Kennedy Center to present SIDE SHOW! (abridge version)- Page 2

[iDEFY_forgood]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 5:53pm

i just got my ticket! cant wait!!!!

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 6:53pm

OOOOOOOh! I wanna see this!

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 11:56pm

I just got back from the show. The Side Show portion of the evening was indeed very good even for this OBC snob. I still have issues with Jenn Colella's tone, but she and Lisa Brescia did an amazing job. Very nice blend and good chemistry/acting even with just the semi-staging/truncation of the show. The male leads had nice stage presence and singing though a little subdued.

I apologize for waking up my snooty seatmates with my clapping after the songs. The audience (the rest of it anyway) came alive with the Side Show portion of the evening and You Should Be Loved, I Will Never Leave You, and Who Will Love Me as I Am got extended applause.

As far as the other shows, Bye Bye Birdie, despite hating the show, was actually quite enjoyable for me with a standout performance from Leslie Kritzer (who also stole the show in Girl Crazy) and very nice singing from Laura Osnes. Actually, a revival of this might be nice. I couldn't get into Girl Crazy that much, but appreciated the performances and the tight Gershwin songs.

The production value of this concert was very high. Its nice to have the Eisenhower open again.

Overheard in the lobby? A girl asking her mom to take her to see Side Show in NYC.

[Tchi4Lif188]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 12:16am

Here's a little article with 2 pictures:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100303536.html

I'm not a fan of the Side Show wigs but... I guess you do what you can when it's not a full out production.

[EnWashingtonHeights]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 12:18am

Just got back! It was Amazing KChenowethfan pretty much summed it up. This was my first time seeing any form of Side Show! 4th row center! I think Side Show was the strongest of the three. With bye Bye Birdie the weakest. Overall it was a great production and a great night at the theater.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 12:58am

I was there this afternoon (back in NYC now). The show was outstanding. Lisa Brescia and Jenn Colella stopped the show with "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" and "I Will Never Leave You." It was true brilliance on the stage. Each show was only 40 minutes long, but they did an incredible job shortening the shows...and they all worked.

I was the least familiar with Girl Crazy, but I did know some of the songs. Brooks Ashmankas was hilarious, and Max Von Essen has such a wonderful voice. I also loved Jen Colella in this. Randy Graff and Leslie Kritzer were the standouts though...wonderful.

Bye Bye Birdie was next. It is the show that turned me on to musical theater back in middle school, so I the show will always have a special place in my heart. That being said, I thought it was fabulous. Laura Osnes was a wonderful Kim Macafee and James Snyder (channeling Cry Baby Walker) was excellent as Conrad Birdie, and I told him he needs to do the revival on Broadway (if there is one soon). Highlights included "The Telephone Hour" and "A Lot Of Livin' To Do." Unfortunately, Kim's "How Lovely To Be A Woman" was cut...I would have liked to hear Laura's take on that song.

Side Show was brilliant. Lisa and Jenn were phenomenal. I didn't care much for Michael McElroy (Norm Lewis is hard to top), but I loved Max Von Essen and Bobby Steggart's takes on roles originally created by Jeff McCarthy and Hugh Panaro, respectively.

Overall a fantastic afternoon of theater, and well worth my day trip to Washington, DC.

PS; Shirley Jones did a fantastic job hosting the event...and she had FOUR costume changes! LOL.

Congrats to all involved.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 1:45pm

Glad everyone had fun! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 2:23pm

Sounds like a great show! What songs and scenes got dropped from the Side Show portion?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 2:39pm

I was there yesterday afternoon as well. My least favorite of the three shows was Girl Crazy, although the tap dancing to, "I've Got Rhythm" was spectacular.

I think my favorite show of the afternoon was, "Bye Bye Birdie". Believe it or not, I have never seen this show before, though I'm familiar with some of the score. What a fun, fun show. This show just made me smile. The performances were great throughout. The costumes were bright and colorful. Laura Osnes dis a spectacular high kick during one of the numbers. She looked like she was having a blast, as were the rest of the cast.

I thought they did a wonderful job with Side Show. I saw the original production one time, but their rendering of this shortened version was quite effective. I have never seen Lisa Brescia in anything before, and she is quite amazing. I got to meet her briefly after the show. What a sweetheart!!

If they were doing two performances today, I think I would have made my way back to the Kennedy Center.

What I like about seeing shows at The Kennedy Center, especially in this venue, is that they use a full orchestra.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 4:51pm

I have to echo what listers have said about this lovely concert. Each act was done with great care, with SIDE SHOW getting the most lavish attention. I have to admit going "Ehhh" when I first heard that score, but the performance this afternoon made me go home and pull out the CD to give it another listen.

