Side Show: My Review

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 12:53pm

On Thursday December 23, I went to the Lincoln Center Library to see the Broadway production of Side Show. I had been obsessing over it for four months, ever since I bought the cast recording, and I had Thursday off from work so I decided it would be a good day to go see it. This was my first time ever seeing a past Broadway show at Lincoln Center and I was shocked at how great the quality was. It was extremely clear and the sound was perfect. Anyway, now I understand why there was a cult following for this show; if I was old enough at the time, I’m sure I would have seen it over and over.

As soon as the whole company walked out onto the rafters and the music for “Come Look at the Freaks” began, I was mesmerized. The ensemble was so strong and this song was very powerful. As many of you remember, the ensemble acts as the audience to the freak show and then they become the freaks as the song progresses. As the Boss (Ken Jennings) was singing about each freak, each actor stood up on the rafters to introduce themselves. Daisy and Violet (Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley) were separated on the rafters and then came together and became the Siamese twins during the song. Both of them are incredible performers.

Then we were introduced to Terry (Jeff McCarthy) and Buddy (Hugh Panaro) who were going to see the freak show. They were immediately drawn to the twins and Buddy wanted them to become vaudeville performers and leave the freak show. The twins sang a song “Like Everyone Else” which taught us how different they really are even though they are Siamese twins. Daisy wants to be a star while Violet wants to get married and settle down. After Terry and Buddy leave, Jake (Norm Lewis) expresses his doubt about them in “The Devil You Know.” This song was so well done, and I think Norm was incredible in this show. Some of the freaks wanted the twins to stay, while others, such as the fortune teller, wanted them to move on. And the looks on the twins’ faces were priceless; they were both so confused and didn’t know who to believe. Norm Lewis has such a strong voice and I hope he does another show soon to showcase that.

Buddy and Terry talk about how talented the twins are in “More Than We Bargained For” and then they bring the twins flowers before their first vaudeville performance. Daisy and Violet sing “Feelings You’ve Got to Hide” showing they are both in love. They then perform “When I’m By Your Side” in these cute light blue outfits and we get our first peek at the twins dancing together. They were amazing and perfectly in sync. It was also very well done because Violet, who is the shy one, did not seem to be enjoying it as much as Daisy, who always wants to be in the spotlight. But then as the song progressed, Violet’s facial expressions lit up as she got more used to performing. Choreographer Robert Longbottom really deserves praise for his creativity with the twins’ dance numbers.

When the Boss finds out what they were doing, he fires them from the freak show. The twins, along with Jake, leave with Buddy and Terry to become vaudeville performers in “Say Goodbye to the Freak Show.” Norm Lewis has a line in this show that gave me chills: “Nothing lost if I decide to, I feel I belong besiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide you.” The hardcore fans definitely know what I am talking about. The twins have become an overnight sensation thanks for buddy and terry and they are about to perform another number in front of a large audience. But they have a fight beforehand in “Leave Me Alone.” This is so powerful because the twins obviously can’t be alone because they are stuck together. It shows that even though they are Siamese twins, they have similar feelings to the rest of us and want a little privacy once in a while. The fight flowed right into an incredible performance of “We Share Everything.” It was a whole Egyptian theme and the twins came out of a tomb dressed as Egyptian princesses with dancing pharaohs around them. The costumes were fantastic.

After their performance, reporters were asking them tons of questions about love and marriage which were awkward for the twins since Buddy and Terry were right there with them. They sing “Who Will Love Me As I Am?” wondering if they will ever be loved by anyone and feel normal. Daisy and Violet are singing the song while standing center stage and the song gave me chills. I definitely saw tears flowing down their faces (yes that is how good the quality of the recording is) and then the ensemble came out surrounding them at the end of the song and they all sang “Who could proudly stand beside me, who will love me as I am?” Again, it gave me chills. For those of you who saw it live, that must have been such a great moment.

Act 2 opens with “Rare Songbirds on Display.” The twins are on a swing and everyone is wearing amazing costumes. This production number shows how far they both have come as performers. At a party afterwards, Buddy proposes to Violet in “New Years Day.” When Buddy proposes, Violet is tentative to say yes at first even though she would be realizing her dream. Daisy turns to her and says “If you don’t say yes, I’m going to have a heart attack that will kill us both!” I thought that was very funny.

