Photo Flash: Porchlight's Chicago Premiere of Revised SIDE SHOW Begins Tonight

Porchlight Music Theatre's first production of its 2015 - 2016 season will be Side Show, running tonight, September 11, through October 18, directed by Porchlight Music Theatre artistic director Michael Weber, music direction by Aaron Benham, choreography by Andrew Waters, music by Henry Krieger, book and lyrics by Bill Russell, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the stars in costume!

The recipient of Tony Award-nominations for both "Best Score" and "Book of a Musical," Side Show is inspired by the true-life story of the legendary conjoined twin circus, vaudeville and movie stars The Hilton Sisters, Daisy and Violet, and their search for love and acceptance amidst the spectacle of fame and scrutiny while under the spotlight of public opinion. Set against the backdrop of 1930's show business, SideShow seamlessly blends the worlds of carnival, vaudeville, and Hollywood glamour in a haunting and sympathetic story of extraordinary humanity.

Porchlight Music Theatre was personally contacted and invited by the authors to present the exclusive first post-Broadway production of their newly revised version that debuted in 2014 here in Chicago. Featuring news songs, characters and additional details of the Hilton twins' true-life story, this presentation will be still further refined through the intimate vision of the Porchlight lens to create a newly conceived experience in the telling of the lives of these two astonishing women.

Porchlight is proud to introduce to Chicago audiences Colleen Fee and Britt-Marie Sivertsen starring as "Daisy and Violet Hilton." Also starring in the production are recent Best Actor in a Musical Jeff Award-winner Matthew Keffer as "Terry Connor", Devin DeSantis as "Buddy Foster" and Evan Tyrone Martin as "Jake." The cast of Side Show also includes Matthias Austin (Sir), Johnson Brock (The Human Pin Cushion/Ray), Colin Funk (The Dog Boy/Harry Houdini), Veronica Garza (The Fortune Teller), Amanda Hartley (The Bearded Lady/Auntie), Peter Eli Johnson (The Roustabout), Ben Kay (The Geek), Courtney Mack (The Tattoo Girl), John Marshall Jr. (The Three-Legged Man), Michael Mejia (The Lizard Man), Deanna Meyers (The Half Man-Half Woman), Kristen Noonan (Venus de Milo) and Ben Saylor (The Cossack).

The production team includes: Megan Truscott (scenic designer), Greg Freeman (lighting designer), Artistic Associate Bill Morey (costume designer), Ross Hoppe (projection designer),?Robert Hornbostel (sound designer), Jay Tollefsen (properties designer), Kevin Barthel (wig designer), Kimberly Morris (make-up designer), Jessica Forella (stage manager), Alexandra Garfinkle (dramaturg), and Artistic Associate Aaron Shapiro (production manager).

For tickets and more information, visit porchlightmusictheatre.org or call 773.327.5252.

Photo Credit: Brandon Dahlquist

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