The Joy of Being Sir
Side Show's Robert Joy gets his freak on
Well known for his role as Dr. Sid Hammerback in CSI: NY, and from such indelible ’80s films as Desperately Seeking Susan, Ragtime and Atlantic City, Joy wanted to convey in the role of Sir “a kind of freakishness,” hence the odd hairstyle and deliberately ghoulish appearance. But he also notes that the character is not as inherently evil as audiences are quick to conclude. “He’s a damaged human being,” says Joy. “And he’s doing his best to run this sideshow with whatever personality and history he comes to it with.
“I was just talking to the prop master from the original New York production,” he continues. “He said that David Chase, the musical director, told him that Side Show is the closest thing to a religious experience you’re going to get in the theatre.
“I thought about that and I think it’s because what this show does is challenge us to connect. Truly connect. It’s about these two women who were connected physically. But … it’s all about how essential it is for us to proceed as human beings, to be open to the love and the connection that is available to us. I think it is a pretty profound experience.
“We’re all freaks,” he concludes. “We all feel at some level we don’t fit or it’s hard for us to connect to each other. There’s a part of each of us that feels freakish.”
Side Show runs to July 13 at Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $45 to $130. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
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