In “Private Conversation,” Terry sings about his love for Daisy but how he wants to be with her alone. In a dream sequence, he dances with Daisy alone on the stage, but then as the song concludes, she goes back to attach herself to Violet. Terry is torn between his love for Daisy and his desire to have a normal marriage. Jeff McCarthy does an incredible job with this song. Next is “One Plus One Equals Three,” a cute kind of comic relief number with Buddy and the twins. They are on the radio announcing the news of the wedding. Hugh Panaro has such a high voice for a man. (just had to mention that)

Terry and Buddy are talking on the rafters about how the marriage will help their careers and Jake overhears them and mentions to Violet that she shouldn’t go through with the wedding. He tells her that she deserves someone better, someone who will love her and treat her right. He sings “You Should Be Loved” and brings the house down. This is the only time on the recording where the audience really went wild with applause. They were applauding even before he finished his last note; it really was that good.

Next we come to my absolute favorite song in the show “Tunnel of Love.” I still love the song, although I thought the storyline around the song was strange. They go from announcing the wedding to an amusement park where they all ride the tunnel of love so that they can express their true feelings in the dark. The melody and lyrics to the song are absolutely incredible and it was cool how they simulated the ride on the stage. I enjoyed the heart shaped lights all around the stage. It is also a pivotal point in the storyline since the leads all realize what is truly going on in their lives. Terry and Daisy are in love, but there really is no spark between Buddy and Violet, even though they are the ones set to get married.

The twins come out wearing wedding dresses and Buddy tells Violet he can’t marry her and that it was all an act. A movie producer who is there says he will not make the movie with the twins unless they get married. Daisy then asks Terry to marry her instead so they can still get the movie contract. Terry says he can’t because he wants a normal marriage with two people, not three. Violet then agrees to marry Buddy, just so they can continue to have good careers. The Daisy asks the producer what the title of the movie is and he says “Freaks!” Daisy and Violet, alone on stage, sing “I Will Never Leave You” which gave me chills and even made my eyes tear a bit. The show ended with a reprise of “Come Look at the Freaks” in which the freaks now changed back and became the audience members on the rafters. On the very last note of the song, the entire company sat down on the rafters, similarly to the way the show began, with all of them seated.

Overall, I thought this show was fantastic and I am so glad I got to see it, even though I was 7 years too late. I am truly sorry that it didn’t last longer, but I am glad that this show is preserved on tape. Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner were incredible as the twins and I am sorry they did not win the Tony award for best actress. I guess it is rare when a show wins Tony awards after it has closed. I guess the 1997 audience was just not ready for a show like this, which really made you look at your own life and think about how you judge people. If it is ever revived, (which is probably unlikely) I hope there is a better marketing strategy for it to encourage people to experience this wonderful show. If any of you ever want to talk with me about Side Show, please PM me. I feel very strongly about this show and am always happy to chat with you about it. Thanks for reading my review.

-Alberto

[morosco]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 1:57pm

SIDE SHOW was a powerful evening in the theatre. It's a shame it closed so quickly. Hard show to sell on Broadway I quess.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 2:01pm

What is the deal with Lincoln Center Library? Do you have to have an appointment to view something?

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 2:01pm

i agree..i love the music:)

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 2:19pm

bobby- there was a huge post on this a while back- search... ill try to find it & post a link

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 2:20pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=312675#586944

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 5:43pm

Check out Emily and ALice's Duet Albums - "Duets" and "Unsuspecting Hearts". They're great!

[andyf]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 9:48pm

Yeah I was going to say...there was just much ado about the whole Lincoln Center Library thing.

Anyway, I love the music but I honestly can't say that I don't understand why the show closed so soon. It definitely needed work, but the music is still amazing. And yes "I feel I belong beside you," is hot, but can't compare to "You Should Be Loved."

PS - Did anybody else notice the beginning of the Lil John voice in Norm's Jake? "I think you may be jealous!" "HA! Jealous of WHAT-TAH??!" Swear to God.