Review: Sideshow by Bill Russell (Book and Lyrics) and Henry Krieger (Music). An ArtsWest Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Apprenticeship Program Production. Directed by Christopher Zinovitch. Musical direction by Troy L. Wageman. With Rianna Hidalgo, Becca Orts, Daniel Schwait, Ryan Floresca and Andrew Leonard. Now through August 1 at ArtsWest.
It’s difficult to deny…we’re all a bit obsessed with “freaks” aren’t we? The abnormal, the disfigured and the bizarre have been fascinating humankind for eons, whether they’re exhibited in circus and carnival sideshows, or in films and books and television and stage, or in the pages of the Enquirer and the Globe. Sideshow, the not very successful Broadway musical from a decade ago, focuses its attention on two very real “freaks”, the conjoined sisters, Violet and Daisy Hilton and the results are entertaining, but not very accurate, (the Hilton’s real story would make for a very bleak and tawdry night of theater). Fortunately, ArtsWest’s Summer Musical Theater Apprenticeship production is faithful to the largely fabricated but considerably sunnier tale spun by the Broadway veterans who created it, and it’s a very entertaining night of theater. The cast, comprised of 16-22 year olds participating in ArtsWest’s summer program, is largely excellent with strong professional grade performances by much of the young cast presided over by director Christopher Zinovitch. It’s well worth your time to check this show out; these kids are all right!
Since this is a student level production, I’m not going to get into too many specifics or do any specific “criticism”. But, I will single out some individuals for praise starting with the leading ladies, Becca Orts and Rianna Hidalgo as Violet and Daisy Hilton, respectively. Initially, I was a bit underwhelmed with their acting; it seemed a little forced and overly saccharine in the opening scene but I soon realized that the fault lay more in the WRITING of the material and not in the actors performing it…the sisters come off a little unbelievable in the first scene, like synthetic, generic silent movie heroines and it’s a bit phony and off-putting. But, as the show progressed and the lives of the characters continued to be explored, it soon become apparent that both these actresses were strong, capable, talented young performers, as they deftly handled deeply emotional and psychologically powerful scenes. And, both actresses are fine singers bringing depth and emotional range to their performances with their strong voices. I believe both actresses are college students out of state; hopefully both of them return to Seattle at some point to continue acting on local stages. (And, kudos to the hair, make-up and costume departments for their amazing transformation of the two young woman… judging by their head shots in the program, neither actress is very similar in appearance, but in make-up and costume they make very compelling twin sisters.)
As for the male lead, Daniel Schwait gives a powerful, commanding and authoritative performance as Terry Connor, the manager of the sisters. Mr Schwait’s strong vocals belie his age; he gives the performance of an actor twice his age and he’s obviously destined for a career in musical theater. Andrew Leonard as Jake, the strongman with the heart of a gold, also gives a fine performance, shading his portrayal with subtle nuances and tender grace. And, as the third main male character, Ryan Floresca as Buddy Foster is seemingly much younger than the rest of the cast (he definitely reads “high school” as opposed to “college” aged like the rest of the leads) but his high energy performance is well matched with the rest of the main cast and his applause was well earned.
As for the rest of the ensemble, standouts included Chelsea Gilpin’s sardonic Bearded Lady and the big, lusty vocals of Sarah Uptagrafft as the Fortune Teller. Both have strong potentials for future theatrical careers and both are worth checking out in this fine production. Sideshow plays at ArtsWest now through August 1.
All Photos: Nichole DeMent/ArtsWest
-Michael Strangeways
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
