Write a comment"They're all going to laugh at you..."
It would take a herculean effort to find someone out there that has no familiarity with the story of Carrie. Stephen King's debut novel, originally published in 1974, jump started his career and practically created a new subgenre in horror. A mere two years passed and Brian De Palma's film was released to box office success, critical acclaim as well as garnering Oscar nominations for its leads.
The Art Scene in Fulton, NY is bringing Carrie: The Musical to the stage, just in time for prom season. With just over a half century between the original idea and today, the question is: Are the themes to the story still relevant today?
For the show, fortunately, it is. Society has yet to catch up to the empathy depicted in this story, even fifty years on. Bullying has been and likely will always be an issue. With burgeoning technologies, the bullies have gone from paper "Kick Me" signs to outright digital threats. Looking at the source material, it's easy to see a character like Carrie as our vehicle into the story. All of us have been bullied by schoolmates, many of us have tumultuous homelifes. Granted, these situations in Carrie are heavily dramatized, but it's a universal story told by a true master of fiction.
Carrie: The Musical takes it one step further. The music never falls into camp; it's all pretty serious. Having seen the production last evening, much of the music feels to me like a distant cousin to Grease. While many of the themes of bullying, child abuse and religious fanaticism are heavy, the music acts as the figurative spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. I will go into greater detail in the coming week once I've seen the other production.
Director Don Crowe made the decision to double cast certain roles in the production. The first weekend stars Julianna Buchmann as the titular Carrie, Haley Georgia as Carrie's mother, Margaret, Cassie DeLore as Sue Snell and Desiree Alexander as Miss Gardner. The second weekend stars Kelsie Davis as Carrie, Korrie Taylor as Margaret, Lillian Campudoni as Sue and Meghan Lees as Miss Gardner. It's an exciting prospect as you can see it the first weekend and then compare and contrast once you see it the following weekend.
Whether you're a teen, someone attempting to relive their teen years, a fan of musicals or just a plain horror junkie, Carrie: The Musical is bound to entertain. This coming weekend (6/12-6/14) is your final chance to see it. Tickets are going fast! (Note: The first weekend's shows completely sold out so act fast!)
