How About Laura Osnes & Sierra Boggess For SIDE SHOW?

[Jordan Catalano]

If the revival is actually happening, wouldn't these two be great together??

[Theatreboy49]

That is some pretty great casting. I am a fan of both and they'd get me in the theatre. Also for whatever it's worth, Norm Lewis told me at the P&B stage door that the original cast is supposed to get together this year for a concert!

[ReggieonBway]

^I've heard the same from Alice Ripley.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

WOW, I'd go to that concert!!!

[Jordan Catalano]

When is that happening?

[somethingwicked]

Betsy Wolfe and Erin Davie have been attached to the new incarnation of the show for a few years. Expect to see them as Daisy and Violet when it does materialize in D.C.

[Michael Bennett]

I think Betsy and Erin are arguably getting a little too old for these parts.

[newintown]

Delving deeper, MB, I would say that the show itself is arguably of too limited appeal to be successfully revived in a commercial venue.

[Michael Bennett]

I would probably agree but would be a good title for Roundabout or MTC etc.

[somethingwicked]

Michael Bennett, I would disagree. When the original production opened, Alice Ripley was 34 and Emily Skinner was 27. Betsy Wolfe is 30 and Erin Davie is 33, I believe, and I think both of them still look particularly young. Sierra Boggess is 30 and Laura Osnes is 27, so it's not like the suggestion of using them is providing a younger alternative.

I may be remembering incorrectly, but are Daisey and Violet's ages even specified in the script? In real life, they lived until age 60, though I know the show is in no way an actual biographical depiction of them at all.

In regards to the commercial viability of the piece, Roundabout hosted the workshop Bill Condon did with Wolfe and Davie a few years ago. They didn't commit to a full production then because of Condon's busy film schedule, but I could certainly see them being interested in bringing it to New York if it's well received at the Kennedy Center. With a piece this risky (and this heavily revised,) it's very smart it to go out of town and have an opportunity to really find its voice first, especially after how it got burned the first time around.

[Michael Bennett]

I'm thinking more in terms of this being something that might come to the city in another 2-3 years and that perhaps by the time it did, the creative team could potentially decide to go younger in their casting. No dissent on Davie or Wolfe who are both beautiful, but also rather sophisticated (perhaps thats where my feeling of them being too 'old' for the roles stems from).

The real sisters may have lived until 60 but I think in the musical they are supposed to be late teens, early 20s.

[rjm516]

Oh man I love the idea of Osnes and Boggess together. If they can't do this then they should definitely play sisters in something else.

I'm so excited for the reunion concert! That would be amazing.

[Here I Am]

Ohh yes, I absolutely LOVE the idea of Osnes and Boggess! Betsy Wolfe and Erin Davie are both amazing (I've been a huge Erin Davie fan since 'Grey Gardens') and I could definitely see them in the roles as well.

[bookofmel]

I loved Erin Davies in A Little Night Music. I think she'd be fantastic in Side Show, even if she is in her thirties.

[BwayBaby18]

If it can't be Rachel York and Sara Gettlefinger this is the next best thing...

[AHTC]

To hijack a bit about this reunion concert, I think it would actually just be depressing.

Much as I LOVE both of them, Ripley and Skinner could not plow through this score even once today.

[dexter3]

I think Osnes and Boggess would be awesome.

That said, the show will should not and will not be revived on Broadway. Ever.

The reason it's been 'in the works' since like 2008 is because it is truly a poorly structured show as a whole, I doubt the creators have been able to fix it. The problems are large.

There are some great songs, and the cast recording definitely makes the show seem MUCH better than it actually is. There is probably 30-45 minutes of unrecorded music/sung-through scenes that are not on the album. They certainly selected the better stuff and left the rest out.

Beyond the unrecorded music, the overall structure of the show is a complete mess, the situations and the characters are shoehorned into odd places (such as the conjoined twins singing "I will never leave you"...duhhhhhh. Also, one of the twins 'getting off' in a tunnel of love while the other sits beside with ANOTHER man?! wtf). You end up not believing these characters, the choices they makes, the things they say, and where the plot goes.

It's overall a let down of an evening. An awesome concept that is poorly executed, mainly because of Bill Russell (book/lyrics).

It's been said before on these message boards, but have the people who are huge fans of this show ACTUALLY SEEN a production?

With that: I leave you with an example of some of the unrecorded Bill Russell lyrics.. (All of this is sung...sincerely)

Violet:
What have we done?

Daisy:
Lost our jobs

Violet:
Closed a door

Terry:
Opened more
My beauties
My loves
I can see us floating to the stars
In a magic boat propelled
By your talent and unparalleled beauty

[LizzieCurry]

I saw the West Coast premiere, and I loved it -- even though, yes, some of the lyrics are atrocious.

[musicaltheatreman2]

i would love to see megan hitly play either daiys or vilot. she would sing the heck out of those songs! not sure who i would choose to play the other twin.

[Jordan Catalano]

Orfeh.

[jamiekennywicked]

How about Annaleise (sp?) Van Der Pol for Daisy and Laura for Violet?

[AEA AGMA SM]

If you apply the time line of the musical to their real lives the twins would have been 28 at the end of the show. However, the time line of the musical is very skewed in terms of the actual time line of their lives. The musical ends at the Texas Centennial, which took place in 1936, with Tod Browning coming to see them at the Centennial to offer them roles in Freaks, which was released in 1932. So make of it what you will.

[CurtainPullDowner]

I think Osnes and Boggess' voices are way too similar,
can either of them belt ala a young Ripley?

Ossie def has a belt but it's not as strong as Alice's was.

Wolfe and Davi look scarily alike.

[Wynbish]

What about the Strallen sisters?

Or Morgan James and some other person? Kerry Butler?




Or Colleen and Miranda?

[bwayphreak234]

My dream revival would be Side Show with these two in the Circle in the Square. The space could be converted into a circus tent.

[ucjrdude902]

I think Laura is going to be to busy, I see Cinderella being a hit.