Side Show Returns to NY in New Off-Bway Production

Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show will return to New York in a new Off-Broadway production at the American Theatre of Actors from August 31 to September 3. The production will be the first in Manhattan since the musical premiered on Broadway in 1997.

Producer and director Ryan Mekenian will present Side Show, which is "dramatically based upon real-life vaudeville entertainers and conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton (Carey McCray and Dawn Cantwell). The musical follows these unique sisters from their humble beginnings among the "freaks" of the sideshow to their rise of fame in the Vaudeville circuit and eventually Hollywood. Along the way they face challenges of love, identity, discrimination, and isolation," according to production notes.

Dane Agostinis, Josh Isaacs, Kevin Bradley, Jr., and Nathan Brisby also star, with Nina Ablan, Daniel Berlin, Todd Briscoe, Jordan Brodsky, Rycki Callan-Goodwin, Keith Hammeran, Courtney Hammond, Shea Hess, Jill Kerley, Laura London, Nick Madson, Ryan Makely, Yvette Newsome, Drake Reporto, Kevin Santos, Matthew Alan Schmidt, Scott Tanzer, Sam Tedaldi and Janie Wallace also among the cast.

With an education in directing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Mekenian has recently initiated a new "summer stock" program at Tisch's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, where new musicals will be fully produced for the first time at the University. Mekenian is currently assisting alongside Harold Prince and Alfred Uhry on the new musical LoveMusik, which will open on Broadway in the coming season.

"Side Show's original production in 1997 played less than 100 performances on Broadway, despite critical receptiveness. The musical forces its audience to acknowledge the idea that as humans we enjoy watching other humans - obsessed with others' faults and being entertained by their misfortunes. This is especially true in the ever-growing popularity of reality television. Perhaps Broadway audiences were not willing to be asked such large questions about themselves. Side Show remains a daring musical, seeking to raise questions about our current society." The musical originally starred Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, as well as Norm Lewis, Hugh Panaro and Jeff McCarthy. Side Show features music by Krieger (Dreamgirls) and book and lyrics by Russell.

Billy Griffin is Choreographer and Mike Pettry is Musical Director. The design team consists of Elisha Shaefer, David Mendizabal, and Dan Scully.

Side Show will run August 31, September 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. and September 2 and 3 at 2 p.m. at Off-Broadway's American Theatre of Actors - 314 W. 54th Street (between Eighth and Ninth Avenues) in Manhattan. Visit www.brownpapertickets.com for tickets.