Side Show-- Should I Buy It?- Page 2

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 9:41pm

We Share Everything:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1_2DtMj4y8

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 9:45pm

One of the best part of the musical is the TUNNEL OF LOVE number~they were in a roller coaster and it splits...

If you have a chance to go to Lincoln Center Archives- see the show (I dont know if they taped it- but most likely they did!)

J*

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 9:49pm

Oh btw...do you know that this show only played 91 performances~with previews- its like on Broadway for more than 3 months in 1998. (it opened in Fall) I do remember they were organizing some sort of protest to keep the show opened. It just dies...

I think its one of the most underrated shows on Broadway. Hopefully it will be revived and it will find its audience like CHICAGO> I think...It was way ahead of its time!

also ive heard bootleg copies of this show is very hard to find..i guess..people did not taped it while its playing!

J*


Updated On: 1/8/09 at 09:49 PM

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 9:54pm

Back in March I was lucky enough to see the entire show on that site, but the videos were taken down.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 9:58pm

This show should really be REVIVED. I thought it was better than RAGTIME~but it just me... I like the 'darkness' of SIDE SHOW. When RAGTIME opened at Ford Center ..SIDE SHOW was already closed. but that year was all about LION KING, so SS was forgotten!

SIDE SHOW & LION KING both opened in the Fall. Side Show opened at Richard Rodgers Theater and my 1st show at RR..how can I forget it?

I love this show a lot!

J*

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 10:01pm

If you have a chance to go to Lincoln Center Archives- see the show (I dont know if they taped it- but most likely they did!)

They did tape it, and it's a great recording. Definitely go check it out if you have the inclination. This remains one of my favorite shows. I mean, Norm Lewis, Hugh Panaro & Jeff McCarthy - you can't get much better than that!

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 10:07pm

If SIDESHOW opened in 1999. I think it would have won the TONYS for Best Musical over FOSSE. It just a wrong year for the show!

1999 has a lot of horrible new musicals- like FOOTLOOSE, HIGH SOCIETY, CIVIL WAR and I think ive seen all these new musicals that year~ what a waste of money & time!

J*

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 10:55pm

I know Emily had a lot of vocal problems during Side Show (burst blood vessel in vocal chord, etc.). She's got a VERY different voice from Alice Ripley, but they were supposed to be siamese twins and had to sound like the same person. Alice was already in and they were trying to find her "sister," so I'm sure she did a lot to adapt to the sound that was already there. PLUS Emily had to sing the lower parts in most of the harmony, which just grinds over the break in the voice. I'm sure she did major damage to her voice during Side Show. Nevertheless, I LOVE both of these performances and cry EVERY time I see that Tony clip. I could KICK myself for never seeing the show.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/8/09 at 11:42pm

See, I never got the "sound like the same person" thing probably because I've known a lot of identical twins and while yes, they usually sound similar, they do not always sound like the same person.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 12:04am

As a related question, can I watch things in the archives even if I'm not professionally involved with theater? Because I have been wanting to go to the Lincoln Center Archives but I was always under the impression that I couldn't.

Yes. You'll need to sign up for an ACCESS card, which can be done very easily, and once you have that you just fill out the form they will give you when you request a show. Just say it's for research and there shouldn't be any problems.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 11:45am

I like a few songs from Side Show, but I'm not really a fan. I've never understood why so many people like Tunnel of Love. That and The Devil You Know are the two songs I find completely atrocious. The whole Tunnel of Love sequence is just...ick.

Actually, Side Show was nominated for Best Musical in the 1998 Tonys and ran against The Lion King, Ragtime and The Scarlet Pimpernel. All of which I think are better shows than Side Show. I wanted to love it because it is trendy cult favorite, but other than a few pretty songs, it does nothing for me.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 12:04pm

Of those 4, I think Ragtime should have won, then Side Show, Lion King 3rd or 4th. Just my opinion.

[justafan2]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 1:32pm

I had tix to see this show but it closed a week before. I did buy the album and actually enjoyed some of the numbers.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 2:23pm

Umm, wasn't Parade 1999? I'm not sure Side Show should have won over Parade.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 2:29pm

Yeah- youre right PARADE was in 1999. I knew I was forgetting something. PARADE was already closed during the Tonys.

PARADE is another good show...They have this huge tree at the center of the stage and the beginning was phenomenal. There was a parade and everyone was on the floats _it looks like a children's book where the parade of floats is one dimensional that just moved from left to right side of the stage.

