Porchlight bookends its new season with revivals of the two best-known musicals by composer Henry Krieger: Dreamgirls, coming next spring, and Side Show, the 1997 piece loosely based on Daisy and Violet Hilton, the conjoined twin sisters who went from circus sideshows to vaudeville sensation. The show was revised somewhat ahead of its Broadway revival last season; Porchlight’s is the first production since to use the new script and added songs, which further flesh out the Hilton sisters’ origin story.
Matthew Keffer and Devin DeSantis are well cast as the talent scout and choreographer, respectively, who become the sisters’ love interests (even if the interest isn’t mutual). Aaron Benham provides strong music direction, though even with the new numbers, Krieger’s score pales in comparison to his far more dynamic Dreamgirls. As the Hiltons, Colleen Fee and Britt-Marie Siverstein are in good harmony, musically and otherwise. But the very condition that makes their characters unique proves limiting to the play’s physical staging, which can feel stiff at times.
Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773. Book and lyrics by Bill Russell. Music by Henry Krieger. Directed by Michael Weber. With Colleen Fee, Britt-Marie Sivertsen, Matthew Keffer, Devin DeSantis, Evan Tyrone Martin. Running time: 2hrs 30mins; one intermission.