Based on the real life of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, ‘Side Show’ is a musical by Bill Russell (book and lyrics) and Henry Krieger (music) that first opened on Broadway in 1997 and was later revived in 2014 with a revised book and additional songs. The musical focuses on their journey from being the star attraction of a sideshow to becoming a success in vaudeville. The Sandbox Collective brings its own spin to the stage, using the original 1996 book and director Toff De Venecia stylized his production to make immediate contemporary connections with the material, which is set in the 1930s, to the present day.
The set design by Mark Dalacat (who also serves as assistant director), places the audience on either side of the stage, creating the impression that the audience can see a row of people watching the show, much like a sideshow. The actors come in and out from the side, though some of the action brings the actors up to the audience area. In the first act, set entirely in the sideshow, there are aerials to create the appearance of the carnival. The incredible ensemble are dressed in different styles – according to De Venecia, each member of the ensemble were allowed to create their own freak – that ranges from snake charmer, bearded woman, fortune teller, and so on.
In Act Two, when Daisy and Violet are taken away from the sideshow and into vaudeville, the stage adornments become more posh. The ensemble switch from journalists to party guests to vaudeville dancers. It’s a feast of motion and costumes that really stand out (costume design by Carlos Siongco). De Venecia’s direction is to keep it busy when their lives are busy. So that when the play moves to its more intimate, tender parts, it gets really quiet and the contrast is clear.
Daisy and Violet may be conjoined twins, but they are very different people. Daisy longs to be a performer and craves the limelight, whereas Violet is more reserved, wants a normal life, which equates to a family and a home. This tension creates the space for the girls to be tested when two men come into their lives who doesn’t see them as freaks but as performers capable of making it big in vaudeville. These men are Terry Connor and Buddy Foster. They clash with Sir/The Boss of the sideshow, convince their best friend, the show’s “Cannibal King” Jake to let them go and come along with them, and find themselves intertwined with the twins more than just professionally. Violet takes a fancy to Terry while Buddy is keen on making Daisy’s dreams come true. And that’s where the trouble begins.
Aside from an incredible ensemble who are filled with such diverse types of people but they all can sing and dance and act a storm. Jon Santos is a menacing force as Sir/The Boss and his presence is felt strongly even in his infrequent appearances in act two. The rest of the main cast is split into alternates. Playing Violet and Daisy are Marynor Madamesila and Tanya Manalang and Molly Langley and Krystal Kane; for Terry, it is Reb Atadero and CJ Navato; for Buddy it is Tim Pavino and Vien King; and for Jake, it is Marvin Ong and Joshua Cabiladas.
The alternates bring different approaches to the material. Madamesila and Manalang play the sisters very differently. Their differences in character are so clear while Langley and Kane have to fight through the fact that, in makeup, they look alike, and they even have the same quality of voice. Their attack can sometimes be similar in approach and so their Violet and Daisy sometime blur, though they are excellent singers. Navato and King have a more straightforward approach to Terry and Buddy. Navato plays Terry as all business and King plays up Buddy’s need for the spotlight. It’s an accessible performance and well-suited for a big theatrical piece. Atadero and Pavino play it a little more layered, with Atadero’s Terry is conflicted about how he feels about Violet while Pavino’s approach to Buddy is more contained, let’s out little bursts of his need for fame, which creates an interesting layer when his interactions with Daisy get complicated. I had issues with Cabiladas in the show that I saw.
A terrific singer, I felt he would lose character in order to sing the powerful songs that Jake does but Marvin Ong stole the performance at every turn. He imbued the vocally demanding songs of Jake with all the frustrations and rage of The Cannibal King that allowed a true marriage of acting and singing. Ong was, without a doubt, a scene-stealer.
De Venecia employs Brechtian techniques in directing ‘Side Show’ allowing us to see the stagecraft that was at play. The show opens with the ensemble engaging with the audience, a Brechtian trick to remind the audience that what they are about to see is a show. He then let’s the players change onstage, while introducing modern elements such as a screen and a camera to adorn his 1930 portrayal with a modern feel.
It can be jarring until the show’s finale when the last striking image – that of a marriage – with the whole exploration of what it means to be a freak takes a poignant meaning.
The play is dead set in trying to humanize the two women who the world sees as freaks, but the show is constantly reminding us that these “freaks” are humans too. The modernization of the show brings us to think about who we think are freaks in this day and age and De Venecia’s political stand becomes clearer and clearer. It’s a matter of taste, whether this friction works for you, but the intention is tangible and deeply felt.
My Rating:
SIDE SHOW: THE MUSICAL runs until August 17, 2025, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater. Tickets are available at Ticket2Me.
