Review: CARRIE THE MUSICAL at Arts Bonita

CARRIE THE MUSICAL at Arts Bonita, directed by Kody C. Jones, tells the story of Carrie White, a girl with telekinetic powers who just wants to fit in with her peers. However, Carrie's mom is very oppressive and believes the world is filled with evil, so she is very strict and abusive toward Carrie. At school, Carrie is relentlessly bullied by the other teenagers.

Carrie was played by Shennan Nelson, who is absolutely amazing in this role. It is not an easy character to play, and she was perfect. Her acting and singing were incredible. Sue Snell, a girl at school who feels bad for Carrie and tries her best to help, was played by Georgia Rainero. I thought she was also excellent in this role. Sue's boyfriend, Tommy, was played by Caleb Hill, who had some really great moments in the show. Halle Heckman played Chris, Carrie's biggest bully, and Gabriele Nudi played Billy, Chris's boyfriend. Margaret White, Carrie's mom, was played by Susan Dohan Chidester. Ms. Gardener was played by Caitlyn Whitcomb, and I really enjoyed her character. She was very protective and encouraging toward Carrie. This was a strong and very passionate cast, and I could see the commitment they all had to telling this story. 

Carrie is a pretty iconic story, and one of the most iconic parts is the bloody prom scene and the destruction that follows. This was done very well, and had quite an impact. I was impressed by the effects the Arts Bonita had in this production. Some of the magical moments were really fun, and I appreciated seeing the blood drop. The cold sparks were also very cool and added a lot to the show. Kudos to Artistic Director Joseph Brauer for the Blood/Practical SFX he engineered.

This production of CARRIE was done very well and felt very cohesive, thanks to Director/Fight Choreographer Kody C. Jones. There are a lot of catchy songs and musical numbers in CARRIE. From "In," to "The World According to Chris," "A Night We'll Never Forget," and beyond, this cast did a great job with each and every song. They were full of energy throughout the whole show, and sounded great together - thanks to Music Director Rosalind Metcalf. I thought the choreography by Eric Ortiz was fabulous. It was creative in the best way, and I really appreciated how dynamic it was while also incorporating some current dance trends. Lighting Designer Jay Weddle did a great job with various lighting effects that were impactful. The entire team did a nice job with this production. One note that at times, the music was a bit too loud, so I could not hear the actors sing, but overall, I did enjoy the performance. I always love seeing teenagers perform in a show centered around teenage experiences - it feels authentic, and their passion comes through in a big way. CARRIE was no different, which I appreciated very much.