Cheyenne Suarez

Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in 'Side Show.' Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective

Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in 'Side Show.'

Article (news)

Krystal Kane, Molly Langley make 'Side Show' doubly unforgettable

Jude Cartalaba

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754702027148IMG_1313.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective"/>Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective</div>MANILA -- As far as depictions are concerned, before the 1997 and 2014 versions of “Side Show,” there was a musical based on the Hilton twins, titled “Twenty Fingers Twenty Toes,” which premiered in 1989 and ran for 35 performances.The Sandbox Collective chose to stage the 1997 version of “Side Show,” a musical by Bill Russell (book and lyrics) and Henry Krieger (music) based on the lives of Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who became famous stage performers in the 1930s. The production marks the company’s final show under managing artistic director Toff De Venecia before he takes a two-year hiatus.Though identical in features, Daisy and Violet still have their distinct personalities. Daisy is the more outgoing and ambitious twin, and she craves fame and fortune as opposed to Violet, the quieter, more introverted twin, who longs for love and a normal life.When actresses Krystal Kane and Molly Langley were asked if they had ever seen a reflection of their characters in their own lives, Kane, who plays Daisy, didn&#x27;t hesitate and said, &quot;Definitely. Being in the theater scene, you tend to have big dreams for yourself. &quot;Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to perform on stage. I fell in love with music first, and then later on, acting. I was always ambitious as a child — setting goals for myself and working hard to meet them. From the very beginning, the stage always felt like home to me, so I worked towards that.&quot;For Langley, “this story feels incredibly close to home.”&quot;Violet and I share the same dreams and the same deep longing for love. Throughout my career, I’ve had to make difficult choices and sacrifices. While those decisions sometimes led to better opportunities, they often came at the cost of pushing my heart’s desires aside,” she said.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754702087571IMG_1240.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective"/>Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective</div>Admittedly, these characters aren&#x27;t perfect. They are real and flawed. They suffered rejections, discrimination, and other forms of discouragement in life — and all these endeared Kane and Langley to the twins.As individuals and as artists, they have also struggled and aren&#x27;t spared from experiencing such, even to this day.&quot;I feel like Daisy has always been too optimistic for her own good. She always looks for the good in other people, thinking the best of them. It’s a double-edged sword, really. &#x27;Cause that’s a great trait, but it can also hurt you in the end,” Kane said.&quot;Another thing is — she’s always struggled with acceptance. For one, she accepts her reality, which is that she is a Siamese twin, and she and Violet will always be stuck together. But what she can’t accept is the non-acceptance of that. To her, she’s just like anyone else. Why should she be treated differently?&quot;As an artist, I’ve also struggled with being too optimistic and too trusting. There has to be a balance to it. We also have to learn to protect ourselves, and just like Daisy, I learned that in the end, I did too.&quot;Molly added, &quot;Violet isn’t as quick to pick things up as Daisy, and I believe that’s one of her deepest insecurities.&quot;Over the years, I’ve come to understand my strengths through training and experience. I know my limits, and I’m not ashamed to admit what I’m not good at. Instead, I focus on my strengths and leave the rest open for growth.<div>&quot;Learning to be patient with myself came with time. I used to beat myself up for not being as good as the girl next to me. But now I know, yeah, maybe I’m not amazing at just on<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754702327912IMG_1306.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Krystal Kane and Molly Langley with the cast of &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective"/>Krystal Kane and Molly Langley with the cast of &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collectivee thing, but as a whole, I offer something unique. There’s a strength in that.&quot;</div><div> </div>The Hilton twins were reportedly the daughters of a woman named Kate Skinner. According to varying accounts, Skinner either disowned them, sold them, or was tricked into giving up custody. The girls were taken in by Skinner’s employer, Mary Hilton, through uncertain means — an early chapter in their lives already marked by trauma.While the musical Side Show doesn’t dwell on this part of their history, historians speculate that Mary Hilton quickly recognized the “novelty” of conjoined twins — an extreme rarity at the time — and began exhibiting them in carnival sideshows. This was the start of Daisy and Violet Hilton’s fame. They toured extensively across Britain, Germany, and Australia before arriving in the United States.In 1926, comedian Bob Hope formed an act called The Dancemedians with the sisters, who by then had perfected a tap-dancing routine. Following Mary Hilton’s death, custody of the twins passed to her daughter, Edith Myers, and Edith’s husband, Meyer Meyers. Under the Meyers’ management, the twins endured a life of control and confinement. They were punished for disobedience and at times kept from public view, during which they were trained in jazz music — with Violet mastering the saxophone and Daisy the violin.Kane and Langley were asked about a song that best represents their characters.