It’s been quite a journey. Holly and Chris look back at their Carrie adventure and try and answer some burning questions. We ask an expert, author of ‘Flop Musicals of the Twentieth Century’ Stephen Purdy, if Carrie really can be defined as a flop compared to some prominent recent mega-failures.
Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford is a multi-talented artist who has made significant contributions to the entertainment industry as a writer, lyricist, and director. Born on July 29, 1951, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Pitchford began his career as an actor before transitioning into writing and directing.
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BIO
Dean Pitchford is a multi-talented artist who has made significant contributions to the entertainment industry as a writer, lyricist, and director. Born on July 29, 1951, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Pitchford began his career as an actor before transitioning into writing and directing.
Pitchford's Broadway career began in 1980 when he co-wrote the book and lyrics for the musical "Fame," which was based on the popular film of the same name. The show was a huge success, running for over 1,000 performances and earning Pitchford a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics.
In 1984, Pitchford wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the musical "Footloose," which was based on the hit film of the same name. The show was a smash hit, running for over 700 performances and earning Pitchford a Tony nomination for Best Original Score. The musical has since become a beloved classic and was revived on Broadway in 1998.
Pitchford's success on Broadway led to opportunities in film and television. He wrote the screenplay for the 1984 film "Footloose," which starred Kevin Bacon and became a cultural phenomenon. He also contributed songs to the films "Sing" and "Fievel Goes West."
In addition to his work in film and on Broadway, Pitchford has also made significant contributions to the world of music. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song "After All," which was performed by Cher and Peter Cetera and was featured in the film "Chances Are." He also wrote the lyrics for the song "Make Me Lose Control," which was performed by Eric Carmen and was a top 10 hit in the US.
Pitchford's most recent work includes writing the book for the musical "The Big Boom," which premiered at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 2019. The show is a musical comedy that follows a group of small-town residents who are trying to save their town from a nuclear disaster.
STAGE CREDITS
Writing
Additional Material
Bookwriter
Lyricist
Stage adaptation, original screenplay, lyrics
See how Dean Pitchford connects to other Broadway stars and creatives.
Six Degrees of Broadway Beta
See how many degrees separate Dean Pitchford from another Broadway star or creative.
Dean Pitchford
Connection
Movies
[ 1984 ] writer
[ 1989 ] writer
[ 2011 ] writer
Awards and Nominations
Dean Pichford, Footloose
Dean Pitchford, Footloose
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Dean Pitchford has appeared on Broadway in 1 shows.
Dean Pitchford has not appeared in the West End.
Best Book of a Musical (Tony Awards) for Footloose and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (Tony Awards) for Footloose.
Dean Pitchford has written 6 shows including Peter Allen: Up in One (Additional Material), Carrie (Lyricist), The Boy From Oz (Lyricist), Footloose (Source Material), Fame on 42nd Street (Composer/Lyricist), The Big One-Oh! (Lyrics).
Podcasts
Chapter 8: A sturdy little battleship
By 2012, over two decades had passed since Carrie the Musical’s high-profile Broadway car crash, and the last thing its creators wanted was to resurrect the show that haunted them. But the requests for a revival kept coming in.
Chapter 7: Are you a Friend of Carrie?
With an epic standing ovation on closing night, and urban legends already forming about its turbulent journey to the stage, Carrie the Musical had become an instant cult classic. If you’d missed Carrie’s all-too-brief run on Broadway, you just weren’t ‘in’.
Chapter 6: Act Two: Sh*t! Look at all these pigs!
We continue our deep, deep dive into Broadway’s most infamous flop as we charge head-first into the madness and mayhem of Act Two! And mayhem it really is! Leather outfits! Dead pigs! Is that a medieval sword? A rap! A giant disco ball! Lasers! Oh my!
Chapter 5: Act One: Cardboard cars and unitards
In the first of two special episodes, we take a close look at the original 1988 staging of Carrie, examining it song by song and scene by scene to try and work out exactly where things go wrong and why this show became so infamous in Broadway history.
Chapter 4: Broadway: They’ll make fun of you, they will break your heart
The eager Carrie cast arrives in the Big Apple only to discover that very little has been done to address the show’s major problems, and that the show’s set has been lost in transit. But there is one major addition: Betty Buckley, a big-name Broadway star has joined the company.
Chapter 3: Stratford: Doesn't anybody ever get it right?
Rehearsals for Carrie the Musical continue in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. But as the show hurtles towards its opening night, the cast soon feel like they’re working on two very different shows, and the frustration of the writing team grows as they’re cut out of the creative process.
Chapter 2: Make it like Greece!
Holly and Chris’s dreams come true as they chat with members of the original cast of Carrie the Musical over wine, including Charlotte D’Amboise (Chris), Sally Ann Triplett (Sue) and legendary OG Carrie White herself, Linzi Hateley, not to mention several members of the half-British, half-American ensemble and crew.
In 1988 the Royal Shakespeare Company teamed up with the creators of Fame to turn Stephen King's horror novel ‘Carrie’ into a musical. The result was one of Broadway's most infamous disasters. For fans Holly and Chris, an obsession was born.