Carrie the Musical - Original 1988 RSC Production Jacket
The jacket is crafted in black leather and accented by red piping. Black velvet augments the front, back, shoulders and under the back collar. The inside of the jacket contains a red back liner. Wrist cuffs are fastened by snaps and are decorated with two fuchsia-colored bands. An angled YKK zipper on the left side closes the jacket's front, and a smaller zipper on the right side secures the pocket. Metal studs grace the collar and shoulders. A studded sine wave motif appears at the waist and an elaborate, studded "S"/reverse "S" pattern is located on the back. There is no tag to determine size, but given the jacket's radius, it is for a very slender dancer. I've estimated the jacket's weight at approximately five pounds. Given its 35 years, jacket is in excellent condition and has hung covered out of sunlight in cool, dry locations. To the best of my knowledge, it was only worn during performances. I have not been able to determine where the jacket was made. A bit of history about the show: after a two-week limited (and very controversial) run at Stratford-upon-Avon in the United Kingdom, the RSC's musical adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel "Carrie" transferred to Broadway's Virginia Theatre in April of 1988. After two weeks of previews, "Carrie the Musical" officially opened on May 8, 1988...only to close just four days later after receiving scathing reviews. The show ran for 16 previews and five official performances before shuttering, losing its entire investment of $8 million. Now known as one of the most famous all of 'cult' musicals, merchandise and memorabilia from the original '88 production (a revised version debuted in 2012) have become highly sought-after items by collectors and fans alike.
Jacket is 22 inches long from collar to waist. Sleeves are 28 inches long.
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Hi Rolando,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
Thank you so much for the additional photos - it's terribly helpful!
As you can imagine, exact comparables for this kind of thing can be a bit tricky - the show had such a limited run, which can work against it, but its cult following works IN its favor. I've looked at prices realized at auction for other Broadway and touring productions and think the closest comparables can be found in costumes used for Janet Jackson's Metamorphosis Tour in Las Vegas in 2019; values range from $650 to $1600 but most lots featured multiple pieces.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
A vintage production-worn metal studded leather and velvet costume jacket
made and worn for the Royal Shakespeare Company's produced short-lived production of "Carrie", which ran for a brief time at Broadway's Virginia theater May 1988
22 inches long from collar to waist. Sleeves are 28 inches long.
CONDITION: this jacket appears to be in excellent condition
PROVENANCE: acquired at an early 1990s charity auction for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, then given as a gift to the current owner/seller.
$400-600*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia
Good afternoon, Delia.
I was able to find another photo. I recently picked up "Out for Blood - A Cultural History of Carrie the Musical," written by Chris Adams. In the book, there was a black and white photo of the male cast members wearing the jackets. I took the liberty of adding it to the listing and circling the one I have - you can see the 5 studs on the shoulder as well as part of the sine wave motif at the waist. I hope this helps you out with the verification.
Thanks again!
Good afternoon, Delia.
Thank you so much for getting the appraisal back to me so quickly! I am currently weighing my options regarding the sale of the jacket. I'm leaning more towards auctioning it through an official auction house (as opposed to doing myself via ebay, etc.), since they are more knowledgeable regarding getting the best price possible for items such as this.
Once again, thank you for all your help. Thanks to Mearto, I now have a place where I know I can get a researched and accurate appraisal for any future collectibles in my possession.
Rolando
Always happy to help. As regards selling this at auction, I would highly recommend working with an auction house that has a dedicated Entertainment Memorabilia department (Heritage, and Bonhams are two that come to mind; others like Julian specialize in EntMem objects. Please let me know if I can be of any additional assistance.
Cheers,
Delia
Good morning, Delia.
Thank you for your message. :)
I contacted Heritage on 9/28 and am waiting to hear back from them. In the meantime, I will contact Bonhams and Julian to see if they are interested as well. Thank you for the recommendations.
Have a great day!
Rolando
Good morning, Delia.
Thank you for your message.
The jacket was given to me as a gift by a friend of mine, Christopher Littell. He purchased it from an auction held by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (https://broadwaycares.org/) in the early 1990's. Due to the musical's brief run, photos where the jacket could be seen are difficult to find. I have, however, added 2 publicity photos to the listing. The first one I've circled where part of the jacket can be seen (It has the identical shoulder pad pattern). The second one is a photo of a different jacket, but I wanted to point out the similar style. I will continue to search for additional photos in the meantime. Again, thank you!