[NEohioPAL] Berko review: CARRIE: THE MUSICAL @ Beck Center/Baldwin Wallace University

Roy Berko royberko at gmail.com
Sat Feb 8 11:35:24 PST 2014


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*"CARRIE:  THE MUSICAL" captivates and compels attention at Beck*



Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)



>From the heavy beating musical sound at the start, through the exciting
powerful opening dance, to the exposition presented in the song, "In,"
through the  compelling story filled with well designed twists and turns,
to the startling conclusion, "CARRIE:  THE MUSICAL," now on stage at Beck
Center, captivates the imagination and compels attention.



The musical is based on Steven King's novel, "CARRIE."  It centers on
Carrie White, a shy, misfit teenager who attends Chamberlain High School in
a small town in Western Maine.  Her mother, a religious fanatic, dominates
her life with Bible rules and fear tactics, setting the girl up to be a
social misfit.



Bullied and teased by the "in" crowd for her traditional clothing and
hairstyle, her lack of knowledge of the ways of sex, and her inability to
break through her awkwardness, makes life hell for Carrie.  When she
discovers she has telekinetic powers, things change.



These powers result in her taking revenge when she is asked to the prom by
Tommy Ross, the school's most popular boy, as a result of a plan concocted
by his girl friend Sue, to help Carrie to emerge from her shell.  What
appears to be a great idea turns bad when Carrie is humiliated at the high
school dance and wreaks havoc on everyone.  The conclusion is a stunner,
which leaves the audience limp.



CARRIE:  THE MUSICAL has had a blundering path to the stage.  The show
opened on Broadway on May 12, 1988 to a mix of cheers and boos during the
opening night curtain call, scathing reviews, and, in spite of sold out
houses, the investors pulling their money from the show.  It closed after
only 5 performances, making it one of the most expensive disasters in
American theatre history.  It earned the "honor" of inspiring the title of
Ken Mandelbaum's book, "NOT SINCE CARRIE:  FORTY YEARS OF BROADWAY FLOPS."



So, why the production at Beck?  In 2012 a limited run revival was mounted
in the Big Apple.  The script and score had been reworked and re-imagined.  The
purpose was to "rescue CARRIE from oblivion and to give her new life."  As
evidence by the Beck production, the rewriting worked.



"CARRIE:  THE MUSICAL," is the type of show that Vickie Bussert, resident
director for Great Lakes Theatre and Director of Music Theatre at Baldwin
Wallace, does best.  It is a script that is edgy, avails itself to her
using her very talented and well trained students, and demands creative and
inventive staging.  It's the likes of "SPRING AWAKENING,' for which Bussert
won the Cleveland Critics Circles' Best Director of a Musical in 2012, and
such other non-traditional shows as "LIZZY BORDEN:  THE ROCK MUSICAL," "BAT
BOY: THE MUSICAL," "GREY GARDENS," "THE BREAK UP NOTEBOOK:  THE LESBIAN
MUSICAL and 'BROOKLYN, THE MUSICAL," which are on her vast resume.



The BW alumni and student cast is outstanding.  Petite Caitlin Houlahan is
so convincing as the conflicted Carrie, that knowing of the character's
powers, I'd hate to cross her.  Houlahan doesn't portray Carrie, she is
Carrie!  This is a standing "o" performance.



Sara Masterson is totally convincing as Sue Snell, the haunted witness and
tour guide of the story.  As she struggles to recount the incidents leading
up to the tragic prom night, the audience is compelled to listen
attentively to her tale.



Colton Ryan has both the looks and "aw shucks" good boy personality that
makes Tommy Ross, Sue's boyfriend and Carrie's prom date, believable.  He
has a nice singing voice.  Masterson and Ryan have a real connection which
makes their "a couple" performance so acceptable.



Genna-Paige Kanago doesn't portray nasty girl Chris, she embodies the
snarky character.  Sam Wolf flexes his muscles, smiles his sly smile and is
properly obnoxious as the teenage-male with hopping hormones and no
conscience.





Katherine DeBoer is truly scary as Carrie's religiously obsessed,
psychologically scared mother.  She makes Bible pounding and fanaticism
into an art form.



Musical director Nancy Maier does a great job of having her orchestra
support rather than drown out the performers.  The ensemble got their own,
well-deserved curtain call for their fine in-tune performance.



The dancing was outstanding.  Gregory Daniels used gymnastic, modern and
contemporary movements to create a whirling dervish of compelling sights.



Russ Borski's lighting, especially during Carrie's telekinetic channeling,
created the perfect moods.  Jordan Janota's set design used Beck's limited
stage and off-stage space to provide clear locations.  The only things
missing were the much discussed prom decorations.



Aimee Kluiber's costume designs were era and attitude correct except for
the prom scene.  After all the build up about prom dresses and tuxedos, the
dance clothing was both disappointing and a disconnect.



*CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: "CARRIE:  THE MUSICAL" sizzles with fine performances,
great dancing, well tuned singing, compelling illusions, and an emotionally
encompassing attitude which is so relevant in this era of school bullying.
This must-see production deserves to result in sold-out houses.*



CARRIE:  THE MUSICAL is scheduled to run through March 9, 2014 at Beck
Center for the Arts.  For tickets and information call 216-521-2540 or go
online to http://www.beckcenter.org


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