Director Bill Condon’s reimagined staging of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell’s Side Show, which is enjoying a successful run in Washington D.C., is eyeing a transfer to Broadway. According to The New York Times, the production may move to the Great White Way as early as this fall. Erin Davie and Emily Padgett are currently starring as Violet and Daisy Hilton, respectively, at the Kennedy Center.
Based on the true story of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, Side Show is a moving portrait of two women joined at the hip whose extraordinary bondage brings them fame during the Depression era, but denies them love. The musical features songs such as “I Will Never Leave You” and “Who Will Love Me As I Am?”
Other Kennedy Center cast members include 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 and DeLaney Westfall.
The production features choreography by Anthony Van Laast, scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer and sound design by Kai Harada. The revised musical previously ran at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in 2013.
The original Broadway production, directed by Robert Longbottom, opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on September 19, 1997. The show closed after 91 performances and received four Tony nominations, including a shared nomination for co-stars Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner. This marked the only time in Tony history where two people were co-nominated for the Best Actress award.