Excuse the rambling...Just came back from the third preview of Side Show in La Jolla. It was a nearly 3 hour show tonight but that's why it was a preview. There were also several strained voices tonight. Still there was enough to enjoy and justify the 90 minute drive I took to see it.
I never saw the original, just an underwhelming college production. I rather enjoyed Emily Padgett and Erin Davie (who looks so much like a younger, thinner Amy Poehler), even if their voices seem to lack the fullness of their predecessors. Still I thought their performances were lovely, distinct and real. David St. Louis as Jake was also a standout, despite some vocal issues. Keala Settle had some nice moments as the Fortune Teller. I wasn't a fan of some of the other performances but it's still early.
Many of the cringe worthy lyrics from the original are gone but the new lyrics are only a slight improvement. They still need so much work. I don't think the beefing up/addition of new characters took away from the Hilton sisters' story at all, as some feared it would. I really liked the back story on their lives and felt it fleshed out the characters more. I don’t think the Houdini addition was necessary. It didn't add anything to the story and I thought the song was forgettable but it got a big applause so what do I know? I think "Stuck Together" got the biggest applause of the night and I didn't care for that either so I'm in the minority there, too.
Interesting how in the pre-show talk, the La Jolla rep described Bill Condon as "the guy who directed this production." Ouch.
I really hoped they'd cut out the "freaks' joining in at the end of "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" but it's still there. It reminds me of the bad musical parody on that 90s TV show Get A Life. Thought the new ending was a slight improvement over the original. Some of the new songs were lovely, like Sideshow.
Overall, I'm glad I saw it since I've adored the cast recording for years, despite its flaws. I hope they keep working on the clunky lyrics and keep tightening up the book.
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