Carrie: The Musical (1988)

Carrie: The Musical was a Broadway musical based on the novel and film by Stephen King. It was opened on May 12, 1988 and closed on May 15 after five performances. The reason for this is because according to The New York Times, they said "More than $7 million show...was the most expensive quick flop in Broadway history."

Act 1

Opening in a high school gym, the gym teacher, Miss Gardner, is leading her girls's gym class in a strenuous workout ("In"). After class, the girls head to the locker room and have fun teasing a less attractive, plump girl named Carrie White.

The girls start to shower while talking about boys and their plans for the upcoming prom ("Dream On"). Carrie has her first period in the shower and, not understanding what is happening, thinks she is bleeding to death. The other girls taunt her mercilessly until Miss Gardner hears the commotion, sends the girls away, and explains menstruation to Carrie.

On the way out of the gym, Sue and Chris talk about what just happened in the locker room. Sue is already feeling remorseful for her part in the incident, but Chris calls Carrie "Scary White." Carrie is hurt by their name-calling and teasing, but dreams of being vindicated and gaining respect from her peers ("Carrie").

Carrie's mother Margaret is praying ("Open Your Heart") when Carrie arrives home. Carrie joins her mother in prayer for a few minutes and then explains what happened in the locker room. Margaret tells Carrie that the blood is a sign of her sin ("And Eve Was Weak") and forces her into the cellar to pray for forgiveness.

That night, many of the high school students are at the drive-in theater, including Sue and her boyfriend Tommy and Chris and her boyfriend Billy. Sue tells Tommy that she is still upset about what she and the other girls did to Carrie in the locker room, while Chris complains about Carrie to Billy ("Don't Waste the Moon"). While the other teenagers are at the drive-in, Carrie and Margaret are home praying ("Evening Prayers"). Margaret prays for the strength to help her daughter while Carrie, depressed, questions God's love for her. Margaret apologizes for hurting Carrie and assures her that she loves her unconditionally.

At school the following day, Miss Gardner tells the girls they must all apologize to Carrie. Sue and the other girls comply, but Chris refuses. Upset, Miss Gardner tells Chris that she will not be allowed to go to the prom, and Chris vows revenge. Miss Gardner encourages Carrie to dream about her Prince Charming ("Unsuspecting Hearts").

Still upset over the way Carrie has been treated, Sue asks Tommy to take Carrie to the prom instead of her ("Do Me a Favor"), and he reluctantly agrees. At the same time, Chris asks Billy to help her get revenge on Carrie.

Tommy surprises Carrie by knocking on her door and asking her to go to prom. Though at first confused and uneasy, Carrie eventually agrees to go with him. When she tells her mother the news ("Invited"), Margaret forbids her to go, insisting that all boys just want to take advantage of girls, including her own father ("I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance"), and the prom would be an occasion of sin. Carrie reveals her supernatural powers, telling her mother that she is determined to attend the prom and will not be stopped.

Act 2

The act opens at a pig farm while a storm rages, where Chris, Billy, and several of his friends are on a mission ("Out for Blood"). For their planned revenge on Carrie, they kill a pig and collect its blood. Back at the high school, Sue is confronted by girls who are upset that Carrie is going to the prom. Sue believes she is doing the right thing but realizes that doing the right thing is not always easy ("It Hurts to be Strong").

Getting ready for the prom, Carrie dreams about her date and, in a positive display of her special powers, she sends her dress, shoes, and hairbrush dancing through the air ("I'm Not Alone"). Margaret tries one more time to convince Carrie not to go to the prom ("Carrie (Reprise)"), but Carrie doesn't listen. She leaves for the prom with Tommy. Alone, Margaret plans to save Carrie from damnation the only way she can ("When There's No One").

