Directed by Academy Award winner Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls"), Side Show is produced in association with the La Jolla Playhouse where the latest version of the musical premiered last fall. The Kennedy Center run officially opened June 19.
A source close to the production told Playbill.com that the creative team is hopeful for a Broadway run. The musical has gained a large cult following since its brief Broadway run in 1997.
Read reviews from the Kennedy Center run here.
On June 10 the New York Times reported that producer Darren Bagert has been discussing a New York transfer of the musical. A potential home for Side Show could be the St. James Theatre, which currently houses the Woody Allen musical Bullets Over Broadway. Although producers of that new musical told the Times there are no plans to close Bullets, Jordan Roth of Jujamcyn Theaters — the landlord for the St. James — is "enthusiastic about a Broadway transfer," the Times reports.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center had no additional information about a possible transfer. Rick Miramontez, who represents Side Show creators Henry Krieger and Bill Russell, told Playbill.com he had no "comment about any transfer, but I can confirm that the creators are thrilled with the Kennedy Center engagement that ends Sunday." Condon has given new dramatic shape to the dark, pop-driven musical that has a score by Krieger (Dreamgirls) and Russell (Elegies for Angels...), who also wrote the book. This new, darker approach to the material incorporates new songs as well as additional biographical details of the Hilton twins' life and historical figures of the era.
Side Show stars Erin Davie as Violet Hilton and Emily Padgett as Daisy Hilton with Matthew Hydzik as Buddy Foster, Robert Joy as Sir, Ryan Silverman as Terry Connor (Manoel Felciano played Terry at La Jolla) and David St. Louis as Jake as well as Brandon Bieber, Charity Dawson, Lauren Elder, Derek Hanson, Javier Ignacio, Jordanna James, Guy Lockard, Kelvin Moon Loh, Barrett Martin, Con O’Shea Creal, Matthew Patrick Davis, Don Richard, Blair Ross, Hannah Shankman, Jason Walker and Delaney Westfall.
The new production also has 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 musical features choreography by Anthony van Laast.
The original Broadway production of Side Show opened on Oct. 16, 1997, and was directed by Robert Longbottom. The production starred Alice Ripley, Emily Skinner, Ken Jennings, Norm Lewis, Jeff McCarthy, and Hugh Panaro. It ran for 91 performances and received four Tony nominations, including a shared nomination for co-stars Ripley and Skinner, the only time in Tony history where two people were co-nominated for the Best Actress award.
View highlights fron the Kennedy Center production below:
