Jump to content

Freak Show Live

From RZWiki
Won't you keep us working? Working down below?
This page needs work to reach an encyclopedic standard. If you see something missing, you can help The Mysterious Spanish Ladies by joining the wiki and expanding the article.

Freak Show Live was a live theatrical show based on The Residents' 1990 concept album and CD-ROM Freak Show, which was performed in a month-long residency at the Archa Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic in November 1995.

The show is unique in The Residents' live history in that The Residents themselves did not perform in the show at all; the adaptation was instead performed by The Freak Show Band, comprised of members of the Czech progressive rock band Už Jsme Doma. The show also featured set and costume design by Ron Davis, who had previously created designs for The Residents' Cube-E tour.

One performance was filmed and aired on Czech TV; excerpts from this show have since appeared on a number of Residents releases.

History

In the spring of 1993, Ondřej Hrab visited The Cryptic Corporation offices, with the offer of creating a theatrical adaptation of Freak Show. He was shown an early version of the Freak Show game, and given a rough idea of what to do. [1]

The show is structured in two acts, the is largely musical, and heavily based on the album, where Tex The Ringleader, shows the audience the freaks in his show and sings their songs. The second act of the show is more inspired by the CD-ROM, and features a behind the scene look at the Freak Show, and what the residents of the show do in their spare time.

Performers

The Residents themselves were unable to perform in the show, and as such hired a series of performers to play in their place.

Cast

  • Wayne Doba as Tex, The Ringleader
  • Andrea Nováková as Wanda, The Worm Woman
  • Vladimír Gut as Herman, The Human Mole
  • Miroslav Matyáš, as Benny, The Bouncing Bump
  • Laurie Amat, Andrea Jurčová & Iva Nachtmannová, as The Freak Show Choir

The Freak Show Band

  • Miroslav Wanek: Conductor
  • František Svačina & Vladimír Helebrant: Keyboards
  • Kamil Krůta: Bass
  • Lenka Kavalová: Cello
  • Jindřich Dolanský: Tenor saxophone
  • Romek Hanzlík: Guitar
  • Hynek Schneider: Drums

Set list

Act One

  1. Everyone Comes to the Freak Show
  2. Wanda the Worm Woman
  3. Mickey the Mumbling Midget
  4. Jelly Jack the Boneless Boy
  5. Herman the Human Mole
  6. Harry the Head
  7. Benny The Bouncing Bump
  8. Bridge

Act Two

  1. Wanda’s Letters, Part 17
  2. Jelly Jack the Boneless Boy
  3. Benny The Bouncing Bump
  4. Nobody Laughs When They Leave
  5. Benny The Bouncing Bump

Dates

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://2002.archatheatre.cz/english/archiv_a/freak_show_a_01.htm#sipka_n3
  2. ↑ Freak Show pREServed booklet, Jim Knipfel, 2021
  3. ↑ https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/450231240059256842/825121109863038986/FreakShowTicket.png
Retrieved from "https://residents.wiki/index.php?title=Freak_Show_Live&oldid=6229"