Review: Utah Repertory Theater Company's CARRIE THE MUSICAL is Raw and Compelling

Insightful and haunting, Utah Repertory Theater Company's production of CARRIE THE MUSICAL is a raw and compelling piece of theatre.

CARRIE THE MUSICAL (music by Michael Gore, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, book by Lawrence D. Cohen) is based on the novel by Stephen King. The original Broadway production is a camp cult classic, but the revised new version is a successful serious reworking of the piece. Carrie White is a teenage girl with newly discovered telekinetic powers who is maligned by her peers and sheltered by her zealously religious mother. Things begin to look up for Carrie until one final act of bullying carries thing too far.

The musical's appealing score is lush, melodic, and equally effective across both contemporary pop and more traditional musical theatre styles. It adds great beauty to the story of the outcast and those who care about her, which makes knowing the outcome even more bittersweet.

Natalia Noble as Carrie White is wonderfully vulnerable but with a quiet strength and explosive vocals. She surrenders completely to her character.

Emilie Starr's heart-wrenching depiction of Sue Snell moves with breathtaking dexterity back and forth in time from her police interrogation to the events she is describing. Her emotions are always real and at the forefront while never feeling forced or inauthentic.

Rachel Shull as Margaret White provides glorious vocals that draw the audience into the inner life of her enigmatic character. Unfortunately, her overzealous old age makeup distracts from her performance in such an intimate space.

Megan Shenefelt as Miss Gardner is real and natural in her dialogue, and her singing voice is warm and powerful.

Brock Dalgleish inhabits the character of Tommy Ross with a boyish sweetness without sacrificing masculinity.

Skye Dahlstrom as Chris Hargensen and Derek Gregerson as Billy Nolan fill their roles as the all-important foils to Carrie with gusto.

The ensemble is strong, with not a weak link among them. Group numbers are very enjoyable due to their talents and the help of choreographer Ashley Gardner Carlson and music director Kevin Mathie, assisted by Anne Puzey.

As the audience enters the theatrical space, they find themselves within the story as they are met with the destruction of the prom around them. The environment is meticulously designed and executed and makes the Audience members truly feel they are in the high school gym as the action unfolds. Set designer Cara Pomeroy should be highly commended for her work here.

Director Johnny Hebda has applied a strong concept by stripping down the excess and allowing the minimalist staging to highlight the emotional states of the characters. Occasionally, the implementation is inconsistent and distracting (why not use a cell phone or corsage when a Bible and tiara are used in other scenes, for example) or the purpose is unclear (is Sue's lack of costume change a directorial choice or dictated by time constraints?). However, overall, Hebda's direction is confident and uncanny in its ability to create a true-to-life contemporary setting and plumb the depths of the characters' motivations.

The lighting design by Geoffrey Gregory, special effects by JC Carter, and blood effects by Kelly Donahue, work together seamlessly with Hebda's direction to inject otherworldliness into the everyday world in a way that is tasteful and restrained but still eerie and unnerving.

Not to be underestimated are the contributions of excellent Sound Designer James Hansen and the fabulous live five-piece band.

It's a possibility, and even likely, that this show won't ever again be produced in Utah. So whether you are a fan of the story or are just interested in seeing a great contemporary musical that might surprise you, you don't want to miss it in it's closing weekend.

CARRIE THE MUSICAL plays at the Gateway Mall, 90 S. Rio Grande St. in Salt Lake City, through November 8, 2015. To buy tickets and for more information, visit www.utahrep.org.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Please be aware that this production contains content that will be offensive to some Audience members. To decide whether the show is right for you, visit Utah Rep's content advisory page at http://utahrep.org/2015-utah-reps-season-of-levity-and-consternation/2015-season-content-advisory/.

Photo Credit: Jenny K Photography. L-R Natalia Noble (Carrie) and Rachel Shull (Margaret)

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