The legendary musical Carrie opened on May 12, 1988, at Broadway’s Virginia (now August Wilson) Theatre. In 1981, Lawrence D. Cohen, who wrote the 1976 film Carrie, and Michael Gore began work on a musical adaptation of the Stephen King novel. They soon brought in Gore’s Fame collaborator Dean Pitchford, and in 1984, they staged a workshop of the first act with Annie Golden (Carrie), Maureen McGovern (Mrs. White), and Laurie Beechman (Miss Gardner). A Broadway premiere was planned for 1986, but the funding fell through.
In 1988, producer Friedrich Kurz and the Royal Shakespeare Company picked up the show, which premiered Feb. 13 for a limited engagement in Stratford, England. Directed by Terry Hands and choreographed by Debbie Allen, the cast included Linzi Hateley (Carrie), Barbara Cook (Mrs. White), and Darlene Love (Miss Gardner). Below is a British documentary about the making of that production, featuring interviews with Cohen, Gore, Hands, Hateley, and more, as well as clips of the songs “Wotta Night,” “Do Me a Favor,” “Unsuspecting Hearts,” “Dream On,” and “Don’t Waste the Moon.”
The RSC production was plagued with problems, and rewrites continued after each performance. When Hateley was doused with fake blood in the prom scene, her microphone would short-circuit, and Cook gave notice when she was nearly decapitated by an elaborate set piece during “Open Your Heart” on opening night. Below is the RSC’s archive video of the production. (Note that the curtain rises at 1:00.)
The production transferred to Broadway at a cost of $8 million, a remarkable amount for the time. Hateley (who would win a Theatre World Award for her performance) and many of the RSC cast made the transfer from England, but Cook was replaced by Betty Buckley, who had played the teacher Miss Collins in the 1976 film. After mostly negative reviews, the backers pulled the plug, and the show closed on May 15, after only 16 previews and five performances. Below is the Broadway press reel, featuring “In” with Darlene Love, “Carrie” with Linzi Hateley,“Evening Prayers” with Betty Buckley, and more.
The show was enshrined in Broadway lore with Ken Mandelbaum’s 1991 book, Not Since Carrie, which chronicled the history of flop musicals. Cohen and Gore were anxious to redeem the show’s reputation, and they continued to revise the show. Finally in 2009, they held a reading of their new version, with Molly Ranson (Carrie), Marin Mazzie (Mrs. White), and Sutton Foster (Miss Gardner). MCC Theater then produced the Off-Broadway revival on Mar. 1, 2012, with Carmen Cusack replacing Foster. The production received nominations as best revival from the Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Lucille Lortel Awards. Below are highlights from that version.
There was no official cast recording of the original 1988 Broadway production, but several bootleg audiotapes began to circulate shortly after the show closed. The cast album of the Off-Broadway revival was the show’s first official release, and it topped Billboard’s Cast Albums chart the week of Oct. 13, 2012. Below is a short documentary about the making of that recording.
The 2012 version was later seen on London’s Off-West End in 2015 with Evelyn Hoskins (Carrie), Kim Criswell (Mrs. White), and Jodie Jacobs (Miss Gardner). Below is a trailer for that production.
A new environmental-immersive version of Carrie also opened in 2015 at La Mirada Theatre in Los Angeles. Directed by Brady Schwind and choreographed by Lee Martino, the cast included Emily Lopez (Carrie), Misty Cotton (Mrs. White), and Jenelle Lynn Randall (Miss Gardner). This version featured a further revised book and score. Below are highlights from that production.
Other notable apperances of the show include the Riverdale episode “Chapter Thirty-One: A Night to Remember,” which premiered April 18, 2018, and is featured on the TV cast album. Below is series regular Madelaine Petsch performing “Carrie.”
Recently, Out for Blood, a digital series exploring the history of the musical, premiered on the Broadway Podcast Network. Hosts Holly Morgan and Chris Adams, lifelong fans of the musical, interview the creators, original stars, fellow super-fans, and others to answer their burning questions about the show’s journey from the Royal Shakespeare Company to Broadway and beyond.