Side Show Revival: Updates/Rumors?

Anything new regarding the Side Show revival? Is it going to happen? Any information would be greatly appreciated!

On another note, haven't been on the board for a long, long time. Hope everything is well.

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Is there casting/theatre already for the show?

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I would love it if they kept Erin Davie in the actual production, then bring in Leigh Ann Larkin. That'd be fabulous really.

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I am still not completely sold on the casting of Erin Davie.

While I heard she was serviceable in the workshop, Violet has to belt most of the extremely high harmonies in the score as it's written. While I've always found Davie to have a gorgeously lush soprano, her belt usually tends to be quite thin and unpowerful.

I'd prefer Leigh Ann Larkin as Daisy (a great suggestion to be sure) opposite a Violet like Brandi Burkhardt with a more well rounded voice.

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Updated On: 11/2/08 at 01:20 PM

I think Davie can handle it. It would definitely be a less belty Violet than Ripley's, but maybe a fresh take on the score. More floaty than belty.

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You know another idea I was thinking about?

What about Brooke and Tiffany Engen, the twins from the HAIRSPRAY movie who both just did LEGALLY BLONDE and HAIRSPRAY on Broadway respectively?

I saw one of them on as Serena in LEGALLY BLONDE and the other as Amber in HAIRSPRAY and both had terrific voices and great stage presence.

If their ranges matched up, they could be an interesting choice (since we know they obviously have the look.)

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Whoa, they're TWINS?

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Anika Noni Rose and Tracie Thoms. DEFINITELY Anika, but Tracie is a question mark in her acting (of course not the vocals, we know she's got those pipes in check!).

But definitely Anika. Yes. Yes. Yes.

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All_For_Laura, Brescia just played Violet in the Kennedy Center THREE GENERATIONS celebration opposite Jen Colella's Daisy.

They were a great pair, but their voices lacked the distinct contrast in tone to really give the score it's thrilling kick when they blended together (they also changed the arrangements to have Colella belt the higher parts instead of Brescia.)

To me, what makes the score so exciting is when, like the characters, the actresses playing Daisy and Violet have voices that can function together beautifully but are also distinctly different.

That was the key element to what made Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley such a phenomenal pair, and since Colella and Brescia sound almost identical (there were literally times when you couldn't tell which one was singing what,) that whole element was missing.

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Updated On: 11/2/08 at 01:35 PM

but Tracie is a question mark in her acting (of course not the vocals, we know she's got those pipes in check!).

Judging from Thoms' recent tenure in RENT, I'd say just the opposite. Her vocals were serviceable, but often inconsistent (she wouldn't stand a chance oppposite Rose.) What sold me on her solid portrayal was the nuanced acting.

As for the Larkin/Burkhardt suggestion...yes, please.

Anika Noni Rose would be perfection, and she has worked with Bill Condon and Henry Krieger before.
I believe people were suggesting Rose along with Renee Elise Goldsberry in the past. I'm not familiar with Goldsberry.
Never seen Tracie Thoms act on stage but she is pretty great when she acts on film/TV. She doesn't look anything like Anika Noni Rose though.

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It'd have to be an artistic decision to cast actors of color in the leads.

Here's a thread concerning casting from months ago. In it, I suggested Anika Noni Rose and Nikki Renee Daniels.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardid=1&boardname=bway&thread=960146#3488768

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On the one hand, I would love to SEE Rose and Thoms. I've liked Thoms for some time and seeing her on stage in Rent solidified my faith in her as a performer, not to mention the fact that she was by far the nicest person I have ever met at the stagedoor, which was pretty surprising considering she's more known for (rather popular) movies. That being said, I do think they are (vocally) wrong for the roles. Daisy and Violet have to have such differing voices and incredible range that I can't imagine them working well together.

The idea of Leigh-Ann Larkin, though, excites me like you wouldn't believe. You know you've got a phenomenal talent when I can hardly wait for her to get out of Gypsy already (which I have admitted to being my favorite production) so she can move on to "better" things. By better, I obviously just mean bigger roles, since Gypsy is so amazing and as June, she lights up the stage and brings unprecedented nuances to the character and unbelievable belts to her numbers.

So all in all, a revival would be a great idea and depending on the cast, could be magic.