Side Show The Musical Gets Stunning Revival at The Kennedy Center

Side Show Kennedy Center - Eisenhower Theatre New revival of the hit musical! Synopsis: Inspired by the lives of Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, Sideshow is about a press agent who brings the twins out of a sideshow and puts them into vaudeville.  CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM Book and Lyrics: Bill Russell Music: Henry Krieger Additional Book Material: Bill Condon Starring Erin Davie, Emily Padgett, Matthew Hydzik, Robert Joy, Ryan Silverman, David St. Louis, Brandon Bieber, Matthew Patrick Davis, Charity Angel Dawson, Lauren Elder, Derek Hanson, Javier Ignacio, Jordanna James, Guy Lockard, Kelvin Moon Loh, Barrett Martin, Con O'Shea-Creal, Don Richard, Blair Ross, Hannah Shankman, Josh Walker, DeLaney Westfall Scenic Design: David Rockwell Costume Design: Paul Tazewell Lighting Design: Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer Sound Design: Kai Harada Special Make-Up Effects Design: Dave Elsey & Lou Elsey Wig and Hair Design: Charles G. LaPointe Make-Up Design: Cookie Jordan Illusion Design: Paul Kieve Production Stage Manager: Linda Marvel Casting by Laura Stanczyk Casting Technical Director: Doug Grekin Orchestrations: Harold Wheeler Original Arrangements: David Chase Associate Director: Dave Solomon Associate Choreographer: Janet Rothermel Produced by Max Woodward General Manager: John J. Hance Musical Direction and Arrangements by Sam Davis Choreographed by Anthony Van Laast Directed by Bill Condon

The award for one of the most unique, surreal musical theater experiences of the year has to go the gorgeously staged Kennedy Center production of Side Show : The Musical. This production is from the team that brought us Dreamgirls. Side Show features book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger, and is directed by Academy Award® winner Bill Condon. Sam Davis serves as musical director and arranger and conducts the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and in a nice change of pace, the show is doing an extended residency, playing June 13 – July 14.

Set during the depression era, this true story follows the life of conjoined twins Violet (Erin Davie) and Daisy Hilton (Emily Padgett) who get adopted by a sleazy owner of a carnival freakshow. After years of abuse the duo get a chance to break out of their current situation and become famous vaudeville stars. I was impressed that the show didn’t shirk away for all the obvious questions about what it is like to be a conjoined twin. In one of the show’s more lighthearted moments, Buddy (Matthew Hydzik) sings about his love for Violet in the fun song “1 + 1 = 3” which kind of implies, without being explicit, certain things about how a relationship with Daisy and Violet would actually work.

The costume design by Paul Tazewell, makeup work by Cookie Jordan and scenic design by David Rockwell come together to form a beautifully weird tapestry that successfully transports the audience into another time, era and place. There’s never a moment in the show where you don’t buy that these people are real and that you aren’t getting a behind the scenes glimpse into the life of circus “freaks.”  They do amazing things with the standard tropes of the bearded lady, the giant, the 3 legged man (still trying to figure that one out), dwarves and more.

Side ShowKennedy Center - Eisenhower TheatreNew revival of the hit musical!Synopsis:Inspired by the lives of Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, Sideshow is about a press agent who brings the twins out of a sideshow and puts them into vaudeville. CAST AND CREATIVE TEAMBook and Lyrics: Bill RussellMusic: Henry KriegerAdditional Book Material: Bill CondonStarringErin Davie, Emily Padgett,Matthew Hydzik, Robert Joy, Ryan Silverman, David St. Louis,Brandon Bieber, Matthew Patrick Davis, Charity Angel Dawson, Lauren Elder, Derek Hanson,Javier Ignacio, Jordanna James, Guy Lockard, Kelvin Moon Loh, Barrett Martin,Con O'Shea-Creal, Don Richard, Blair Ross, Hannah Shankman, Josh Walker, DeLaney WestfallScenic Design: David RockwellCostume Design: Paul TazewellLighting Design: Jules Fisher & Peggy EisenhauerSound Design: Kai HaradaSpecial Make-Up Effects Design: Dave Elsey & Lou ElseyWig and Hair Design: Charles G. LaPointeMake-Up Design: Cookie JordanIllusion Design: Paul KieveProduction Stage Manager: Linda MarvelCasting by Laura Stanczyk CastingTechnical Director: Doug GrekinOrchestrations: Harold WheelerOriginal Arrangements: David ChaseAssociate Director: Dave SolomonAssociate Choreographer: Janet RothermelProduced by Max WoodwardGeneral Manager: John J. HanceMusical Direction and Arrangements by Sam DavisChoreographed by Anthony Van LaastDirected by Bill Condon

Visual effects occur in the most unusual ways in this show and always done with style. There’s a beautiful moment where Houdini floats from the sky and disappears after sprinkling glitter. Other times the primary effect is all based purely on Erin Davie and Emily Padgett’s stunning performance. I actually believed they were twins and spent most of the show trying to figure out how they were doing it. The amount of work and trust these two need to have in each to pull this off boggles the mind.

Side Show Kennedy Center - Eisenhower Theatre New revival of the hit musical! Synopsis: Inspired by the lives of Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, Sideshow is about a press agent who brings the twins out of a sideshow and puts them into vaudeville.  CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM Book and Lyrics: Bill Russell Music: Henry Krieger Additional Book Material: Bill Condon Starring Erin Davie, Emily Padgett, Matthew Hydzik, Robert Joy, Ryan Silverman, David St. Louis, Brandon Bieber, Matthew Patrick Davis, Charity Angel Dawson, Lauren Elder, Derek Hanson, Javier Ignacio, Jordanna James, Guy Lockard, Kelvin Moon Loh, Barrett Martin, Con O'Shea-Creal, Don Richard, Blair Ross, Hannah Shankman, Josh Walker, DeLaney Westfall Scenic Design: David Rockwell Costume Design: Paul Tazewell Lighting Design: Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer Sound Design: Kai Harada Special Make-Up Effects Design: Dave Elsey & Lou Elsey Wig and Hair Design: Charles G. LaPointe Make-Up Design: Cookie Jordan Illusion Design: Paul Kieve Production Stage Manager: Linda Marvel Casting by Laura Stanczyk Casting Technical Director: Doug Grekin Orchestrations: Harold Wheeler Original Arrangements: David Chase Associate Director: Dave Solomon Associate Choreographer: Janet Rothermel Produced by Max Woodward General Manager: John J. Hance Musical Direction and Arrangements by Sam Davis Choreographed by Anthony Van Laast Directed by Bill Condon

There are two or three moments during dream sequences where they sort of break the illusion and even that’s done beautifully. During the song “A Private Conversation,” Terry (Ryan Silverman) imagines what his life would be like with Daisy if the two weren’t tied together. The sequence starts off subtly with Violet seemingly disappearing through the floor and goes into full on dance sequence. At the end of it Violet reappears and we see them slowly move towards each other and reattach. Guy Lockard’s deep baritone gave his Jake character depth and richness. During one of the show’s signature moments “You Should Be Loved,” you felt his pain when he finally confesses his love for Violet as he tries to convince her not to marry Buddy.

My only complaint about the show was things get a bit weird in the last 10 minutes and somewhere along the lines the story sort of falls apart and doesn’t know where it wants to go and feels like it ends abruptly or prematurely.  But for two-thirds of the show, audiences are in for a truly mesmerizing experience. Side Show is currently playing at The Kennedy Center, June 14 – July 13, 2014.  This review is based on the June 19th, 2014 performance.

Final Grade A

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