SpeakEasy Stage Presents New England Premiere of CARRIE, Now thru 6/7

From today, May 10 to June 7, 2014, SpeakEasy Stage Company will present the New England Premiere of one of the most talked-about shows in theatre history: CARRIE the musical.

Based on Stephen King's bestselling novel, CARRIE the musical is a thrilling new take on the story of Carrie White, a Maine teen relentlessly bullied at school by the popular crowd and tormented at home by her fanatical mother. When she is unexpectedly invited to her senior prom, Carrie dares to dream that her life might finally improve. Little does she know, however, what cruelty her classmates have in store for her and what terrifying power her anger will unleash.

CARRIE the musical is the creation of Academy Award-winning composer Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), Academy Award-winning lyricist Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose), and book writer Lawrence D. Cohen. Mr. Cohen has the longest association with the story of CARRIE, having adapted Stephen King's novel for the original 1976 Brian De Palma film. He also co-wrote the 2013 film remake.

These three men originally adapted CARRIE for the Royal Shakespeare Company, who intended the show to be its follow-up to LES MISERABLES. But the show seemed cursed almost from the start, plagued by technical difficulties and defined by some rather questionable design choices by director Terry Hands. After a brief run in Stratford, England, the show limped into New York, where it famously closed on Broadway after just five performances, making it the most expensive flop in Broadway history. Undaunted by the negative response, the authors held onto the rights, continued to work on the show, and finally resurrected CARRIE the musical for a successful Off-Broadway run in 2012.

SpeakEasy General Manager and Production Manager Paul Melone will direct this New England premiere of CARRIE the musical. A graduate of Boston University's Theater Department, Mr. Melone already has two Elliot Norton Awards for his direction of the musicals Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Adding Machine: A Musical. Mr. Melone will be joined on this production by Music Director Nicholas James Connell and Choreographer Larry Sousa.

Elizabeth Erardi, a Boston Conservatory junior, will play the title role, with acclaimed Boston actress Kerry A. Dowling playing Margaret White, Carrie's mother. Also featured in the cast are Jorge Barranco, Paige Berkovitz, Shonna Cirone, John Costa, Sarah Drake, Alexa Lebersfeld, Joe Longthorne, Amanda Lopez, Stephen Markarian, Phil Tayler, Adena Walker, and Daniel Scott Walton.

The design team includes Eric Levenson (scenic), Emily Woods Hogue (costumes), Jeff Adelberg (lighting), David Reiffel (sound), and Seághan McKay (projections).

CARRIE the musical will run for five weeks, from May 10 to June 7, in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston's South End. Ticket prices start at $25 with discounts for students, seniors, and persons age 25 and under.

For tickets or more information, the public is invited to call 617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com.

Photo by Glenn Perry Photography