Brock Musical Theatre’s take on the cult-classic Carrie is an impressive feat with their opening night show completely blowing away the audience.
Upon entrance to the theatre, audience members are fully immersed in the small New England town of Chamberlain, Maine. The simple yet effective set design successfully builds the world, avoiding overcrowding the playing area, a mistake often made by other semi-amateur stage productions.
Featuring two white wooden bleachers, a grimy wall with two prison-style windows and a couple of benches littered with backpacks, the set is versatile with each piece being able to function in a variety of different ways. Above the wall is a painted scoreboard that reads “Days till Prom: 15.” Throughout the show, the number counts down, effectively showing the audience that time is passing rather than outright saying it, a dramatic move that elevates the production.
Tommy Ross, played by Cameron Playter, and Sue Snell, played by Emily Moore, are the first to enter onto the stage. Playter and Moore were spectacular, both together and alone, drawing eyes in scenes when they were the main focus as well as scenes when they were simply filling space.
Following the opening scene with Sue and Tommy, the rest of the cast flooded the stage in a well-organized and crisp mob of bustling energy. Both named and unnamed ensemble members maintained the same impressive commitment to the show. Their vocal harmony was well-practiced and their dancing in-sync.
Most admirable was the ensemble’s believability as high schoolers, portrayed most effectively in their body language. Even those members who did not have lines came to life on the stage, filling the space and maintaining an unbreakable dedication to their characters.
The audience is quickly introduced to the world of Bates High School following the metaphorical, nightmare-state opening number “In” when they meet Carrie, played by Paige Hergott, the show’s titular character and an absolute stand-out star.
Hergott’s vocal ability was incredible, showcased expertly in every song she sang. Somehow, her acting chops surpassed the impressive nature of her voice, using her very effective physical acting skills to showcase just how terrified Carrie was after getting her first period. Furthermore, when Carrie loses it during “Prom Climax,” it is difficult not to be terrified of Hergott, who very subtly shifted from her regular portrayal of Carrie to a version of the character that had gone crazy.
The connection between Carrie and her mother, Margaret, truly made the show spectacular. While every scene shared by the two characters was stirring, the final scene between Carrie and Margaret, played by Zoe Hunnersen, was by far the best of the show. The two actresses played off each other incredibly well, completely sucking the air out of the room.
Hunnersen was so believable in the role of Margaret that it was difficult to believe that she was only in her first year, her physical acting suggesting that she was someone who had far surpassed the role of the student.
Other elements of the show such as sound and light design were good, but not particularly impressive. The costuming was well done, although considering the show is supposed to be set in the early 2000s, the show’s wardrobe felt very 2024, taking the audience out of the world of the musical. Opening night jitters led to a few mishaps with microphones, but in the end, the cast’s stellar commitment to both the show and its characters made all these minor complaints seem small.
In his director’s note, Kian Diab summed up the message of the show:
“No one in this show is a good or bad person … [but] the scariest thing is seeing how people can be influenced, be destroyed by their own mind, or destroy the minds of others. We have to be conscious of the people around us and think about what consequences our actions, or choice not to act—whether for our own well-being or others—can do.”
While Brock Musical Theatre’s take on the hit musical Carrie was incredibly well done, the underlying message of kindness and compassion was even more impactful.
