Stephen King's "Carrie" has been scaring audiences in its literary, cinematic and stage incarnations since 1974. It's no surprise, then, that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) audiences have embraced King's revenge tale about a telekinetic misfit teen who turns her senior prom into a fiery holocaust after she's made the butt of a vicious practical joke.
"I think 'Carrie' is a beautiful story about coming-of-age, and the acceptance of our gifts," gay writer-actor Justin Sayre said. Brian DePalma's original 1976 version of King's story in particular, Sayre added, is often overlooked as a camp classic, but thanks in part to Piper Laurie's indelible turn as Carrie's fanatically religious mother Margaret White, "Carrie" is "the ultimate metaphor for growing up gay."
Sayre loves "Carrie" so much, in fact, that he's giving King's story the ultimate gay tribute as the focus of the Halloween edition of his acclaimed variety show "The Meeting," which plays New York's 54 Below nightclub on Oct. 30.
Joining Sayre for the spooky-yet-sassy event will be performers Randy Rainbow, Angela Di Carlo, Emily McNamara and Glittered and Mauled; fans of the infamous 1988 musical version will be especially excited to hear that Audrey Lavine, standby for Betty Buckley and Barbara Cook as Margaret in the New York and London productions, will also be present, performing songs and sharing backstage stories from the show.
The timing, of course, couldn't be better: "Carrie" is back in the theaters, courtesy of a glossy, high-tech remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore as Carrie and Margaret, respectively. One person who isn't surprised by the story's continued relevance is Sissy Spacek, who played the titular role to great acclaim in DePalma's original.
"I think all of it is relevant to anyone who has ever felt persecuted," Spacek told The Huffington Post last year. "It takes place during a time in a person’s life when there’s a lot of angst. So I can see how it would appeal to anyone who’s ever felt persecuted in their own life."
"The Meeting" will pay tribute to "Carrie" at New York's 54 Below on Oct. 30. For more information, click here.
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