Celebrate Halloween with ‘Carrie the Musical’

Image Courtesy of the Rome School of Drama, Music, and Art

By Mariah Solis

The Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art is set to debut Carrie: the Musical in the Callan Theatre this Halloween weekend from October 28-30. With a unique alleyway black box viewing style, memorable destruction scene with impressive theatrical effects, and dedicated cast and crew, Catholic University eagerly awaits to see the horror musical. 

The pop-rock opera is an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1974 novel Carrie, which was adapted into a movie in 1976 after the book sold over a million copies during its first year of publication. 

The story focuses on an outcasted, lonely girl named Carrie, who is constantly bullied and humiliated by her classmates at school. On top of this, she has to deal with the domestic abuse of her deluded, cruel, and fervently religious mother as she begins to discover her telekinetic powers. 

When discussing the plot of Carrie: the Musical, junior musical theatre major and ensemble member Kelsey Draves noted, “It is a musical similar to Heathers and Mean Girls, except with some supernatural elements.”

The show is especially well known for its bone chilling music, incredibly emotional and haunting scenes, and wicked theatrical effects to portray Carrie’s telekinesis.

“I am most excited for the audience to see the Destruction. That is always the part I look forward to performing and for those that know the movie or book, it is the part that a lot of people remember the most,” shared senior musical theatre major Nathan Nichipor, who plays the role of Freddy, one of the three secondary antagonists.

Draves also added, “The destruction scene is like nothing I have ever seen before. It is definitely worth seeing!”

Catholic’s Rome School is doing something exceptionally unique with Carrie: the Musical by choosing to perform this production in an alleyway black box, which will cause the audience to be seated on either two sides of the performance space. 

Freshman musical theatre major Anthony Graf, who will be performing as secondary antagonist Stokes, commented on this creative decision, stating, “This has brought up a good amount of obstacles, but through those obstacles we’ve had ideas and made choices that wouldn’t be seen in another production.”

What many may not know about Carrie: the Musical is the history and drama that led to its popularity. In 1988, The musical previewed in England for four weeks before transferring to Broadway. It received a polarizing reaction from critics and the audience, including equally loud applause and passionate boos, before closing after just 16 previews and 5 performances. Despite its short run and no Broadway cast recording, bootlegged audios and videos attracted a lot of attention, and thus the musical became a staple for local theatres. This sparked the musical to be revamped 24 years later, and opened off-Broadway in 2012 with updated scripts, songs, and an official cast recording released. While there are definitely still people that dislike the musical, it’s certainly a show that has resonated and made an impression on many. 

“Carrie is pretty much unlike any other musical you’ll see. I think what I’ve grown to appreciate about Carrie is its focus on sincere human connection in a world where we can be so caught up with our own problems. It’s a touching and thought provoking story that can help us to reconsider our interactions with everyone we meet,” Graf said.

The cast also expressed a lot of appreciation of the director Jennifer Hopkins for creating a collaborative, creative, and safe environment, improving both the show and their experience. 

“Our director, Jennifer Hopkins, really made sure everyone was in a safe space in order to get the best results as a team while also making sure we had fun with what we were doing,” Nichipor also shared.

Graf stated, “What was really most fulfilling was knowing that you had a voice in the production and you were able to have an idea that could ultimately make it into the final product. It creates a very personal show that feels like a collaboration between everyone in the room.”

“I have loved being a part of a cast that truly feels like a family. We all support each other, and have each other’s backs,” Kelsey added. “With a show of this emotional intensity, it is crucial to get through it with people you trust and respect.”

Another aspect of Carrie: the Musical that the cast reflected on was the themes and messaging of this story. King was inspired to write Carrie after noticing one of his students getting bullied for having only one outfit to wear to school, and after saving money to buy a second outfit, was bullied for that one as well. While maintaining the horror elements of the plot, the story portrays how human cruelty can affect a person. 

Draves discussed how there are underlying messages she hopes the audience considers, including the question posed in the musical, “What does it cost to be kind?”

She continues on saying, “Always choose to be kind. You never know what someone else is going through.”

Graf states, “I think the main condensed message I’ve taken away from this process is that in every interaction you have with somebody, you have the chance to make their day, and maybe their whole life, a little better. Why wouldn’t you seize that opportunity at every chance you get?”
Tickets are selling fast at 10 dollars for students, 20 for alumni and faculty, and 25 for adults. Visit arts.catholic.edu/performances-and-events/ for more information.