This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stephen King’s seminal novel, Carrie. TheatreZone in Naples is celebrating this milestone by producing the rarely-done musical version of the story with an all-star cast and musicians.
The story revolves around a teen in her last year of high school. At home, she must deal with her religious zealot mother, who tells Carrie that she is “special” to keep her isolated from her peers and the sexual culture of youth she views as perverse.
At school, Carrie’s peers regard her as an outsider and relentlessly bully her. What they don’t know is that she has telekinetic powers, which they unwittingly release when they pull a cruel prank on her at prom.
Carrie’s principal tormentors arrange to have her named as prom queen. Just as she’s being crowned, they dump a pail of pig’s blood on her from above. In fact, it’s that scene from the 1976 movie starring Cissy Spacek that most people remember.
It’s also the reason many people conclude that the story is too bloody.
TheatreZone Artistic Director Mark Danni reassures viewers that’s really not the case.
“That’s such a small moment of the show anyway," said Danni. "It’s really the other stuff that’s really quite dramatic and effective, and there’s also light moments and there’s fun moments and there’s choreography. It’s an actual musical with all those elements in it. This is a well-written piece, and the music’s great. This cast is fantastic.”
Academy Award winners Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford (best known for Fame), teamed up to write Carrie’s music and lyrics.
They open Carrie with a driving, high-energy pop rock number that expresses the pressure Carrie and her peers feel to fit in, belong, be one of the in-kids.
Everyday, I just pray, every move I make is right
Where I go, who I know ?
Will I be alone on Saturday night?
And I worry, what if I stand out one bit?
I worry, what can I possibly do to fit in?
Perfect clothes, nose, the perfect skin, face, all ace!
I don't worry, if I blow my SAT's .
I worry, what can I possibly do?
To squeeze in, pow! Why not now? When will I belong?
Look where I am, damn! My whole life feels wrong!
What if I do snap? Holy crap!
'Id crawl out of my skin! And so would you.
'Cause life just doesn't begin until you're in...
Within this scrum, Carrie emerges. She’s the penultimate outsider.
To make matters worse, she experiences her first period in the girl’s locker room. Her mother never had the talk with her, so she thinks she’s dying. That earns her the ridicule and opprobrium of all the other girls, and ultimately, the entire school.
Like 13, Mean Girls, and Heathers: The Musical, Carrie has a lot to say about bullying.
Keeley Pendergrass plays Carrie. She says the role requires very little research or advance prep. Instead, she just takes to heart what the other characters say to her over the course of the story.
“They say some heinous things to Carrie that I think if you … if I’m able to put myself in that environment and in that space, it’s already hurtful just the words that they’re saying, and then thinking about the impact of how this could have on a girl who has been said this for her entire life, and only wants to change. But nobody will let her change,” said Pendergrass.
Carrie’s problematic relationship with her mother makes this bad situation even worse.
Margaret White is a damaged soul. A victim of sexual assault and rape, she turned to religion for comfort. But she’s gone too far, and that prevents her from accepting the changes that are occurring in her daughter.
“She’s not able to connect with her daughter in a healthy way,” observes McLean Peterson, who plays Margaret White.
“She’s only able to connect to Carrie as an object. At the beginning of the play, you can see that Margaret sees Carrie as this perfect angel without flaw, this Virgin Mary kind of ideation going on, and as soon as she shares that she’s having her period, and developing and growing beyond that childlike perfection she sees her as, it’s devastating news to Margaret.”
Carrie and Margaret’s reciprocally twisted love for each other is beautifully encapsulated in the enchanting ballad “Evening Prayers.”
[Margaret]
I never wanted to cause you such pain
But there are times when my life is so frightening
Maybe I do things that I can't explain
But my feelings for you never change
You are still my precious one
Can you forgive what I've done
[Carrie (Margaret)]
Mama, you don't (I was wrong)
Need forgiveness from me
I know that you do (It hurts me)
What you have to (to hurt you.) (I'd rather die)
I want to dry all your tears (Then see you)
So you'll see (Suffer)
That I'm sorry for letting you down (One day you'll bless me, by taking away)
God bless me now (Look inside your heart)
Can you look inside your heart (That's where forgiveness must start)
Show me the mercy that you've always shown (After all)
Against this backdrop, Carrie develops telekinetic powers that represent her evolving empowerment and independence. But with no one in her life to help her understand and control the emotions welling up from within, Carrie finds herself on a collision course with tragedy at the high school prom.
Carrie: The Musical runs April 25 —May 5, 2024 at TheatreZone in Naples.
You ain't seen nothin' yet.
It's gonna be a night you'll never forget.
You ain't seen nothin' yet.
It's gonna be a night we'll never forget.
To read more stories about the arts in Southwest Florida visit Tom Hall's website: SWFL Art in the News.
Spotlight on the Arts for WGCU is funded in part by Naomi Bloom, Jay & Toshiko Tompkins, and Julie & Phil Wade.
Script and audio engineered and produced by WGCU's Tara Calligan.
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