Tommy and Carrie arrive at the prom ("Wotta Night") and everyone is surprised at how beautiful Carrie is. Miss Gardner is there as a chaperone and talks to Carrie about how it feels to be in love ("Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise)"). Carrie is nervous about dancing with Tommy, but he finally convinces her to go out on the dance floor with him ("Heaven"). As the votes for prom king and queen are cast, Tommy, Carrie, Sue, Chris, Billy, and Miss Gardner soliloquize about the events unfolding ("Heaven (Reprise)"). Tommy and Carrie are declared king and queen of the prom, and they are crowned as the students sing the "Alma Mater."

Suddenly, Billy and Chris appear and run to dump a bucket of pig blood on Carrie. Humiliated and incensed, Carrie Unleashes her full powers. She closes off the gym exit (Via a giant glass wall.) and kills everyone that is present ("The Destruction"). Carrie leaves the prom and is met by her mother. Margaret comforts her daughter ("Carrie (2nd Reprise)") and then stabs her fatally, thinking it will save Carrie's soul. Carrie retaliates, killing Margaret with her powers, and she apologizes as her mother dies. Sue, the only student who was not at the prom, discovers Carrie and comforts her as she dies.

Songs

In – Miss Gardner and Female Ensemble
Dear Lord – Carrie
Dream On – Carrie, Sue, Chris and Female Ensemble
Her Mother Should Have Told Her – Miss Gardner and Sue
Carrie – Carrie
Open Your Heart – Margaret and Carrie
And Eve Was Weak – Margaret and Carrie
Don't Waste the Moon – Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy and Ensemble
Evening Prayers – Margaret and Carrie
Unsuspecting Hearts – Miss Gardner and Carrie
Do Me a Favor – Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy and Ensemble
I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance – Margaret and Carrie
Crackerjack/ Out for Blood – Chris, Billy, and Male Ensemble
Dream On (The Prom) – Female Ensemble
White Star – Sue
I'm Not Alone – Carrie
Carrie (Reprise 1) – Margaret and Carrie
When There's No One – Margaret
Wotta Night – Ensemble
Unsuspecting Hearts (Reprise) – Miss Gardner and Carrie
Heaven – Miss Gardner, Sue, Tommy, Chris, Billy, Carrie, Margaret and Ensemble
Alma Mater – Ensemble
The Destruction – Carrie
Carrie (Finale) – Margaret

Differences from the novel

Billy and Chris run on stage and throw the blood on Carrie instead of dumping it from the ceiling. This was because of the difficulty in drenching Linzi Hateley in stage blood, which would clog her body microphone. Since her song "The Destruction" began almost immediately, there was no time to clear the microphone before it was needed.
In the novel, Chris is forbidden from attending the prom because she skips detention (as punishment for teasing Carrie). In the musical, the detention is not mentioned. Chris is punished for refusing to apologize to Carrie, instead choosing to yell out her standard taunt, "Carrie White eats shoot."
The musical does not include Carrie's destruction of the whole town following the prom, which occurs in the novel.
Chris and Billy are killed during the prom massacre in the musical. In the novel Carrie causes their car to crash a few hours after the prom.
The characters of the principal and the teacher are merged into a single character named Miss Gardner.
The Alma Mater is different from the Ewen High School's song in the book.
In the musical it is implied that Carrie kills Tommy Ross, but in the novel he is killed when the bucket holding the pigs blood falls on him.
While the novel says that Ralph White (Margaret's husband and Carrie's father) died, the musical implies that he left Margaret when she was pregnant with Carrie, causing her intense distrust in men.
Billy is more reluctant to pour the pig's blood on Carrie. He says, "Even for me, this trick is pretty damn sick." In the novel, he has a sadistic thrill and pushes Chris to do it. Their abusive relationship is also never mentioned.
Chris's Friends Tina, Helen, Donna, Mary Lila Grace, Rachel, Jessica, Fern, Ruth, Rhonda & Norma are Replaced with other female students. Such as Shelly, Maddy, Jamie, Melrose, Cathy, Mary Ann, Rosemary or "Rose", Michele, Michelle & Squeezie, Who are also the female ensemble.