Carrie may have another chance to be prom queen -- alright, not really -- but she may have a shot at being a successful musical. This comes as a surprise, given that the musical version of Steven King's quintessential horror novel is infamous for its failure. In 1988, the musical adaptation took the Broadway stage and was panned by critics, closing after only five performances. It has, however, managed to attract a cult fan-base.
New York theater troupe, MCC Theater is including a revamped version of the musical in its 2011-2012 line-up. Molly Ranson (currently on Broadway in "Jerusalem") and Tony-nominated actress Marin Mazzie play Sissy Spacek's and Piper Laurie's roles, respectively. Additional casting has not been announced.
MCC Theater Artistic Director said in a statement: "What can I say about Carrie? We've been in love with this piece since we heard a reading two years ago. It's so moving and Marin Mazzie and Molly Ranson are going to knock people out."
The new production of the musical has been reworked by the creators (book writer Lawrence D. Cohen, composer Michael Gor and lyricist Dean Pitchford) in conjunction with the musical's director Stafford Arima. This new version will be comprised of about half new songs and half songs from the prior version.
Preview performances will begin at the Lucille Lortel Theater, in the West Village, on January 31 2012.