|
|
I would love to tell you that I did my job as a critic—that I found countless mistakes in Side Show and now I’m about to break out my magnifying glass and expose them to all the world.
But I can’t. There was really nothing wrong with the performance. And believe me, I tried my hardest to find something—anything I could write in my infamous black notebook. The only thing I can really say is: “Well, it was a little long.”
And it was. The average person (myself included) has a hard time sitting through three full hours of nothing but ballads and talk-singing. Even so, I think that pretty much everything was relevant to the plot; if a song would have been removed, the production would have lost something very important.
The play itself is based on true events. It follows the journey of Violet (Allison Wilkes) and Daisy (Sadie Magadanz)—a pair of Siamese twins—from their beginnings in a sideshow to their fame on Vaudeville. Wilkes and Magadanz were absolutely spectacular. Their voices seemed as though they were meant to be singing duets with one another, their harmonies were absolutely beautiful. To whoever cast those two, you could not have done a better job; they made the play what it was.
The acting was also very good. Musical theatre is usually a bit too showy and overdramatic for me. Luckily, the closeness of the Allen Bales theatre allowed the actors to carry themselves more naturally (at least, to be acts in a freak show). However, Allen Bales also lets the audience see every nuance of every move a performer makes. But I think the cast handled themselves well. There were many times when all of the characters were on stage even if they were not the center of focus, but each person was perfectly in character every second they were visible regardless.
Finally, the plot of Side Show itself was great. It was emotionally charged and complex—tragic, hopeful, then tragic again. All of the lines were natural and appropriate for their setting. The characters were well-defined to the audience, and their actions rational within the limits of the character’s personality. I could relate to all of them, and feel my heart breaking with theirs.
I give Side Show an “A.” I advise everyone to go—if you can get tickets. |
 |
Becky Diehl |
Side Show is a musical based on the true story of two sisters Daisy and Violet Hilton who are Siamese twins joined at the hip. The girls are discovered at the sideshow and go on to perform Vaudeville and in two movies. The show highlights their journey to fame and their struggles with their love lives. Sadie Magadanz (Daisy) and Allison Wilkes (Violet) move across the stage in synchronized movements. David Cordell (Terry) and Jake Boyd (Buddy) lead the girls down a path toward fame where along the way their friend Willie Williams (Jake) tries to protect them.
The music is performed very well but at times the singers were almost drowned out by the orchestra. The performance, at close to three hours, is almost too long. It could have ended at intermission and still gotten good reviews. The Roustabouts played by Chris Geiger, Courtney Green, Joel Ingram, and Matt Jones did a good job of keeping the audience entertained before the show and during the intermission. Having The Boss played by Taylor Bridges stand outside before the show and call out like you were really going to a sideshow was a nice touch. During the performance Bridges made good use of the space in the theater, climbing around the audience and up into the catwalks. Wilkes and Magadanz had very tough roles to play, but they did an admirable job. They moved together perfectly not just when they were supposed to be “performing” in the Vaudeville scenes, but also in the moments when they weren’t the main focus; they still moved together. They also sang well together. Their harmonies sounded natural. They had so many different costumes, you never knew what to expect when they came out the next time from being offstage. The costumes were quite unique for each character and even though one of the harem girls had a wardrobe malfunction and it was a little distracting she handled it well and didn’t draw to much extra attention to herself.
Even though the girls were the main focus of the show my attentions were drawn to two of the other characters in particular. Boyd played the character of Buddy with such enthusiasm that he makes you want to smile at his actions. He brought warmth to the character and made him really likeable. Williams who played Jake showed a range of emotions throughout the show. He goes from being compassionate and supportive to full of anguish and hurt. He makes you feel for the character and played off the other actors very well. I was glad that I was not disappointed because my expectations going in were high, and the performance thankfully lived up to them. Overall Side Show lived up to the hype around campus surrounding it. |
|
Side Show, the 1930s story of a set of Siamese twins named Daisy and Violet Hilton, is definitely an interesting concept which provokes the audience and is playing currently in the University of Alabama’s Allan Bales Theater. The show first starts out where the twins are in a circus act with the rest of ensemble playing various sideshow “freaks.” From a bearded lady to a living doll, each ensemble member is a unique character with their own story to tell. The makeup and hairstyles are intricately done, with blown-on paint and a certain “look” for each one of the characters. The costumes are flashy and are put together as well. Allison Wilkes and Sadie Magadanz are the two actresses who play the Hilton twins. They worked well collectively as a whole, especially since the two must be together at the hip through the entirety of the show. My favorite character of the show would have to be the aspiring musician Buddy Foster, who is played by Jake Boyd. His optimism and easygoing way captured the audience. He and the talent scout Terry Connor played by David Kordell are a humorous duo and the love interests of the twins during the show. Willie Williams, who plays Jake the Cannibal King, was also outstanding with his incredible vocals. The vocals of the entire play are well-supported and make Side Show what it is – the story of the Hiltons, but also a story that has a subtle sadness behind it. The twins and other sideshow performers are seen and exploited as “freaks” for their full lives, but this musical helps to portray their human side in unrequited love, a wanting of acceptance, and to just be normal.
If one is interested in seeing the show, it will be a challenge to acquire tickets, as the whole run of the musical is completely sold out, so much so that they added another show on Monday, which sold out as well. Standby tickets are going to be sold one hour before every show however, which is the best option for those who didn’t buy them two to three weeks before. It runs from Monday the 16th until Sunday the 22nd, so be sure not to miss out! |
|
