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‘Side Show’
outstanding theater"Side Show": Repeats 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays through March 25 at Manoa Valley Theatre. Tickets are $28. Call 988-6131.
By John Berger WHEN "Side Show" closed on Broadway less than three months after it opened in 1997, fans said the short run reflected corporate decisions rather than the quality of the show. Manoa Valley Theatre's staging of "Side Show" suggests the fans were right. It opened last night and was a delight from start to finish.
Special to the Star-Bulletin"Side Show" is playwright Bill Russell's poignant, fascinating account of the lives and loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton --Siamese twins who won wealth and fame as entertainers in the 1930s. It has everything a great story needs. Director/choreographer John Rampage and an exceptional cast do the rest.
Yvonne Iverson-Filius and Katie Leiva Shriver star as Daisy and Violet respectively and do a phenomenal job of creating memorable characters. Their physical performance is as convincing as their acting. Exquisite voices are the final component.
The twins are stars of a carnival freak show when ambitious young Buddy Foster (Joseph Morales) sees them and tips off talent scout Terry Connor (Douglas S. Scheer). Daisy and Violet become national celebrities but their romantic prospects remain uncertain. Shy Violet falls in love with Buddy and he apparently reciprocates her feelings. Ambitious Daisy is more outspoken about her interest in Terry but he is either unwilling to commit to any relationship or simply realistic about the potential problems with marrying a Siamese twin.
Scheer and Morales have good, strong voices and are appealing leading men. Scheer's big duet with Iverson-Filius is a dramatic highlight in Act II. Morales' energetic work as a song-and-dance man, first solo and then in sync with Iverson-Filius and Shriver, is a great showcase for him and one of the best comic moments.
Emerson Green (Jake) caps his magnificent MVT debut when he nails "You Should Be Loved" (Jake is a black man who loves Violet unconditionally. She considers him "more than a friend" but can't overlook the fact that he is black). It is the most powerful vocal number in the show and Green sings it with tremendous power and heartbreaking emotion. He is also an expressive actor worth watching even when he is a silent observer of the action.
Scott Moura is yet another prominent asset as the abusive boss of the freak show. Great range. Great characterization.
Rampage spices up several scenes with hilarious choreography and gets a comic boost from Cathie Valdovino's costumes. Musical director Melina Lillios and her combo are first-rate, in perfect balance with the singers.
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