I must admit that when I walked into the theatre I had reservations about Stephen King's cult classic Carrie given a musical treatment and that in the wrong hands it could be a campy disaster. I give kudos to Bailiwick for tackling it, avoiding that trap, and pulling it off in a mostly successful manner which I hope will pay off for them both financially and artistically.
For those who do not know this classic story Carrie White is a misfit. At school, she's an outcast who's bullied by the popular crowd, and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she's at the mercy of her loving but cruelly overprotective mother. But Carrie's just discovered she's got a special power, and if pushed too far, she's not afraid to use it (in a magnificently staged prom scene).
The musical score by Michael Gore places heavy vocal demands on the singers with large jumps from upper to lower register and requires singers with strong, rock style voices that can belt in their upper range. Several of the cast found difficulties with this feat and either their mics were not functioning properly or the voices were not suited to this particular style of singing. I also felt that the orchestra overpowered the singers as it was hard to hear them. I am sure they will find more of a balance between the two that will make it easier to understand.
They did superbly well with the more lyrical ballads like the haunting "Evening Prayers" and the beautiful number between Carrie (the superb Callie Johnson in a tour de force performance that should win her a Jeff) and her mother Margaret (superbly played by Katherine Condit) "Stay Here Inside". Katherine Condit performed what I consider to be one of the strongest numbers in the show "When There's No One" superbly. Also worth mentioning is Henry McGuiness' Tommy who captures the charm and charisma of the character and one of the few you really feel for in Carrie's destruction. His ballad "Dreamer in Disguise" is beautifully and honestly delivered and Kate Grassino's "Unsuspecting Hearts" was touching and heartfelt.
I thought the weakest song in the show was unfortunately the one that introduces us to Carrie (Carrie) which was manic and all over the place that it made it hard to connect with her at first. I am not sure if Carrie's mic was not functioning properly or the song was not suited to her voice, but in several of her songs in Act One I had a hard time hearing her over the orchestra (very fine musicians) in her softer moments. However, Callie turns in a performance that is honest, touching and powerful. She is one of the finest actresses in the Chicago theatre scene at present and I cannot imagine this role being played better by any other actress.
The program states the action of the play takes place in Maine and there was no attempt at creating the eastern accent of the region dialect so it appeared this was in Chicago. A dialect coach would have added so much to the production.
The Lyrics by Dean Pitchford are outstanding (rare for musicals composed today) and the Book by Lawrence D. Cohen captures the pathos, horror and humor of Stephen King's story in a tight, concise manner with not a word wasted. I hope the cast will sharpen their diction at the ends of words (consonants) so the lyrics can be fully understood.