WMCHS presents CARRIE: The Musical! June 30-July 2!

Get ready to kick off your summer with West Morris Central High School’s third 2015-2016 theatrical production, Carrie: The Musical! Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel of the same name, Carrie features a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film), music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), and lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose).

The musical first premiered on Broadway in 1988. After its run, the show fell into obscurity, until the original writers reunited and teamed up with director Stafford Arima (Altar Boyz) and MCC Theater for a newly reworked and fully re-imagined vision of the gripping tale. This updated version ultimately found success on Off-Broadway in 2012 and on Off-West End in 2015.

Set today, in the small town of Chamberlain, Maine, the musical follows Carrie White, an outcast who, at school, is bullied by the popular crowd, and at home is at the mercy of her loving but cruelly over-protective mother. Through her trials, Carrie discovers that she is truly unique and has a special way about her, something deep that cannot be explained.

Central Theatre, West Morris Central High School’s theatre program, typically presents one fall drama and one spring musical each school year. Last year, however, Central Theatre added a third show to its season for the first time when director Jeff Hogan and musical director Tracy Witko brought Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida to the Black River Playhouse in Chester. For the faculty, the students, and the community, last year’s endeavor was truly special.

“Aida was so unique because it was so experimental,” says Hogan. “For the annual fall drama and spring musical, we always produce large scale productions in order to include as many students as possible. Doing so is a non-negotiable stipulation that we choose to uphold. Having said that, there is a lot of great theatre out there that does not depend upon so many bells and whistles and does not leave room for cast sizes of 40 plus. So when we decided to add a third show to our season, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to expose our community to something different—something that we are unable to do for the annual fall and spring shows during the school year.”

Having great respect for the kind of intimacy that only theatre can provide, Hogan and Witko, through Aida, sought to present their actors and audience members with a truly up close and personal experience, one that can only be found through minimalism. So, they limited the cast size to just 16 students, staged the production entirely in the round, and through the generosity of the Chester Theatre Group, moved the production to the Black River Playhouse in Chester. They did not know it at the time, but through mounting Aida in such a way, Hogan and Witko set the framework for a new tradition that would be in high demand for a revival the following school year. In fact, nearing the conclusion of this year’s spring musical, In the Heights, the students kept asking, “Is a third show happening? What are they waiting for? Why won’t they tell us?”

Class of 2016 student Ellie Baker, who played Amneris in last year’s Aida, is the student-director of Carrie: The Musical, and she was quite persistent. “The ‘third show,’ as it has come to be known, is not like the other two shows that Central Theatre puts on during the school year. From a technical standpoint, the ‘third show’ is scaled down, so the success of the production relies heavily on the talent of the cast, their commitment to their performance, and their ability to work together. I think it’s so important that students get the chance to experience something like this, where colorful set pieces and literal props can’t do the work for them, where it’s them and only them. It’s one of the reasons why we all pushed so hard for Hogan to revive the ‘third show’ project again this year. It makes us grow as performers.”

So, in keeping with the formula that Central Theatre’s Aida employed, Central Theatre’s Carrie too has been scaled down. But, whereas Aida was staged in the round at the Black River Playhouse, Carrie will be performed on the West Morris Central High School stage, but produced in a style that lends itself to black box theatre, a performance type that is often simplistic and unadorned.

“It’s truly a testament to the cast when a scene’s set is just two cubes and a chair and the audience can imagine, for example, the interior of the main character’s house,” says Baker.

The production includes 20 student performers, with Catherine McGarry in the title role and Julianne Hughes as Sue Snell, the show’s narrator. Courtney Bliesath plays Carrie’s mother, Margaret White, and Aiden Carrara plays Tommy Ross, Sue’s boyfriend. Other principal roles include Elaine Belenguer as Chris Hargensen, Ryan Griffin as Billy Nolan, Julia Pirrello as Miss Gardner, and Ryan Sneddon as Mr. Stephens. In featured roles are Gabby Gutt as Frieda, Kathryn Platt as Helen, Maggie Schaffer as Norma, Jack Delle Cava as George, Nicholas Fleming as Stokes, Joe Fantasia as Freddy, and Gabe Lukajaniuk as Reverend Bliss. Rounding out the cast are Jake Baker, Jake Barth, Meghan Donahue, Ella Flanagan, and Lexi George in the ensemble.

Working behind the scenes are a production team, stage crew, and pit orchestra composed of current students and Central Theatre alumni, with lighting operations by Jake Reynolds.

“The members of the cast, crew, pit, and production team are really special,” says Witko. “Each and every one of them is hardworking and humble. This fabulous combination has allowed us all to operate as a fluid team of creators; to work with efficiency and comfort. This team has many differing levels of experience, from ‘first timers’ to ‘life timers.’ Throughout the production process, these levels have blended together to establish beautiful camaraderie.”

Witko’s final statement perhaps sums it up best: “This show is as raw and as true as the people involved, and we are proud to show an audience what we have accomplished.”

Carrie: The Musical will be performed Thursday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m., and twice Saturday, July 2 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for WMC students and faculty. The West Morris Central High School auditorium is located at 259 Bartley Road in Chester, NJ 07930.

For more information, email wmctheatre@gmail.com. To purchase tickets, visit http://wmccarrie.bpt.me/. Tickets may also be purchased at the door an hour before each performance.

Note: Carrie: The Musical is presented through special arrangement with R&H Theatricals. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by R&H. 229 West 28th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001.