Carrie (Taylor Aragon), covered in pig’s blood, has just telekinetically released gas into the gym and exploded lights to create a spark in which the whole school and the town is set ablaze.
Photo courtesy Neil Grabowski
The Department of Theater and Dance has brought “Carrie The Musical” to Montclair State University’s Memorial Auditorium.
I had the pleasure of seeing “Carrie The Musical” opening weekend on Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. As a fan of the original 1976 film, I was pleasantly surprised with this interpretation of “Carrie.” It was great to see how this classic was transformed into a musical.
One of the major standouts of the show were the technical aspects within the lighting and sound engineering. The show’s set design, choreography, hair and makeup were incredibly detailed. I was impressed with the way everything was put together.
The entire cast did a terrific job performing. Taylor Aragon accurately portrayed the starring role of Carrie White with her talented singing.
Hattie Marks, who played Carrie’s mother Margaret, had a phenomenal voice in the musical adaptation. Her performance stole the show as she captured Margaret’s psychotic personality. The song that captivated me was “When There Is No One.” Margaret’s solo was accompanied by an orchestra, which made the song that much more captivating.
Margaret (Hattie Marks) preaching to Carrie (Taylor Aragon) on what it means to be a woman and that she is now a sinner for bearing “the curse of blood” during the song “And Eve Was Weak.”
Photo courtesy of Neil Grabowski
Matt Williams, the director of “Carrie The Musical” said that one of the biggest challenges was working on the production during a short amount of time. Although he experienced some difficulties, he was incredibly satisfied with how the musical turned out and the cast’s performance.
Peak Performances delivered a great show and everyone involved in the show should be proud of themselves.
The ensemble kids of Chamberlain High School are on their way to school, lamenting about their concerns to fit in with society during the opening number, “In.”
Photo courtesy of Neil Grabowski Photo credit: Neil Grabowsky
