Late last night, rumors began to spread around the
theater blogs that the new revival of Side
Show would close its doors on January 4th. Today, the rumor was
confirmed and I can’t help but feel a deep pain of sadness and disappointment
over this news. I saw the show live for the first time on its third preview
then again, a couple weeks later on opening night courtesy of newyork.com. I
was transfixed from the moment the lights dimmed and the eerie beginning of the
show opener “Come Look at the Freaks” to the final curtain.
Side Show, which
was originally done on Broadway in 1996, tells the true story of conjoined
twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. For as long as they could remember they were
placed in circuses and side shows to perform and be paraded around as “freaks.”
The show vividly tells their story as star side show and vaudeville attractions
and how the girls hope that the business men promoters that they are falling
for can give them what they yearn for the most- Hollywood stardom for Daisy and
stability and a family for Violet. The original production, which starred
Broadway staples such as Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley as Daisy and Violet,
Norm Lewis as their protector Jake and Hugh Panero as promoter Buddy Foster closed
after playing only 91 regular performances, now the revival is poised to play
an almost similar run.
The fan base and impact of the show however has lived on
creating a large fan following. Think of it as the 2004 flop the Boy George and
Rosie O’Donnell show Taboo. It didn’t
do too well with the press but it gained a cult following during its short run
with fans that saw the show close to 100 times. The music is stunning and the story of the girls pulls at your heartstrings.
When I was in my mid-teens about 15 or 16 I discovered Side Show through a day of random Google
and YouTube searches-one click led to another and there you go! I was taken by
the story and premise of the show and intrigued that this was in fact based
around real events. I did research on the Hilton sisters and the original
production and was stunned to discover what a short run it had. I’m guessing
that it’s what probably drew me in the most about the show. For years I have
been enamored with shows that have “flopped” on Broadway so to say-one of my
favorite theater books in my personal collection is Ken Mandelbaum’s “Not Since
Carrie” which is dedicated to unsuccessful shows. For some reason, I find those
shows the most interesting to research and delve into so Side Show was of course no exception. Some of my favorite shows
have been ones that have “flopped” in a sense such as Bonnie and Clyde- I was at the first preview, Big Fish and Bridges of
Madison County. I dreamed to one day see this show for myself and
when I did not too long ago it in no way disappointed me.
Emily Padgett and Erin Davie who play the infamous twins in the
new revival over at the St. James Theater are honest and heart-wrenching,
Robert Joy who plays their grimy guardian Sir is ghoulish in all of the best
ways and David St. Louis as the girls protector Jake is nothing but moving. Director
Bill Condon opens up the troubled world of the twins to the audience allowing
you to see the world from their eyes where you’re loved one moment but then
rejected and tossed aside the next.
The
words “emotional rollercoaster” cannot even begin to describe this incredible show.
Without trying to get too much into my personal life, growing up with a
learning disability, I often felt like an outcast. It’s a challenge as a child
going through school when there is something a bit different about you. Often
feeling alone and out of place I turned to my books and my own thoughts for
comfort and solace. Shows like Side Show
and Wicked, which contain characters who are different and unique but just
want to be like everyone else is something that we need to see more of. Daisy
and Violet Hilton had a rough upbringing as the show highlights wonderfully,
but they just wanted to be like everyone else and who can’t relate to that at
some point in their lives? As the girls sing in one of their beautiful,
emotional numbers, we all want someone to love us as we are and will stand by
us through thick and thin. To me, that is what makes this show so beautiful and
touching.
However,
it saddens me to think that this time next month, this incarnation will no
longer be beckoning us in. While the upcoming cast recording will preserve it
for future generations and I’m wishing for some well-deserved Tony nominations,
I hope that one day this show can finally have a long run it deserves on
Broadway. Sometimes I feel that shows that “flop” or close prematurely are ones
that audiences weren’t ready for yet and we’ve lost some exquisite shows this
way from Bonnie and Clyde to Hands on a Hardbody to Bridges of Madison County. I was hoping
that this time people were ready for Side
Show-it was praised by critics deemed a must see for many fellow theater
enthusiasts and being put up in a time where American Horror Story dominates televisions. While it is clearly
not Side Show’s time yet, I urge you
if you can to go see this masterpiece before closing day on January 4th
to witness an extraordinary and touching theatrical experience. It’s saddening
to see this production close, but its message and effect will linger and stay
with many for years to come.
Bwaygirl828