&quot;If I had to choose a song that best represents Violet, it would be ‘Feelings I’ve Got to Hide. ‘She’s constantly in conflict with herself, torn between what she’s been taught by the boss and by life, and what she truly feels,” Langley said.&quot;She wrestles with the question: Is it safer to hide my feelings, or should I finally let go? Violet is timid, sweet, and kind-hearted, and throughout the show, I saw her growth. I’d even go as far as to say that I’m proud of her.”Kane, on the other hand, feels “Who Will Love Me As I Am” best represents Daisy.“The lyrics are full of questions, but at the end of it all, it’s a song of defiance. Who would want to join this madness? Who would change my monogram? Who will be part of my circus? Who will love me as I am?” she said.&quot;Daisy is not going to change for someone to love her. She’s saying that here she is in all her glory, trying to see if anyone will step up and meet them where they’re at. She’s challenging everyone. She’s fighting for herself and her sister.&quot; <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754702357891IMG_0231.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Krystal Kane and Molly Langley with Tim Pavino and Reb Atedero. Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective"/>Krystal Kane and Molly Langley with Tim Pavino and Reb Atedero. Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective</div>In the musical’s finale, Buddy confesses he isn’t strong enough to marry Violet. Thinking quickly, Daisy comes up with a plan to save a lucrative movie contract that hinges on the wedding publicity. She proposes to Terry instead — but when he can’t bring himself to admit his feelings for her, she dismisses him. Determined to protect everyone’s careers, she insists that Violet and Buddy go through with the ceremony.In reality, this wedding never happened. The Hilton twins’ lives ended far from the bright lights of show business; according to their autopsy, they died from complications of the Hong Kong flu. Playwrights likely chose the staged wedding as a more poignant way to capture the twins’ enduring promise to each other.When asked what they thought might have led the writer to favor this ending over the real one, Langley said, &quot;I believe the author chose this ending to give the audience space to continue Violet and Daisy’s story in their hearts. Rather than leaving us with a final, tragic moment, we’re given the chance to imagine what might come next. It invites us to keep speaking about them, to carry their story forward because they deserve that.&quot;&quot;I believe it’s the image the author wanted to leave with the audience. It’s a strong image - seeing the twins finally being able to take care of themselves and take charge of their future. Although it didn’t end the way they hoped it would, it’s a powerful thing to see,” Kane added.&quot;The song ‘I Will Never Leave You’ is beautiful. We see them realizing that in the end, all they have is each other. Daisy and Violet Hilton deserved a happy ending. And the author gave them the closest thing to that,&quot; Kane added.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754702745584IMG_0194.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective"/>Krystal Kane and Molly Langley in &#x27;Side Show.&#x27; Loreta Arroyo, The Sandbox Collective</div>Kane and Langley were also asked: If you had a chance to sit down face-to-face with Daisy and Violet, what lessons in life would you like to share with them?“Honestly, I feel like I could learn a lot more from her. I’d like to talk to her about her life, her struggles, her fears, her triumphs. She’s been through a lot,” Kane said.&quot;It would be nice to hear her and show her that she’s not alone. I want to tell her that we all have a &#x27;freak&#x27; inside us and that sometimes it gets challenging to go on, but their story has inspired us to do so. And that’s why we’re telling their story.&quot;For Langley, &quot;I often wonder what I would say to Violet if I had the chance. First and foremost, I’d tell her that people like me are deeply inspired by her life, by her struggle, her strength, and her resilience. I think about her and Daisy all the time, about how it must have felt to be ostracized by society.&quot;I’d tell her she should be proud of herself, of how she made the best of how life dealt her. And I want to tell her that her story is still being told. That I’m honored to be a vessel for that story. And that she is seen. She is remembered.&quot;<div> </div><div>Catch &quot;Side Show&quot; at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati. It runs until August 17, 2025.</div>

Krystal Kane and Molly Langley shine as the conjoined Hilton twins in ‘Side Show’ — a powerful, moving performance you won’t forget. 🎭✨

Krystal Kane and Molly Langley shine as the conjoined Hilton twins in ‘Side Show’ — a powerful, moving performance you won’t forget. 🎭✨