Lawrence D. Cohen to Attend Manila Premiere of CARRIE, 9/20

This presentation of "Carrie," which runs until Sunday, October 6, is the first international production of the revised version of the cult musical, which premiered Off-Broadway last Spring, starring Marin Mazzie (Margaret White, Carrie's mother) and Molly Ranson (Carrie).

With an initial investment pegged at $8 million, the original stage adaptation of the show, featuring music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore, lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford and book by Cohen, played 16 previews and five regular performances only on Broadway in 1988. Its investors slipped out the backdoor because of negative reviews. Consequently, The New York Times called Broadway's "Carrie" "...the most expensive quick flop in Broadway history."

Mikkie Bradshaw ("The Sound of Music"), Markki Stroem ("Next to Normal," "Camp Rock") and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo ("Next to Normal," "The King and I") star in "Carrie" in Manila.

Bobby Garcia ("Next to Normal," "Nine") directs.

Garcia, who marks 20 years of directing this year, said in a previous press statement, "I can't wait to begin rehearsals for 'Carrie.' It's a musical that I've been a fan of for 25 years. I've been working closely with the writers of the musical who have been so generous and supportive of our production. It's a beautifully tragic retelling of the Cinderella story with an amazing Broadway pop score. We've assembled a fantastic cast and I can't wait to start creating the show with all of them in the room."

"Carrie" tells the tragic story of misunderstood high school teenager Carrie White, who has extraordinary telekinetic powers. Terrorized by her oppressive religious fanatic mother and bullied by her classmates, Carrie's violent rampage of revenge remains one of the most terrifying stories of all time.

With permission from the show's writers, Atlantis Productions will be releasing a four-track album of "Carrie," featuring the original Manila cast--Bradshaw (Carrie), Lauchengco-Yulo (Margaret), Stroem (Tommy Ross), Yanah Laurel (Sue Snell) and Shiela Valderrama-Martinez (Ms. Gardner). The album will be available at the theater's lobby.

For tickets, contact Atlantis Productions at (632) 892-7078 or Ticketworld (632) 891-9999.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos