Story & Photographs by Diane Fleischman
The history of this play began in 1972 as it premiered at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway, then later moved to the Minskoff Theatre, where this reporter, an impressionable young teen at the time, went to her first Broadway play, with no idea of what was in store or how the performance would leave such a deep impression which seemed to have covered a life time.
Pippin, was adapted from a book by Roger O. Hirson, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and the unmistakable choreography by Bob Fosse. During it’s original run, it garnished nine Tony awards. But that was then, and this is now. Four years ago Pippin revitalized, and perhaps has become even more popular today, as it entertains a brand new generation. And the critics agree, this rendition earned four Tony Awards. The most noticeable and significant changes were the addition of a circus feel, full of acrobatics, and hula hoops.
The show opens up with “Magic to Do”, as the Leading Player (Housso Semon) and the acting troupe offer a rousing welcome to the audience to kick back, relax, and enjoy the intrigue, humor, romance, illusion, and battles. We are whisked away to the early Middle Ages, and met Pippin (Naysh Fox), son to King Charles (Brendon Schaeffer), who has just returned from the University. He proclaimed his desire to find an extraordinary fulfilling life in “Corner of the Sky”. Fox provided the strong vocal conviction necessary as this song was show’s main theme and snippets of the song are sung at pivotal moments during the performance.
The production cut “Welcome Home” from the show, as King Charles expressed his joy, and his busy distractions to Pippin in the original version, but made up the sentiments in a few lines of dialogue. We were introduced to a sassy Fastrada (Erica Lee Ciancuilli), King Charles’s second wife, and her son, Lewis (Courtney Dease), who had a secret agenda for Lewis to be crowned King and rule the land.
It was a pleasant surprise to see most of the original choreography intact in Scene 3, with “War is a Science”, and “Glory”. But there were changes ahead. After Pippin returns from battle and visited his grandmother, Berthe (Emilia M. Brown), she preached that it’s time to start living in the upbeat “No Time at All”, which is a sing a long song with the audience. In the original version, a large song sheet with large printed lyrics dropped from the ceiling which effectively allowed the audience to sing along. Unfortunately, it wasn’t present, and much of the audience didn’t sing along, which was a shame.
After a brief intermission, Act Two began with a flustered and frustrated Pippin who at this point has tried several occupations in pursuit of his goal and was unsatisfied. The Leading Player provided encouragement in “On the Right Track” as love was just around the corner. Widowed farm owner, Catherine (Savannah Sprinkle), found Pippin on the street. She was initially attracted by the arch of his foot, which was only revealed in the original production. But she took him home and nursed him back to health. As he recovered, he was introduced to her son, Theo (Harrison Leahy), and started to work on the farm. It would only be a matter of time before Pippin realized this wasn’t the life he envisioned and ran away from his future.
In The Finale, Pippin reunited with The Leading Player and acting troupe, who offered him an extraordinary moment to dive into a fire pit and dance with the sun. Pippin, not keen on ending his life at that moment, returned to Catherine and Theo. The Leading Player and troupe denied of this over the top finale, struck the set, removed costumes and left them standing barren on stage. In the original production, this was the end of the play. In this version, Theo, started to sing “Corner of the Sky”, as an indication that this young man was about to begin his journey in life.
One of the major changes in this rebirth of the play is The Leading Player is now played by a woman, and it works just fine, smoothly and effortlessly. The script remains very close to the original with a few lines updated to today’s trending lingo. The acrobatics are a great addition as they captivated the audience, and gave them that wow factor. Pippin is a play you’ll want to see more than once in your lifetime. Catch the magic again as this National tour continues.
