlain, Maine, Carrie: The Musical features a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film), music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), and lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose).

Kelsie Edson: Carrie White

Korrie Taylor: Margaret White

Lillian Campudini: Sue Snell

Danie Merril: Chris

Meghan Lees: Ms. Gardner

Sammy Overton: Tommy Ross

Stephen King’s debut novel, Carris, is many things. On the surface it’s a commentary on High School and coming of age, and as you go deeper you see it’s mixed with a bit of religious fundamentalism, mean girls, and, of course, a telekinetic protagonist. Carrie The Musical takes all of this and repackages it as a gripping stage play filled with earworms in its song and dance routines. My wife and I took in the final performance of the musical’s run at the CNY Arts Center in Fulton, NY, on Sunday afternoon. Let’s just say it was a night we’ll never forget.

Small regional acting troupes always amaze me with what they’re able to accomplish with little or no budget, and this performance of CARRIE: THE MUSICAL was no different. Don Crowe and Joe Schuessler did a wonderful job of directing the cast and the music, respectively. The choreography, led by Harper Lynne Travato was spot on, and not what I expected. And the cast’s ensemble, much of which was made up of regional high school students, felt in place.

Kelsie Edson stood out as the titular Carrie, a young woman torn between her religious mother’s rearing, and the angst of High School and becoming a woman. The actor points out her autism diagnoses in her biography in the playbill, and I think this lent to her credibility playing the distraught teenager who is coming to grips with the fact she’s different. Lillian Campudini’s Sue Snell and Danie Merril’s Chris join Edson to create a triumvirate of talented young women who take over the stage. Korrie Taylor’s take on Margaret White is both sympathetic and outright evil. Meghan Lees’s Ms. Gardner (Carrie’s protective PE teacher), and Sammy Overton’s unique take on Tommy Ross (Sue’s boyfriend who takes Carrie to the prom) flush out the stellar cast. I wanted to punt Merril’s Chris and put her in timeout, as she oozed evil and played the story’s true villain with absolute delight.

The special-effects were good, using wires to levitate small items, and we got a controlled GWAR moment for the bloody finale. And, like any good stage play, the minimalist set was easily transformed into a high school gym, or a cloistered home, or even a disastrous school dance. This allowed room for the presentation’s true star, the music, to shine.

The music is what makes all of this work. The songs are catchy, showing their timelessness. The music by Michael Gore (Fame) and the lyrics by Dean Pitchford bring life to Lawrence D. Cohen’s script, adapted from Cohen’s own theatrical screenplay for the venerable film adaptation. The play first hit stages in 1988. Readers should note I witnessed the revival version of the musical, first produced in 2012 for the off-Broadway run that’s continued to this day by troupes across the country. (It’s worth noting that due to the sheer number of auditions they received for this performance run, depending on which performance you saw, there were different leads!)

About the only thing I would’ve done differently would be to have a band perform the music live. I realize theater budget constraints and venue size constrict this sort of extravagance, but I’m digging for things to find wrong with a perfect presentation, so forgive me as I digress. CARRIE: THE MUSICAL is an outstanding adaptation of the Stephen King classic, and if a regional theater troupe near you puts it on, I highly advise you to see it. They may laugh at you, but it’s sure to be a night you’ll never forget.

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN FROM CNY ARTS CENTER FACEBOOK PAGE.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views of opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.