There is a moment in Tod Browning’s 1932 cult classic film “Freaks” that has lingered in my memory over the past several years since I first witnessed this gem: that of conjoined twins, Violet and Daisy Hilton, one of whom receives a proposal of marriage, and graciously accepts. The moment she says she will become his bride, her lover swoops in for a kiss, and her conjoined sister (who has been reading the entire time while her sister is being romanced) suddenly looks up, and reacts strongly to the mutually shared sensational feelings that radiate throughout their shared blood streams. It’s a startling moment but effective and simple, and one of the most beautiful love scenes I’ve ever witnessed in a film.
And now, ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery is mounting Seattle’s regional premier of “Side Show”, a highly acclaimed musical written by Bill Russell and Henry Kreiger which premiered on Broadway back in 1997, and is directed here by Christopher Zinovitch with musical direction by Troy L. Wageman. The musical follows the true story of Violet and Daisy Hilton, from their beginnings in circuses and vaudeville on the way up the ladder to stardom. The musical is being presented by ArtsWest’s Musical Theater Apprenticeship Program, whose purpose is to offer young adults between the ages of 16 and 21 a glimpse of how a proper artist prepares to execute their trained craft: if you want to work in professional theatre, this is what is expected of you, and fortunately with the guidance and trust of Christopher Zinovitch, this has been proven apparent with such memorable, polished, and highly mature productions as “Sweeney Todd”, “Hair” and others over the past several years.
Christopher Zinovitch is a graduate of Chapman University, who came to work for ArtsWest ten years ago, working quickly up from the marketing department to his current position as director of theater and education. In recent years, he has made his distinctive mark with the Seattle premier of such hits as “The History Boys”, and the Pulitzer Prize winning “I Am My Own Wife”, and even stepped back onto the stage after a four-year hiatus earlier this year in ArtsWest’s production of “Love Song”, directed by Kate Witt. His decision for mounting this rare musical is layered, deciding almost immediately that this would go up after securing the rights to one other show proved futile. It stems from a long-standing infatuation with the music, and of the show’s ability to move contemporary audiences with its familiar themes, and to question perceptions in society about who are the real “freaks”. Forty young adults auditioned for the musical, with the production team ultimately selecting a cast of 20, which was a bit larger than their original idea (last year’s “Sweeney Todd” took a traditionally large cast and successfully scaled it down to 11, much like recent revivals in New York), and features talent not only based in Seattle and its surrounding areas, but as far away as Ohio, New York, and Florida. The roles of Violet and Daisy will be portrayed by Becca Orts and Rianna Hidalgo, both of whom have appeared on the ArtsWest stage before, as well as in local productions at the Village Theatre in Issaquah and Everett with male support provided by Daniel Schwait and Ryan Floresca. This production runs July 21 through August 1 at ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave SW in West Seattle. For more information about the show, and to purchase tickets, please visit their website, or call 206-935-0339. Photo by Nichole DeMent/ArtsWest.
-Aidan Karamanyan
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
