THE 1997 Broadway musical Side Show, written by Bill Russell with music by Henry Krieger, tells the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, who went from being a sideshow attraction to vaudeville.
Its original staging was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in 1998. The same script will be used for an upcoming staging by The Sandbox Collective which is opening on July 26.
Side Show was most recently staged in Manila in 2018 by Atlantis Productions, though that version was based on the 2014 Broadway revival.
This original staging offers an opportunity to do a politically relevant take on the story, according to director Toff de Venecia, who is also the managing artistic director of The Sandbox Collective.
“This is my favorite version of the show. It’s the one I grew up with, and it’s also the version I got to direct for Ateneo blueREP back in 2010,” he said at a June 25 press preview of the musical.
Sandbox has been known to take on “advocacy-driven work,” which motivated their choice to do something “grayer and more political.”
“We like to platform advocacies and we want to talk about social issues, and I think this was the perfect version of the show to be able to do just that,” said Mr. De Venecia.
THE CAST
This staging features Tanya Manalang-Atadero and Molly Langley alternating as Violet Hilton, while Marynor Madamesila and Krystal Kane will be alternating as Daisy Hilton. Reb Atadero and CJ Navato alternate as Daisy’s love interest Terry Connor, and Tim Pavino and Vien King take on Violet’s love interest Buddy Foster.
Jon Santos plays the role of Boss, while Marvin Ong and Joshua Cabiladas alternate in the role of Jake.
“When we were studying the material, it was always clear to us that this was a show about freaks, and if you really dig deep, a freak is an ‘other,’” Mr. De Venecia said.
“If you start looking into the politics of the ‘other,’ it’s really the marginalized, the underrepresented, the voiceless, the oppressed.”
For Ms. Manalang-Atadero, the experience of having to play a twin — a conjoined one at that — was meaningful for her as an only child.
“It’s made me a more generous and considerate co-actor, because every time I make a choice, I have to consider her [the actress playing Daisy], which makes it more special,” she explained. “For the first time in my life, I’m starting to know what it feels like to have a biological sister.”
The same goes for Ms. Kane, who learned the value of good chemistry onstage, especially for a role like conjoined twins.
“Do you know how you just feel like you’re connected to someone? I felt that way when I was singing with Molly, and I knew that if we got the roles, I would really be able to do this with her,” she said.
EXPERIENTIAL
The staging is more contemporary, with an alley-style setup in the middle and seating on both sides of the stage, according to Mr. De Venecia.
“I don’t want to say it’s immersive, but it’s very experiential. It’s almost like you’re there with them,” he said, citing Himala as another musical which had a similar, experiential feel.
Side Show, known for its vintage circus atmosphere filled with an eccentric cast of characters and grand performances, will ultimately explore deeper themes.
Mr. Pavino hinted that the script is “juicy,” with songs that weren’t in the latest Manila staging in 2018.
“Hopefully, when you watch it, you feel seen. Even if there’s a part of you that you hide from everybody, we want you to feel validated when you watch,” added Mr. Atadero.
Ivan the Selfie Magician is a consultant for this production. Specializing in illusions and magic performance, he has been teaching the cast both close-up magic and sleight-of-hand tricks.
Side Show runs from July 26 to Aug. 16 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater in Circuit Makati. Tickets, priced from P2,500 to P2,900, are available via Ticket2Me. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
