By Jennifer L. Gusso
Running Time: 2hr 15 minutes with intermission
Carrie the Musical starts with a glimpse at the way that it will end. Sue is covered in blood, under an interrogation light, and bodies are strewn across the stage or hanging in the back corners. Stand Up for Theatre pulls the audience right into the scene of devastation and into caring about Sue and her story. Making the audience care about the characters is what this production of Carrie the Musical, Directed by Ed Higgins with Music Direction by Brandon Seehofer and Choreography by Lenore Florez, does the best. There is an incredible amount of heart on display in this production, with each performer truly giving it their all and embodying this world. Unfortunately, the production does suffer from some technical missteps that can be jarring. However, overall, what the end product lacks in polish, it makes up for in passion.
Because Carrie discovers her telekinetic powers in the course of this story, Carrie the Musical calls for some technical tricks that don’t quite deliver in this production. When Carrie moves a stool, an arm is scene pulling the wire from behind the platform. A falling cross doesn’t really translate as being telekinesis. Although Billy is shown hanging in the beginning scene, that never actually happens during the prom massacre. The cabinet in which Carrie is pushed doesn’t have a back, which really pulls away from the intense scene with her mother. Some other tricks, like the cup on the table, do work well – but, when the technical falters, it does lessen the impact of what are some pivotal moments.
The other technical issue that is the most troubling is the sound balance. Modern scores, like Carrie, were written for an age in which performers use microphones. They were not written to be belted at all times. Sometimes, in a small space and with softer backing tracks, this can still be pulled off. However, between the complexity of the score, the acoustics of the room, and the volume of the backing tracks, the performers in this production should have been using microphones. The end result was often one of two things. In some cases, the soloists were hard to hear over the music. In other cases, pushing too hard to go over the music sounded like screaming or just went flat.
Despite the technical mishaps, this was still an overall compelling evening of theatre due to the strong acting performances of the cast. Every member of the ensemble created a unique and different character and stayed consistently in the moment. Director Ed Higgins did a good job in creating staging that gave life to classroom and crowd scenes by having realistic, but not distracting action, going on across the stage. The reactions of the teenagers in these situations was so spot-on that is seemed spontaneous and genuine.
The story is told by Sue Snell (Sarah Mackin). Mackin is one of the performers that is best able to navigate around the sound issues in order to showcase her beautiful voice. She does an excellent job of bringing Sue’s conflicting emotions to life in both her line delivery and her subtle nonverbal reactions. As her boyfriend Tommy Ross, Anthony Case has a lovely quality to his voice and a genuine likeability that showcases the softer side of Tommy. As her mean-spirited and spoiled best friend, Chris Hargensen, Triana McCorkle oozes with viciousness and plays the perfect mean girl. A truly standout performance comes from Jake Schwartz as Billy Nolan. He really commands attention on the stage and demonstrates a real skill at adding comedic moments. Schwartz brings a level of polished nuance to his performance that is next level.
As Carrie White, Michaela Saul definitely has the hardest vocal challenge. Navigating the sound issues and the score ultimately proves difficult for her in places. That being said, her acting performance is absolutely top notch. Even when she comes out for her curtain call, she is still sobbing and emotionally drained from literally giving every inch of her inner self to Carrie’s intense breakdown. Saul is able to capture both Carrie’s naïve innocence and her deep pain as she immerses herself in the role. Causing much of Carrie’s pain is her mother, Margaret White (Jenifer Hollett). Hollett gives an unnerving performance. She says and does horrible things with an innocent and wide-eyed look on her face. It is a very effective character choice that really ups the intended unease felt in her scenes.
In the midst of all the crazy, the true heart of the show is Lenore Florez as Lynn Gardner. Her performance is absolutely captivating. She knows how to command attention, make the audience fall in love with her, and then push the scene’s attention to another performer. She demonstrates a sophisticated level of technique in both her acting and vocal performance. She is both inspiring and genuine. “Unsuspecting Hearts” is easily the perfect embodiment of the level of real emotional connection that is what worked best in this production.
While Stand Up For…Theatre may have some technical issues to polish and perfect as they move forward, they are definitely not lacking in talented and passionate performers. Carrie the Musical tells a story that, although larger-than-life, is largely relatable. These actors, with their relatable performances, find and bring to life the people in the story – and, ultimately, it is caring about these people that matters most.
This is what I thought of Stand Up for Theatre’s Carrie the Musical… What did you think? Please feel free to leave a comment!
Carrie the Musical will play through November 9 at Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, MD 21225. For tickets, call the box office at 410-636-6597 or you can purchase them online.
