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.
For a musical about true-life conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, the strange and stirring 'Side Show' has a nagging habit of losing its grip. Chalk it up to dramatic inconsistencies and thin characterizations. Even so, there's a lot to like about the revised vision...Beyond a laudably offbeat topic, two very good leading ladies and a shadowy, evocative design, this show's most stunning jewels are brilliant songs by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Bill Russell, who revamped the book with director Bill Condon...Despite its unusual material, this reimagined 'Side Show' remains standard singing bio. Par for the course, the tale of two long-forgotten curios zips along quickly but feels like a lot is missing -- and what's here is sanitized...We take a journey with these dreamgirls, but there's no truly satisfying payoff -- or a portrait that goes deeper than the skin.
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 |
|
| 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 |
Videos