Stafford Arima to Direct Fall Reading of CARRIE: THE MUSICAL

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that directing the upcoming Fall reading of CARRIE, news of which has been lighting up the boards since the weekend news broke here on the site, will be Stafford Arima. 

Variety reported this weekend that producers are putting together a 29-hour Equity reading of CARRIE, the musical that had a notoriously short 3 night, 5 performance run on Broadway in 1988.

Variety reports that "Producer Jeffrey Seller won't say much, except that the tuner's original creators composer Michael Gore, lyricist Dean Pitchford and book writer Lawrence D. Cohen are revisiting and reworking their script." No production plans are yet in place past the planned reading. 

With original music by Michael Gore (Fame) and Dean Pitchford (Footloose) and a script by Lawrence D. Cohen (who wrote the 1976 film as well), CARRIE: THE MUSICAL is often considered the biggest Broadway flop of all time.

The show had its first four-week run beginning on February 13, 1988 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Directed by Terry Hands and choreographed by Debbie Allen, the cast included Broadway veteran and cabaret singer Barbara Cook, Charlotte d'Amboise, Gene Anthony Ray, Darlene Love, and Linzi Hateley, in her stage debut, as Carrie.

The show transferred to Broadway at an expense of $8 million and Hateley (who ultimately won a Theatre World Award) and other members of the UK cast remained with the show, but Cook was replaced by Betty Buckley (who had played the teacher Miss Collins in the 1976 film version). It opened on May 12 and closed a mere 3 nights later after only 5 performances.

Stafford Arima directing credits include: Altar Boyz (Off-Broadway/National Tour - Best Musical, 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award), Ace (The Old Globe/Cincinnati Playhouse/The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis - Outstanding Director of a Musical, 2007 Kevin Klein Award nomination), Ragtime (West End - Best Director, 2004 Olivier Award nomination), Bright Lights, Big City (Prince Music Theater), Candide (San Francisco Symphony), A Tribute To Stephen Sondheim (Boston Pops), Abyssinia (Goodspeed Musicals), The Secret Garden (2005 World AIDS Day Concert, NYC), Children's Letters To God (Off-Broadway), Chef's Theater (Off-Broadway), Guys and Dolls (Paper Mill Playhouse), A Little Night Music (Sacramento Music Circus), Disney's Aida (North Shore Music Theatre), Bowfire (National Tour) and Total Eclipse (TSP Studio Theatre, Canada). Broadway, Associate Director: A Class Act and Seussical. Stafford graduated from York University (Canada) where he received a Bachelor of Arts honors degree in Theatre Studies and was the recipient of the Dean's Prize for Excellence in Creative Work.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.