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In all my years in theatre I have seen countless theatre companies produce Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I myself have been involved in numerous productions of Joseph and each time I am amazed at the creativity that directors and actors bring to the stage. Each production that I have seen and been a part of has attempted to spruce up the familiar tunes, scenes, and characters, usually without success. Fortunately for us, 
When you attend the show, I encourage you to spot the absolutely hilarious props! See if you can find the cheeseburger beret and the razor scooter. The creative team really came together and provided the Baltimore theatre scene with a great production of Joseph. That being said, no show will ever be perfect– as a professional theatre teacher and director I know this. All we can do is ask that the actors put their everything into a role and hope that it works out. Despite some minor criticism, I would consider this production a success. This is definitely a production that you would not want to miss.
The moment I walked into the theatre, something felt different. I’ve been to several productions at Just Off Broadway and the first thing I noticed was that the pit had been moved. When the overture began, I immediately knew that the creative team had made the right call. Under the direction of Patty Delisle, the orchestra’s first notes brought back so many memories for me of waiting anxiously behind the curtain for an entrance. Andrew Vida is also to be commended for his creative light design. I can say with confidence that I have not met a more professional high school student (and I teach high school). He attends Calvert Hall College High School and hopes to pursue technical theatre once he graduates this coming year. Unfortunately, the issues with the microphones took me out of the performance at times. No theatre company is immune to technical difficulties. I recall a time when the microphones completely stopped working during a production that I was involved with. Due to the microphone issues, it was hard to hear every single line and note.
Unless you are familiar with the story of Joseph, it is somewhat hard to follow. The person I came with had never seen Joseph before and was constantly asking me to clarify what was happening on the stage. The chorus was too overpowering when a soloist was taking the lead and the orchestra volume was too intense during certain scenes. One thing that I enjoyed was the ability of the actors to blend their voices together. The harmonies during “Close Every Door” were perfect to the point of giving me goosebumps. I can look past the technical errors to a degree because the entire cast was not only vocally capable, but proved itself able to pull me back into the story with their intoxicating harmonies. While preserving the professionalism and style of the original work, Just Off Broadway has preserved its meaning as well. “Close Every Door”, while Joseph, played by Josh Schoff, is singing the famous lyrics of Tim Rice, “I do not matter. I’m only one person”, words that certainly resonate with anyone who has ever felt alone, cast members turn their back to him, symbolizing his complete neglect and loneliness.
As the cast made their way onto the stage during the overture, it was easy to see which actors were genuinely invested in their role. Most of them were, but a few actors seemed distracted. One great challenge as an actor is to be completely immersed in their character. Jason Crawford Samios-Uy, Chris Thomas, B. Ever Hanna, and Kate Forton were a few of my favorites throughout the performance. Their facial expressions, crisp clear vocals, ability to harmonize, and overall pizzazz on stage kept me engaged and entertained throughout the performance. I legitimately laughed out loud when Hanna and Forton were performing “One More Angel”, they are truly a dynamic duo. Also worth a “ention is the falsetto voice from Micah Rufsvold, which was used both for comedic relief as well as musical entertainment. 
There are lots of reasons to see this show, but the “One More Angel” number really takes the cake. It’s also worth mentioning and the effervescence of Elton Knupp as the Narrator, who skillfully and beautifully keeps the action moving on stage while telling the story with confidence and on point vocal ability.
Despite the small stage, the choreography was effective, creative, and enjoyable. Katie Gertsmeyer is to be commended for her fantastic skill as a choreographer. Each movement appeared natural for the characters, easy enough for all cast members to perform, and yet still appeared complex. The cast obviously worked extremely hard to pull off some of the choreography. One dancer in particular stands out in my mind. Samantha Jednorski, featured as Mrs. Potiphar, was one of the highlights of the performance. Jednorski has been involved in theatre for years; her expertise in the theatre realm shines through. Her facial expressions, reactions, and vibrant attitude was a true pleasure to witness. Speaking of cast members talent, I was extremely impressed by B’Jion Wright, Naphtali and the Butler, As someone who directs shows at a high school level, the first thought that ran through my mind when I saw her take the stage was, “Wow! This is a perfect example of an actress who has all the essential components to be successful! I wish my students could see her on stage!” Wright has the presence about her; total investment in her character and the skills to make it happen. I was also extremely impressed by Patrick Jay Golden’s performance as Pharaoh. Despite the simple costume, his characterization is what sold me on his solo. I even had the privilege of touching the hand of Ramessess *swoon* when he came into the audience to keep theatre goers on their toes.
