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.
Although the best parts of the show have not been touched (including virtually the entire second half), the new dialogue and songs and added back-story do not make the show any more effective. If anything, they take away from its sense of momentum. But for the most part, Condon's production is a stunning achievement and a must-see attraction for anyone who cares about serious, Sondheim-style musical theater. Unlike the original production, which was light on design elements, the new 'Side Show' is ultra-elaborate and realistic when it comes to depicting the so-called 'freaks.' Erin Davie and Emily Padgett may lack the starry presence of Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner (the original Violet and Daisy), but they credibly portray the twins and convey their conflicted emotions.
And yet, putting all that aside the real and tragic problem with Side Show is that I never for a single moment thought I was seeing conjoined twins, two individual sisters with passions and desires of their own who were also connected in every possible way to each other. They merely seemed like two women who just happened to be standing very close to each other. I don't know why. Having heard repeatedly about the magical symbiotic performances of Ripley and Skinner, I was eagerly looking forward to what Davie and Padgett would do. They are good and sing with precision and passion on the big numbers 'Who Will Love Me As I Am?' and 'I Will Never Leave You.' I just never felt they were very well connected.
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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