The Stephen Sondheim Society

I made a sepcial trip to Stratford to see Carrie as my friends Colin and Tony were ( and are ) big pals of Barbara Cook. The show was one of the worst things I have seen -a kind of Grease with blood. The high point of Act 1 was itting in the row behind A Lloyd webber who was talent spotting the chorus members - he left at the interval. We went backstage after the show and chatted to Ms Cook, to Linzi Hately and tyo dear old Wally Harper. Coiln introduced and said I was seeing Barbara on stage for the 1st time - she said : " I am really really sorry you saw me in this - it is simply awful. She said she worried every night about the huge staircase descending around her. We asked if she would transfer with it and she said she doubted it. The book " Not Since Carrie " of course charts great musical disasters. Anyway I have a signed poster for Carrie - with Barbara and Linzi's autographs on it. While it isn't quite the worst professional show I have seen - it's in the top 3.