By John Lyle Belden

(Note: Out of respect for the art form and its performers, they are identified by their Drag names as given in the show program.)

Surviving high school is such a drag, right?!

So, it stands to reason that Indy Drag Theatre would take on the hottest Prom ever shown on stage or screen in “Carrie: A Drag Parody Musical.” The drag-world embrace of outsiders and making what could be considered trashy fabulous while leaning into its campiness help make this show the perfect medium for genderfluid expression.

As director Ciara Myst pointed out on opening night, the original Stephen King novel boldly took on topics such as abuse and bullying. In addition, the musical itself had a rocky path from being one of Broadway’s biggest flops in 1988 to a cult classic with a notable revival (after some necessary rewrites by creators Lawrence D. Cohen, Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore) in 2012. The Indy Drag Theatre performs flawless lip-synch to audio from both a stage musical performance and the hit 1976 Brian de Palma film. Dottie B. Minerva is assistant director; costumes are by Kalinda, with makeup by Ms. Myst, and wigs from Hair By Blair. Choreography is by April Rosè.

Our fabulous cast ironically plays it straight in reproducing the stage experience, imbuing the scenes with appropriate drama and suspense. St. Pussifer shines as misunderstood, mistreated Carrie White, with Vera Vanderwoude St. Clair chillingly playing her strict and insanely devout mother Margaret. AJ Thoma is solid as good-natured Sue Snell, while Eli Rose is the noble Tommy Ross. Brentlee Bich is furiously bitchy as vengeance-minded Chris (the girl behind the infamous blood-bucket prank). Skarlett Rose also does well as tragic gym teacher Miss Gardner.

Other performers include Cadence, Axel Rosie, Ce Ce Santos, Abigail Brown, Desiree Bouvier, Jose Dos Santos, William Moser, Jack Offerman, and Elle Rulon.

If you are a fan of drag, the original book or film, or high-heeled spectacles like “Rocky Horror,” you simply must see this edition of “Carrie” – when it finally makes its way back to Indy’s District Theater. Due to its proximity to the Fringe festival, there was only one scheduled weekend of performances. When an unspecified emergency forced a cancellation on Sunday, it was announced that Indy Drag Theatre would try to bring the show back at a later date.

In the meantime, make plans for their next scheduled show, “Shrek,” Nov. 15-24. Get details at indydragtheatre.com.