Side Show (2014 Broadway Revival)

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Side Show (2014 Broadway Revival)

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  7w, 14m

Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell
Music by Henry Krieger
Additional book material by Bill Condon

Based on the lives of the legendary Hilton twins, Daisy and Violet, Side Show follows the sisters' heartwarming search for love and acceptance amidst the spectacle of fame. This version is the updated book and score from the 2014 revival.

Image: 2014 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

Side Show (2014 Broadway Revival)

Request licence
Get the Script
  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    7w, 14m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Biography
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: 2015 Drama Desk Award, Best Revival of a Musical
    Nominee: 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Revival of a Musical
Side Show (2014 Broadway Revival)
Also Available
Side Show (1997 Broadway Version)
Side Show (Concert Version)

Details

Summary

Based on the true story of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, who became stars during the Depression, Side Show is a moving portrait of two women joined at the hip whose extraordinary bondage brings them fame but denies them love. Told almost entirely in song, the show follows Violet and Daisy's progression from England to America, around the vaudeville circuit, and to Hollywood on the eve of their appearance in the 1932 movie Freaks.

With a completely reworked plot and new songs like "Very Well Connected," "All in the Mind" and "The Great Wedding Show," the 2014 revival delves deeper into the backstory of the Hilton twins. With the implementation of the twins' relationship with Harry Houdini and of a proposed separation surgery, the new book fleshes out characters and situations that endow the songs with more sophistication and truth.


History
Side Show premiered on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on 16 October 1997. Directed by Robert Logbottom, the production featured Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, who were jointly nominated for the 1997 Tony Award in the category of Best Actress in a Musical. The show returned to Broadway at the St. James Theatre on 17 November 2014. Directed by Bill Condon, the revival production featured Erin Davie and Emily Padgett.
Keywords
Performing Groups
VIOLET HILTON
DAISY HILTON
TERRY CONNER
BUDDY FOSTER
JAKE
SIR
3-LEGGED MAN
GEEK
FORTUNE TELLER
VENUS DE MILO
DOG BOY
HOUDINI
FEMALE COSSACK
HALF-MAN HALF-WOMAN
HUMAN PIN CUSHION
JUDGE
RAY
LIZARD MAN
SIR'S LAWYER
CAMERAMAN
TOD BROWNING
BEARDED LADY
AUNTIE
TATTOO GIRL
MALE COSSACK
DOCTORS
SUITORS
ROUSTABOUTS
ENSEMBLE

Side Show is set in 1930s America during the Great Depression and the start of the Civil Rights movement and as such tackles themes of discrimination and racism. Certain characters should be cast accordingly to reflect the politics of the time including Buddy who should be of White European heritage and Jake who should be of Black African heritage. The use of make-up or prosthetics to alter an actor’s ethnicity is prohibited.

  • Time Period 1930s
  • Setting The Midway, Vaudeville, the Follies, on the road, the Texas Centennial. 1930s.
  • Features Elaborate/High-Volume Costumes, Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"Burrows deep into your spirit... It's just wonderful" - The New York Times

“One of the most emotionally wrenching and altogether satisfying shows in many a moon.” – Cititour, Read More 

“Condon's fabulous ‘revisal’ maximizes the material's strengths and minimizes its weaknesses, serving up mesmerizing entertainment veined throughout with haunting poignancy.” – The Hollywood Reporter, Read More 

“Side Show now takes its place in the pantheon of great American musicals.” – The Wrap, Read More 

“The musical burrows deep into your spirit... It's just wonderful.” – The New York Times, Read More

ON BREAKING CHARACTER 

Our Picks for The 2019/20 Season: K-12 Edition
Felicia Lucas
April 23, 2019

Top 15 Plays and Musicals About Siblings
Concord Theatricals
April 8, 2019

SIDE SHOW Live: Q&A With Broadway Records Producer, Van Dean
by Ashley Moniz
March 17, 2015

SIDE SHOW Lyricist Bill Russell on Revivals, Opening Nights and The Best Thai Food in Times Square
by Coutney Kochuba
November 10, 2014

