Christopher Newport University operations may have been hindered last Friday Feb. 21st, but the snow did not prohibit the TheatreCNU cast from their killer debut of “Carrie the Musical.” At 7:30 p.m. in Peebles Theatre, the Department of Theater and Dance and a troupe of 18 actors performed their presentation of the iconic 1974 Stephen King horror novel, “Carrie.”
The spoiler-free summary of the plot entails a high school outcast named Carrie White, who is relentlessly bullied at school by her peers and is abused at home by her extremist religious mother. Through these social struggles, she learns that she possesses telekinetic abilities which primarily act upon her heightened emotions. When her classmate, the popular do-gooder Sue Snell, who wishes to amend her mistakes on how she treated Carrie convinces her jock boyfriend to take Carrie to the school prom, chaos ensues on the supposed ‘best night of their lives.’ “Carrie the Musical” is based off of the eerie Stephen King narrative and the famous movie adaptation in 1976, now transformed to fit elevated Broadway standards with a few songs thrown in the mix.
The cast truly did a phenomenal job bringing the acclaimed story to life. I, as a horror cinema fanatic, believed that the musical adaptation and the stellar performances by fellow CNU students would make Stephen King proud. The vocals and emotional ability of the performers were next level, and it felt as if I were watching Tony Award winning actors. It is insane to know these talented individuals walk among us, fellow students in our classrooms harbouring this talent until it’s time to walk on stage and transform into another character. I was so engrossed in the believable performances, I momentarily forgot I was watching a fictional show and not the events of real people unfolding before my eyes. Shoutout to the costuming and prop designers for teleporting the audience back in time to the high school hallways and gymnasiums of the 70s.
Sorry fellas, but the ladies really lead this strong show. The main character, Carrie, is the limelight stealer, along with her uber creepy mother Margaret, the sweet Sue Snell and the bratty trustfund baby Chris. Their stage presence transcended the Peebles theatre and their voice belts were flawless… I could easily hear them from the second level seating.
Kylee Monroe Bates, class of 2027, plays the titular role of Carrie White so hauntingly beautiful. Her lamenting voice as she sings of her dreams and oppression is so powerful and moving to watch. At one moment in the play, which you have to see for yourself, she screams so viscerally raw that it made the audience shiver in their skin.
In an interview with The Captain’s Log, Bates stated that her favorite aspect of playing Carrie is the character arc she develops through the narrative. “I love her character arc! She learns to stand up for herself! The songs are also so fun to sing,” she said.
This musical is not for the faint hearted, as “Carrie The Musical” is still classified as a horror thriller story. CNUTheatre offers a disclaimer in the program for those sensitive to blood, violence, extremist religious themes, child abuse and more. On Friday Feb. 28, the cast is hosting a sensory friendly performance for those who want to experience an environment with lights on and less violence, find additional info (if there is ASL, etc). However, this musical still can be enjoyed by non-horror lovers, as the inclusion of fun songs and characters serve as comedic relief.
One of the memorable amusing characters who you love to hate is Christine/Chris, played by freshman Jocelyn Yoder. “Chris is such a challenging character in that it’s made me get out of my comfort zone. Playing a ‘mean’ character isn’t something I get to do often, but it’s been so much fun getting to bring her character to life,” Yoder says.
Even Bates agrees that Chris’s character brings a comical tone to the show with her songs. “I love ‘World According to Chris.’ That song is so fun and it’s a great showcase of our company,” she said.
I truly enjoyed my experience watching the musical and strongly urge any student with a free weeknight to head to the Peebles Theatre and support our talented fellow students in the arts! My only suggestion: more blood! Fill that bucket to the brim for maximum splash! I overheard in the crowd that the mysterious liquid they use for blood is beetroot extract.
Don’t just take my word for it, for the best assessment of the performance comes from the actors who witness the audience as well as the backstage chaos. To sum up the night, Bates perfectly puts it, saying, “I think the opening night went really well!! The audience was great and it was a bloody great time!”
