Ryan Silverman, Robert Joy and More Will Join Erin Davie and Emily Padgett in SIDE SHOW at Kennedy Center; Full Cast Announced!

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced complete casting for its production of Side Show that runs in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater from June 14 to July 13, 2014. Side Show features book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger, and is directed by Academy Award winner Bill Condon. Sam Davis will serve as musical director and arranger and will conduct the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. The Kennedy Center production of Side Show is produced in association with La Jolla Playhouse. Press opening night is Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

The musical stars Erin Davie as Violet Hilton and Emily Padgett as Daisy Hilton, as well as Matthew Hydzik as Buddy Foster, Robert Joy as Sir, Ryan Silverman as Terry Connor, and David St. Louis as Jake. Additional casting includes Brandon Bieber, Charity Dawson, Lauren Elder, Derek Hanson, Javier Ignacio, Jordanna James, Guy Lockard, Kelvin Moon Loh, Barrett Martin, Con O'Shea Creal, Matthew Patrick Davis, Don Richard, Blair Ross, Hannah Shankman, Jason Walker, and Delaney Westfall.

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.

The Kennedy Center production of Side Show features scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, and sound design by Kai Harada. The musical features choreography by Anthony van Laast.

Book writer and lyricist, Bill Russell wrote the book and lyrics for Side Show, receiving a Tony Award nomination for book and sharing a nomination with composer Henry Krieger for score. Mr. Russell co-wrote the book and lyrics for Off- Broadway's long-running musical Pageant (with collaborators Frank Kelly, Albert Evans and Robert Longbottom) and directed it at the King's Head Theatre in London. The production transferred to the West End, received two Olivier Award nominations, and won that prestigious prize for "Best Supporting Performance in a Musical" for Miles Western's portrayal of Miss West Coast. He authored the book and lyrics for Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (music by Janet Hood), directing it in New York

and in London's Fringe and West End, among many others, including a celebrity benefit in New York which was recorded by Fynsworth Alley. Other credits as bookwriter/lyricist include: Off-Broadway's Fourtune and The Texas Chainsaw Musical (co-author), Family Style (Minneapolis),

Lucky Duck (originally Everything's Ducky, with Henry Krieger and Jeffrey Hatcher), and Kept with Henry Krieger and Steven Chbosky. He adapted the book of Call Me Madam for City Center Encores! starring Tyne Daly. The Last Smoker in America, for which he wrote the book and lyrics with composer Peter Melnick, opened Off-Broadway in 2012 and the Original Cast Recording was recently released on the Yellow Sound Label.

Composer Henry Krieger began composing for Off-Off-Broadway in his 20s, a venue that led to his meeting with playwright-lyricist Tom Eyen. Together with director-choreographer Michael Bennett, they created the long-running Broadway hit musical, Dreamgirls, which opened at the Imperial Theatre on December 20, 1981. Dreamgirls won six Tony Awards, and Mr. Krieger was nominated for his now-legendary score, for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album. Dreamgirls generated new success with new audiences as a Dreamworks film written and directed by Bill Condon. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including three nominations for Mr. Krieger for "Love You, I Do," "Listen" and "Patience." He received a Grammy Award for "Love You, I Do." Side Show, his most recent Broadway musical, was directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with book and lyrics by Bill Russell. The musical received four Tony nominations, including Best Score. His last collaboration with Bill Russell resulted in Up in the Air, which made its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in 2008 under the direction of Amon Miyamoto.

Director Bill Condon reunites with Henry Krieger for this production, having previously collaborated with him on the film adaptation of the Broadway smash Dreamgirls. Mr. Condon directed from his own screenplay and was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award. Condon also wrote and directed Kinsey, for which he won the 2005 Best Director Award from the British Directors Guild. He previously wrote and directed Gods and Monsters, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Mr. Condon wrote the screenplay for the film version of the musical Chicago, for which he received a second Oscar nomination. More recently, Condon directed The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2, as well as The Fifth Estate.

The original Broadway production of Side Show opened on October 16, 1997 and was directed by Robert Longbottom. The production starred Alice Ripley, Emily Skinner, Ken Jennings, Norm Lewis, Jeff McCarthy, and Hugh Panaro. It ran for 91 performances in the Richard Rodgers Theatre and received four Tony nominations, including a shared nomination for co-stars Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, the only time in Tony history where two people were co-nominated for the Best Actress award.

Check out two new promotional shots of Davie and Padgett as the Hilton sisters below!