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<p class="MsoNormal"><br><b><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</span><br>
</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><br></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">“CARRIE:<span style> </span>THE MUSICAL” captivates and compels
attention at Beck</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black">(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics
Circle)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">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<span style> </span>compelling story filled with well
designed twists and turns, to the startling conclusion, “CARRIE:<span style> </span>THE MUSICAL,” now on stage at Beck
Center, captivates the imagination and compels attention.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The musical is
based on Steven King’s novel, “CARRIE.”<span style>
</span>It centers on Carrie White, a shy, misfit teenager who attends
Chamberlain High School in a small town in Western Maine.<span style> </span>Her mother, a religious fanatic,
dominates her life with Bible rules and fear tactics, setting the girl up to be
a social misfit.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">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.<span style>
</span>When she discovers she has telekinetic powers, things change.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">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.<span style> </span>What appears to be a great idea turns bad when Carrie is
humiliated at the high school dance and wreaks havoc on everyone.<span style> </span>The conclusion is a stunner, which
leaves the audience limp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">CARRIE:<span style> </span>THE MUSICAL has had a blundering path
to the stage.<span style> </span>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.<span style>
</span>It closed after only 5 performances, making it one of the most expensive
disasters in American theatre history.<span style>
</span>It earned the “honor” of inspiring the title of Ken Mandelbaum’s book,
“NOT SINCE CARRIE:<span style> </span>FORTY YEARS OF
BROADWAY FLOPS.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">So, why the
production at Beck?<span style> </span>In 2012 a
limited run revival was mounted in the Big Apple.<span style> </span>The script and score had been reworked and re-imagined.<span style> </span>The purpose was to “rescue CARRIE from
oblivion and to give her new life.”<span style>
</span>As evidence by the Beck production, the rewriting worked.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">“CARRIE:<span style> </span>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.<span style>
</span>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.<span style> </span>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:<span style> </span>THE ROCK MUSICAL,” “BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL,”
“GREY GARDENS,” “THE BREAK UP NOTEBOOK:<span style>
</span>THE LESBIAN MUSICAL and ‘BROOKLYN, THE MUSICAL,” which are on her vast
resume.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The BW alumni
and student cast is outstanding.<span style>
</span>Petite Caitlin Houlahan is so convincing as the conflicted Carrie, that
knowing of the character’s powers, I’d hate to cross her.<span style> </span>Houlahan doesn’t portray Carrie, she is
Carrie!<span style> </span>This is a standing “o”
performance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Sara
Masterson is totally convincing as Sue Snell, the haunted witness and tour
guide of the story.<span style> </span>As she
struggles to recount the incidents leading up to the tragic prom night, the
audience is compelled to listen attentively to her tale.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">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.<span style> </span>He has a nice singing voice.<span style> </span>Masterson and Ryan have a real connection which makes their
“a couple” performance so acceptable.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Genna-Paige
Kanago doesn’t portray nasty girl Chris, she embodies the snarky
character.<span style> </span>Sam Wolf flexes his
muscles, smiles his sly smile and is properly obnoxious as the teenage-male
with hopping hormones and no conscience.<span style>
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Katherine DeBoer is truly
scary as Carrie’s religiously obsessed, psychologically scared mother.<span style> </span>She makes Bible pounding and fanaticism
into an art form.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Musical director Nancy
Maier does a great job of having her orchestra support rather than drown out
the performers.<span style> </span>The ensemble got
their own, well-deserved curtain call for their fine in-tune performance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">The dancing was
outstanding.<span style> </span>Gregory Daniels used
gymnastic, modern and contemporary movements to create a whirling dervish of
compelling sights.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Russ Borski’s lighting,
especially during Carrie’s <span style="color:black">telekinetic channeling,
created the perfect moods.<span style> </span>Jordan
Janota’s set design used Beck’s limited stage and off-stage space to provide clear
locations.<span style> </span>The only things missing
were the much discussed prom decorations.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Aimee
Kluiber’s costume designs were era and attitude correct except for the prom scene.<span style> </span>After all the build up about prom dresses
and tuxedos, the dance clothing was both disappointing and a disconnect.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: “CARRIE:<span style> </span>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.<span style> </span>This must-see production
deserves to result in sold-out houses.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">CARRIE:<span style> </span>THE MUSICAL is scheduled to run through
March 9, 2014 at Beck Center for the Arts.<span style> </span>For tickets and information call </span><span style="font-family:Palatino">216-521-2540 or go
online to </span><span style="font-family:Palatino"><a href="http://www.beckcenter.org/"><span style>http://www.beckcenter.org</span></a><span style="color:black"><span style> <br></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt">
<span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><br><span style="font-family:Palatino"><span style></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span style="font-family:Palatino"><span style="color:black"><span style><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">•••••••••••••••••••••••••</span><br>
</span></span></span></p>
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