With a mission to produce underappreciated, short-lived shows, it was probably inevitable that Slow Burn Theatre Co. would get around to Carrie, the Musical. After all, it infamously lasted a mere five performances on Broadway in 1988 and became a symbol of commercial failure when it was used in the title of a compendium of theatrical flops.
That would normally be the death knell for most red ink-washed musicals, but its writers – composer Michael Gore, lyricist Dean Pitchford and librettist Lawrence D. Cohen — believed so much in their show that they substantially revised and revived it, taking the show off-Broadway two years ago.
That production was not financially successful either, but it did generate a cast recording that has drawn the interest of adventuresome regional companies like Slow Burn. The scrappy Boca troupe, helmed by its resident director-choreographer Patrick Fitzwater, has cast the show with its youngest ensemble yet, an energetic, strong-voiced, agile group of performers who become the mean-spirited high schoolers of Stephen King’s grisly yarn about bullying, telekinesis and religious fanaticism.
Conventional theatergoers may find none of those suitable topics on which to base a musical, but characters with larger-than-life emotions and thoughts often express them best in song. Gore and Pitchford — of Fame fame — supply a score full of anguish, as well as some lovely melodies and verbal poetry.
The revised musical gives added dimension to the relationship between socially awkward Carrie and her severe, fundamentalist mother, Margaret. Through such musical numbers as “Stay Here Instead” and “When There’s No One,” Margaret reveals her protective side. She is not just a religious extremist, and Actors’ Equity guest artist Shelley Keelor embodies the role with chilling ferocity.
For much of the evening, Anne Chamberlain (Carrie) is strait-jacketed by her character’s meek demeanor and downcast looks. But the actress, who fulfills the promise she displayed in Next to Normal, has her breakout moments here. She gets to belt a hopeful duet with the gym teacher (Ann Marie Olson) who takes a protective interest in her (“Unsuspecting Hearts”) and goes full-throttle on the climactic “The Destruction” at the school prom.
Beyond Carrie and Margaret are some vivid supporting roles, notably Jessica Brooke Sanford’s Sue, the lone voice of remorse for Carrie’s shabby treatment, and Cristina Flores’ unrelenting mean girl, Chris.
Fans of the movie may be disappointed by the prom scene, however, which falls short on the gore meter. And the usually reliable Sean McClelland comes up with a puzzling barn-like unit set. Carrie is hardly top-drawer material, but as vigorously performed at Slow Burn, it makes the case for why the show and its many visceral jolts deserve to be experienced.
CARRIE, Slow Burn Theatre Co., 12811 W. Glades Road, Boca Raton. Through Sunday, Nov. 2. Tickets: $40. Call: (866) 811-4111.