Based on the legendary Hilton twins, Daisy and Violet, SIDE SHOW follows their heartwarming search for first love and acceptance amidst the spectacle of fame and scrutiny under the spotlight. The world of SIDE SHOW is set against the backdrop of 1920's and '30s show business that seamlessly blend the worlds of carnival, vaudeville, and Hollywood glamour.
Directed by Academy Award-winner Bill Condon (Chicago, Dreamgirls, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2, Gods and Monsters) making his Broadway debut, this exciting new staging of SIDE SHOW has "the flash and velocity of a Hollywood motion picture" and "puts gripping emotion in the main tent" (Los Angeles Times).
Don't miss this remarkable true story of two sisters. The very thing that makes them different... makes them extraordinary.
The original production, which starred Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, is not easily erased from memory...The piece has been revised for this Condon revival, which is a serviceable rendition of the main material with generally solid leading performances, but will, for die-hard fans, be something of a disappointment...The main problem with the production...is simple, although it might sound weird. As played by Erin Davie and Emily Padgett, their charms and clear talents notwithstanding, the twins Violet and Daisy Hilton are too much alike. And thus they're too much of a wash for the show to have the requisite fire...Violet and Daisy must learn to accept their lot, as we all must do, to change what they can and accept what they cannot. But that theme, which is the main pull of the show, can't really operate if they do not first try to wrench themselves away. Instead, this show looks too often toward its own ending...Condon's work is atmospheric and, occasionally, has some richness...The freakishness of 'Side Show' has to be as real as the desires of the human exhibit with two bodies, two personalties, two sets of desires and yet only one vehicle for mutual delivery. Davie and Padgett are fine, but they should make you feel like their song is coming from the depths of their own two guts, not one shared.
What hasn't changed is the punch delivered by those symbiotic girls. Here Erin Davie plays the retiring Violet, who wants to be 'like everyone else/So no one will point and stare.' She's attached -- via strong, hidden magnets -- to Emily Padgett's bolder Daisy, who wants to be 'like everyone else/But richer and more acclaimed.' Both actresses are impeccable, funny and affecting...Inevitably, love complicates matters. If you think relationships are hard, try having one with a conjoined twin...Even after all the surgery, 'Side Show' is far from a great musical. The second act piles on heavy-handed calls for tolerance. The production's also handicapped by the blandness of Silverman and Hydzik, who have matinee-idol good looks but little acting depth. Yet this show also has a strange, slightly demented charm, especially in the vaudeville and carnival scenes. And while it makes its plea for tolerance with a big heart, it's not afraid to unleash even bigger anthems.
1997 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2006 |
Welsh Revival |
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2006 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
2014 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ryan Silverman |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Erin Davie |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Bill Condon |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Side Show |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Peter Hylenski |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Side Show |
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