Freaks Invade Broadway with “Side Show”

“Come look at the freaks” beckon the various oddities from the stage at the St. James Theatre. Given how intoxicating the revival of Side Show proves to be, you may want to take in a second or third look.

The original production of Side Show has become infamous. A flop that barely lasted three months, it went on to become one of the biggest cult hits in the Broadway cannon. Thanks to the cast recording that captured the commanding and star making performances of Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, theatre nerds everywhere now uphold the musical as some holy entity. It’s a lot to live up to, but the revival is up to the task.

The story is based on the real life tale of Violet (Erin Davie) and Daisy (Emily Padgett) Hilton; conjoined twin vaudeville stars. Before they launched to stardom with the iconic movie “Freaks”, they made ends meet in seedy side shows. It’s in one such show that an Orpheum Circuit agent Terry (Ryan Silverman) and his assistant Buddy (Matthew Hydzik) discover the twins. After viewing one performance, Terry is certain that the Hilton’s are the next big sensation (and his own shot at fame and success).

The duo struggles to set the girls free from the side show and groom them into stars. They run into trouble with a man known only as Sir (a deliciously sinister Robert Joy). Sir is the Hilton’s abusive adopted father and emcee of this particular freak circus, and is determined to hold onto his headliner act. The road to freedom/stardom also gets tricky with their protective friend and stage-hand Jake (David St. Louis), who holds secret yearning for Violet. You can likely surmise that a love triangle becomes a central conflict.

This particular revival has gone through a number of rewrites and tweaking. This includes new songs from the original songwriting team of Bill Russell and Henry Krieger, and a fleshed out book courtesy of director Bill Condon. Most of the updates are designed to help beef up the thinly written supporting roles. There is a fun new vaudeville act for the Hilton sisters and Buddy, to highlight their relationship. Terry has an early number to help establish character motivations.

One of the best decisions Condon made was actually aesthetic. This time around the “freaks” of the side show are presented in all their deformed glory. The costumes and prosthetic work for the likes of  the Geek, the Half Man/Half Woman, and the Lizard Man are inspired. Costume designer Paul Tazewell has done a marvelous job at combining seediness with glamour. It’s all quite sumptuous to look at.

It’s unfortunate that for all the revisions, the supporting roles still feel awkward. Character motivations turn on a dime (and often in the same scene). In what feels like under 20 minutes, Buddy insists that he and a certain Hilton are “just friends”, changes his mind and declares that she’s his “other half”, and then a couple of minutes later realizes “oh, I actually don’t love you that way”. Confused? I was. And Terry, despite his new material, still turns villainous almost instantaneously. Luckily Silverman and Hydzik are splendid singers and manage to get by on charm.

As Jake, David St. Louis isn’t quite able to navigate the tragic arc of his unrequited love . It’s quite understandable, since there isn’t much material thrown his way. But, by the time we reach Jake’s signature number “You Should be Loved”, his crumbling emotional state isn’t justified. The number still gets a roaring response thanks to impressive vocal pyrotechnics from St. Louis and glorious lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhower.

If nothing else, the production warrants a visit for its two absurdly talented leads. I know many musicals have yet to even debut, but I’m going to say it anyway: Emily Padgett and Erin Davie give one of the best performances you will see this season. As the Hilton sisters, they work together in perfect harmony. The actresses show how simultaneously dependent they are on one another, yet how opposite the two are at their core. Padgett’s Daisy has Hollywood lights in her eyes and a take-on-the-world attitude (with an impeccable sense of comedic timing). Davie’s Violet is more uncertain of living a life as a “freak”. There is an undercurrent of deep pain throughout her performance as her yearnings to be normal bubble to the surface.

And I haven’t even gotten to the songs. If you’re a fan of the musical, you wont be disappointed with the two famous power ballads. During the act one closer, “Who Will Love me as I Am”, it was all I could do not to jump out of my seat and scream with excitement as the actress’ voices soared through the melody. And with opposite effect, “I Will Never Leave You” left me dumbfounded with my jaw on the floor. The ladies have some serious pipes, and utilize every facet of their voice to tear the songs to shreds. If you miss their performance: you’ll be sorry.

What I realized is that despite the infamous status as a show that closed too early, it is a far from perfect musical. Lyrics are sometimes corny, and the love triangle depends so heavily on thinly sketched supporting players that it all but collapses on itself in the final moments. Even with the updates and new songs, Side Show is flawed. However, in the days after seeing the show I couldn’t get it out of my head. The stunning opening number, Mr. Condon’s energetic staging, the costumes for the freaks, Davie and Padgett’s voices thundering to the rafters as the lights on the bare stage flourish behind them. I am already itching to go back, flaws and all. It truly doesn’t leave you.

Side Show

St James Theatre

246 West 44th St., Manhattan

Book and Lyrics by: Bill Russell, with additional book material by: Bill Condon

Music by: Henry Krieger

Directed by: Bill Condon

Starring: Erin Davie and Emily Padgett, with Matthew Hydzik, Robert Joy, Ryan Silverman, and David St. Louis

Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission