|
Side Show
A Musical of Freakish Proportions
Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell
Music by Henry Krieger
Directed by Stephen M. Genovese
Musical Direction by A. Scott Williams
Choreographers: Brenda Didier & Andrew Waters
Produced by Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
At The Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W. Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL
Call 773-327-5252, tickets $20 - $25
Thursdays & Fridays at 8 PM
Saturdays at 5 & 9 PM
Sundays at 6 PM
Running time is 2 hours, 25 minutes with intermission
Through July 9, 2006
Side Show tunefully redefines want it is to be accepted in society.
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble gave us a terrific Wild Party last year and this year they deliver a seldom seen musical, Side Show, in an ambitious production filled with wonderful singing, clever dancing and heartwarming characters. This show is a major summer hit! Kudos to Bohemian Theatre Ensemble for selecting Side Show which is a most worthy musical that hasn’t been produced here since 2001 at Northlight Theatre.
This is my first time seeing Side Show, a 1997 show that only lasted 122 performances on Broadway yet it garnered 4 Tony nominations but it went against Ragtime, Lion King and Cabaret in a crowded Broadway season. Side Show has a melodic score with powerful, character-specific lyrics. (Book & lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger).
Director Stephen M. Genovese has found the cream of the non-Equity list song and dance players including the strong voiced Eric Lindahl (Buddy Foster), Brandon Dahlquist (Terry Connor), Aaron Holland (Jake) and the outstanding Vanessa Panerosa and Andrea Prestinaro as the Daisy and Violet Hilton – the conjoined twins who became a successful vaudeville act in the 1920’s and 30’s. (They also made the film Freaks in 1932.) The large ensemble players led by Rus Rainer and Nicole Pellegrino offered stylistic dances and rich harmonies were presented well.
 |
Side Show grabs us from the start with the “Come Look At The Freaks” number from the Side Show’s midway. We meet the Siamese twins, Daisy and Violet who lament that they desire to be “Like Everyone Else,” a duet (one of several) where the twins reveal their deepest emotions. When vaudeville producers Buddy Foster and Terry Connor offer the twins a better life, they jump on the offer with the help of the loving Jake. Good bye, freak show, hello vaudeville. Jake leads the company in a gospel tune, “The Devil You Know” as a warning about venturing out from their comfort zone. The sisters deliver the emotional songs, “Feelings You’ve Got To Hide” and “When I’m By Your Side” deftly. It would help if both Panerosa and Prestinario would project stronger so everyone can hear the wonderful lyrics they were singing. The company delivers the roaring “Say Goodbye To the Freak Show” song with style and pizzazz.
The Hilton’s initial vaudeville number “We Share Everything” is a soft-shoe ditty in the classic hooky vaudevillian style. The girls evoke charm to spare. The act ends with the powerful anthem “Who Will Love Me As I Am.”
In act two, Daisy and Violet, now sporting blond wigs and dates with The Follies, land “Rare Songbirds On Display” complete with lavish gowns and white tuxes that would please Ziegfield immensely. Eric Lindahl, a strong singer, delivers the vaudevillian tune complete with straw hat and cane with the girls in a clever show stopper “One Plus One Equals Three” (my favorite song from the show).
Side Show deals with love, marriage and the complications inherent with conjoined twins. Can one or both ever find love and marriage? Who will accept them and/ or let them be who they are? The book deals realistically with these problems. Since the Hilton sisters were real people, Side Show had to deal with the facts of their lives. The final anthem “I Will Never Leave You” sung by Daisy and Violet sums up their finally acceptance of who and what they are. This is an uplifting ode to all the ‘freaks’ out there to simply ‘be,’ which should be enough.
Side Show has a wonderful rich score with telling lyrics filled with many powerful ballads, cute dance numbers and entertaining songs. Eric Lindahl, Brandon Dahlquist and Aaron Holland landed their vocals richly while Vanessa Panerosa and Andrea Prestinario produced haunting melodies in their moving emotionally strong ballads. This is a beautifully sung show that also dances terrifically. Side Show is a marvelous rare treat worth seeing. Don’t miss it!
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2006
Jeff Recommended
|