Jenn Colella was much stronger in SIDE SHOW than in GIRL CRAZY, but Lisa Brescia was the revelation for me. For a shortened concert version of the show, she was 100% engaged and brought all the emotion to life. I found it very interesting that they cast lookalike boys as the suitors also.

GIRL CRAZY got the next most lavish attention ... Randy Graff did a marvelous Merm imitation during "I Got Rhythm." BIRDIE seemed like the odd show out. The book was totally reduced to narration. But Brooks Ashmamskas did, for me the highlight number of the afternoon, "Put on a Happy Face."

And then that evening, also at the Kennedy Center, Betty Buckley in concert. Does it get better than that?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 6:07pm

Just left the KC. To think, if KChenowethfan hadn't pushed me, I wouldn't have gone, and that would have been a shame!

I don't know how you could go wrong with that cast! I agree with most of what's been posted already, except that I thought Michael McElroy killed! I absolutely love the OBC recording but thought McElroy was outstanding. (And I adore Norm Lewis.)

Now I'm also really looking forward to Max Von Essen in XANADU!

Lisa Brescia, Brooks Ashmanskas and Leslie Kritzer are always so wonderful.

And it was thrilling to see Shirley Jones even as a narrator!

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 12:09pm

Glad you liked it miss pennywise. I thought you would...

[philcrosby]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 12:35pm

Miss P, you weren't at the Saturday matinee, were you? I cannot believe we misse each other in DC again.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 12:39pm

How I really would have loved to hear Andrea McArdle belt those notes in, "I've Got Rhythm".

[morosco]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 1:09pm

I have to echo what listers have said about this lovely concert. Each act was done with great care, with SIDE SHOW getting the most lavish attention. I have to admit going "Ehhh" when I first heard that score, but the performance this afternoon made me go home and pull out the CD to give it another listen.

I know what you mean Phil. The first few times I heard the SIDE SHOW recording I absolutely despised the score. Then I warmed up to it and now I can't get enough. Some of the most perfect all around vocals I have ever heard on a cast recording. Really underrated show and deeply moving on many different levels. I just wish the entire score was recorded. Like DREAMGIRLS the score has tons of music left off the recording.

[feline0favenueQ]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 4:23pm

WOAH.

I went yesterday. It was nothing less that brilliant.

I loved Side Show most. SO captivating! Lisa Brescia was so fabulous, I also though Micheal McElroy was amazing, but could be biased becuase I saw him as Collins in RENT 7x.

Anyways, so worth my money, and Side Show is in my top 5 favorite shows!

Revival plz?
Updated On: 10/6/08 at 04:23 PM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 4:32pm

"Jenn Colella was much stronger in SIDE SHOW than in GIRL CRAZY, but Lisa Brescia was the revelation for me."

I'm so glad you loved her. Lisa Brescia is a brilliant actress and singer and I can't wait to see her on stage again!

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 4:54pm

I LOVE Lisa Brescia's voice. When I saw The Woman in White, she was on as Marian, and I fell in lover with her voice then.

And I can't even begin to explain my LOVE for Side Show.
Being in that show regionally was one of the highlights of my life. It SO beautiful. I can't wait to see what comes of the recent revised workshop, and hopefully it can find a life on Broadway again.

What was the 40-minute version like? What songs did they keep/cut?

I also wanted to give a small shout out to Laura Osenes. I hope she keeps continuing to find work, she really is a talent.

[feline0favenueQ]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 4:59pm

Song list for Side Show at KC:

Come Look At The Freaks
Like Everyone Else
The Devil You Know
More Than We Bargained For
When I'm By Your Side
Say Goodbye to the Freak Show
Who Will Love Me As I Am?
We Share Everything
You Should Be Loved
Marry Me, Terry
I Will Never Leave You

...I also thought Laura was brilliant.

[kec]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 7:43pm

I was there on Sunday as well. Very much enjoyed every minute of it. Girl Crazy had me in stitches throughout, and Bye Bye Birdie was also extremely funny. I was moved to tears by Side Show. Fantastic performances all round.

[feline0favenueQ]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 7:46pm

Yeah, I was bawling several times, starting at "Say Goodbye To The Freak Show"

[TheBoyDownstairs]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 8:01pm

Glad to hear everyone has such great things to say about that production. How I wish I were able to see it, Side Show definitely has one of my favorite scores ever.

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 12/13/08 at 7:25am

Please,can you tell me who staged the whole concert ?
Thanks

[musicalman2]

Posted: 12/13/08 at 8:41am

Lonny Price directed all three shows (Girl CRazy, Bye Bye Birdie, and Side Show)

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 12/13/08 at 8:59am

Thanks for the information.I think Price is the best one in the general concept and staging of concerts.