The musical 'Side Show' closing in January, not lasting longer than the 1997 original

Show business is fickle. Just ask the folks in "Side Show." On the same day that the Broadway musical landed a coveted spot on "Today," it also announced it was closing.

Emily Padgett and Erin Davies on Friday morning performed "I Will Never Leave You" only hours after learning that they will, indeed, leave each other. Davies seemed to tear up at the end of the emotional song.

Producers said the show will close Jan. 4, the same date that the last version of the cult show closed 16 years ago. This new version will have lasted even a shorter time on Broadway.

The musical, about a pair of conjoined twins during the vaudeville era, opened this fall at the St. James Theatre, but has struggled at the box office, earning just $483,000 last week from a $1.2 million potential. Performing on "Today" was meant to increase interest in the show.

The musical was reimagined by Bill Condon and features the songs "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" and "Come Look at the Freaks." It arrived on Broadway as the culture seemed to be seized by delight in circuses and so-called freaks, with Bradley Cooper starring in "The Elephant Man," a circus-themed "Pippin" nearby and FX's "American Horror Story" going strong on TV.

The original "Side Show" — starring Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley — closed its original three-month Broadway run in 1997, losing $7 million but still garnering four Tony Award nominations.

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Online: http://www.SideShowBroadway.com