In the lore of Broadway, it is perhaps an understatement to write that Linzi Hateley’s Broadway debut in the 1988 production of Carrie did not go as planned. A box-office smash upon its world premiere at Stratford-Upon-Avon in the U.K., the NYC production was panned by critics and shut after only five regular performances.

Check out an interview above with Hateley on The Theatre Channel, in which she reminisces the highs and lows of the Carrie's history, specifically calling the NYC experience “devastating.”

Hateley loved being Carrie White, thanks to the material that has gone on to become a cult favorite for many. Still, “it was cruel,” she says of the ordeal. “It was like a baptism of fire trying to deal with it and deal with the emotions involved in trying to be big and brave enough to cope with something that was a flop, ultimately.”

READ: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How Stephen King’s Carrie First Became a Musical

She has no regrets, however. From the initial audition process—she found out she landed the role on her 17th birthday—to finding mentors in Barbara Cook and Betty Buckley, who played Carrie’s mother Margaret, the experience turned her into the performer she is today.

Since her debut, Hateley has appeared in shows like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (for which she scored an Olivier nomination as the Narrator), Les Misérables, and Mamma Mia!. Now, she’s stepping back into Carrie—albeit in a different role—with a performance of “When There Is No One,” sung by Margaret White, Carrie’s mother, in Episode 2 of The Theatre Channel. Check it out here.