'Side Show' comes front and center

SANDUSKY — Thanks to Sandusky State Theatre's education department, Vaudeville is returning to Sandusky with a presentation of the national award-winning Caryl Crane Youth Theatre production of "Side Show." Performances, rated PG and suitable for children, take place at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Regional Center for Arts and Academic Studies, 125 E. Adams St., Sandusky. Along with this production, Caryl Crane students will present acts of music, comedy, dance and drama, titled "The Side by Side Show." It's "bringing the essence of a Vaudeville variety hour to the stage," according to a youth theater statement. "Performing award-winning pieces from the musical theatrer competitions they have participated in this season, it is an evening of entertainment for the whole family. " The youth theater provided an excerpt of what attendees can expect from these upcoming performances on either night. Each night consists of performances totaling one hour and 30 minutes with a single 10-minute intermission: "Side Show," the headlining piece of our evening, is the heart-warming story of two sisters searching for love and fame. Inspired by the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, the musical touches on the universal need for acceptance and the strength of the human spirit. Portraying the twins are award-winning actresses Annika Campbell, of Tiffin Columbian High School, and Reese Wall, of Huron High School. Jointly, the high school seniors Campbell and Wall received the Legacy Award from The Musical Theatre Competitions of America last week in Providence, Rhode Island, the highest honor achievable within the musical theater festival circuit. Both actresses plan to continue their training in New York City after graduation this spring with Campbell attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and Wall training at The Institute for American Musical Theatre. "Side show" along with "The Side By Side Show" features 50 students from Erie County and the surrounding northern Ohio communities who come together at Caryl Crane Youth Theatre's after-school program to train, hone their craft and share their gifts. We hope you will join us for the show. Advanced tickets can be purchased — $15 for adults, $10 for students — at spotlightonccyt.com. Tickets are also available at the door for $20.