SIDE SHOW Says Goodbye, But At What Cost For Broadway?
by Ben Coleman
January 8, 2015

Videos

  • Javier Ignacio - "All in the Mind" youtube thumbnail

    Javier Ignacio - "All in the Mind"

  • Bill Russell discusses "All in the Mind" youtube thumbnail

    Bill Russell discusses "All in the Mind"

Photos

  • Side Show (2014 Broadway Revival)

    Image: 2014 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Side Show (2014 Broadway Revival)

    Image: 2014 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Side Show (2014 Broadway Revival)

    Image: 2014 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

Music

Music Samples

Act I

1. “Come Look at the Freaks”
1a. “Freaks Playoff”
1b. “Behind the Tent”
1c. “I'm Daisy. I'm Violet.”
2. “Like Everyone Else”
3. “Very Well Connected”
3a. “Before Devil You Know”
4. “Devil You Know”
4a. “"Ladies and gentlemen...”
5. “Typical Girls Next Door”
5a. “Transition to Flashback”
6. “Flashback, Part 1”
6a. “Flashback, Part 2 (All in the Mind)”
6b. “Flashback, Part 3”
6c. “Before the Trial”
7. “Feelings You've Got to Hide”
8. “The Courtroom”
9. “Say Goodbye to the Sideshow”
11. “Ready to Play”
11a. “After the Show”
11b. “The Interview”
11c. “Buddy kissed me...”
12. “Who Will Love Me As I Am”

Act II

13. “Entr'acte”
14. “Stuck With You, Part 1”
15. “Leave Me Alone”
15a. “Stuck with You, Part 2”
15b. “Stuck with You, Playoff”
16. “New Year's Eve”
16a. “Waltz and Proposal”
16b. “Auld Lang Syne”
17. “A Private Conversation”
18. “One Plus One Equals Three”
18a. “Separation Anxiety”
19. “You Should Be Loved”
19a. “The Texas Centennial”
20. “Great Wedding Show”
21. “Attractions Return”
22. “Buddy's Confession”
22a. “Marry Me, Terry”
23. “I Will Never Leave You”
24. “Finale: Wedding/Come Look at the Freaks Reprise”
25. “Bows and Exit Music”

  • Musical Style Contemporary Broadway
  • Vocal DemandsDifficult
  • Orchestra Size Large
  • Chorus Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
20   Vocal Book
1   Keyboard 1-Conductor (rehearsal & performance)

1   Reed 1 – Flute, Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
1   Reed 2 – Oboe, Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, English Horn
1   Horn
1   Trumpet
1   Trombone
1   Guitar – Electric, Nylon String, Acoustic, Banjo
1   Percussion – Vibraphone, Mark Tree, Gong, Timpani, Shaker, Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine (open head), Tambourine (w/head), Finger Cymbals, Cabasa, Vibraslap, Congas, Triangle, Piatti, Glockenspiel, Tiny Triangle, Small Shaker, Woodblock, Snare Drum, Chimes, Bell Tree, Crotales, One Shot Shaker, Siren Whistle
1   Drums – Drum Set, Mark Tree, Pandeiro, Tambourine, Woodblock, Dumbek, Triangle
1   Keyboard 2
1   Violin 1 (1 player)
1   Violin 2 (1 player)
1   Viola (1 player)
1   Cello (1 player)
1   Bass – Electric, Acoustic
20   Vocal Book
1   Keyboard 1-Conductor (rehearsal & performance)
Get the Script

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Henry Krieger

Henry Krieger

Henry Krieger began composing for Off-Off-Broadway in his twenties. Soon, collaborations with Tom Eyen and Broadway director/producer/choreographer Michael Bennett led to a workshop production of what was originally entitled Big Dreams. After several workshops, numerous rewri ...

View full profile
Bill Russell

Bill Russell

Bill Russell received Tony Award nominations for the book and lyrics of the original Broadway production of Side Show (1997). The critically praised revised version played the La Jolla Playhouse and the Kennedy Center and received an acclaimed Broadway revival in 2014 and a L ...

View full profile

Now Playing

Related