PARADE is very dark. I remember people were saying that its like a part of a trilogy of 90s musicals- SHOWBOAT REVIVAL being Part 1, RAGTIME being part 2 and PARADE was part 3.

PARADE should have won that year, but it was already closed! you know how the TONYS- politics, popularity and all...

J*
Updated On: 1/9/09 at 02:29 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 2:33pm

There's this weird part of that musical (PARADE) I dont know if I am remembering it right...

Did they have a flashback of scene where Leo Frank went upstairs and talk to those children in the factory.. Then the ending is the exact same. I think they showed Leo being hang in the tree (the prominent figure in the set) then a flashback of that weird scene....

I thought it was Hal Prince last best work..I almost cried at the ending.

J*

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 2:40pm

If you listen to PARADE OBCR...

The beginning is like this...

A tree .. then young soldier came and sing...and the background is Red Hills of Georgia, then the parade came at the back of the set... the people were in float..Memorial Day parade ..then it stopped and everyone seems to be like "frozen in time" ~the parade...

then an older limbless soldier came to the stage and sung.. then the parade moves again from left to right side of the stage (you know its the background of the set)


then everyone was singing...it was beautiful... I thought it was better than Titanic opening with their 'invisible ship" that you dont see!

J*

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 2:50pm

I loooove "The Old Red Hills of Home." It's fantastic the way they tied the Civil War into the show because that really was a big part of the story. I agree that Parade should have won over Fosse.

Yes, Titanic also had a gorgeous opening!

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 2:57pm

I wish I was... not five years old in 1997-98. Because I really love all of the shows that were up for Best Musical-- I adore Ragtime (which I think should've won, even though Scarlet Pimpernel is the one that I actually enjoy the most), Lion King, Scarlet Pimpernel, and Side Show. Actually, Side Show is my least favourite of the bunch, just because the lyrics are such a detriment to it.

I can't believe I've never heard of "Parade." I might have to check that out.

Updated On: 1/9/09 at 02:57 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 3:08pm

Lord! I was already 27 yrs old in 1997! ouch!

Yes..1997 was a great year for musical- but I think that's the year of THE LIFE, JEKYLL & HYDE, TITANIC, STEEL PIER...actually I remember that TITANIC did not get great reviews when it opened. I think I like THE LIFE better that year! though the book was problematic...but that year was the year of CHICAGO! oh btw... I regret NOT SEEING Sarah Jessica Parker in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS REVIVAL!!!

1998- THE LION KING, RAGTIME, SIDE SHOW and SCARLET PIMPERNELL ( I thought it was Wildhorn's best score- very pop yet infectous!~ I think this show opened and closed several times like 100 times!) CABARET won the revival...

1999- HIGH SOCIETY, FOOTLOOSE, PARADE, THE CIVIL WAR (oh this musical was painful! did anyone remembered all those supposedly 19th century folks with mic ala ReNT) PARADE and FOSSE.

I saw ANNIE GET YOUR GUN and it was horrible! I dont know why people like Bernadette Peters, but she was painful in this show! I think I saw all the shows that year including LITTLE ME (the theater was closed now) CHARLIE BROWN- yeah 3 revivals! Annie was a sure winner that year!

2000- year of CONTACT (that's even a musical- dont know why it won?)

I was wonderin' if there's any musical that won the TONYS eventhough it was closed already?

J*


Updated On: 1/9/09 at 03:08 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 3:14pm

Oh.. Matthew Bourne's SWAN LAKE was in 1999 and it played at Neil Simon Theater. I love that show, but was not considered as musical...they dont have Special Theaterical Event in 1999 yet. ( I think so) SWAN LAKE was a limited engagement, but was an incredible experience.. the show is out on VHS tape, in case you guys want to see.
Adam Cooper was the Swan/Prince in the show and he is also featured in the 2001 BILLY ELLIOT movie.

J*

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 4:15pm

Schmerg_The_Impaler: DEFINITELY check out Parade. It's got an amazing score, IMO.

And the court case it's based on is extremely interesting as well.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 4:30pm

SWAN LAKE > > > > WOW, what WONDERFUL memories. That was a beautiful show.

And Jay, I don't feel sorry for you. I was 35 in 1997!!!

LOL

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 4:35pm

Yeah...I turned 26 in 97. Good times.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 4:54pm

I think everyone in the world needs to see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwEism359oc (Two guys doing "Who Will Love Me As I Am.")