By James V. Ruocco
What's It All About?
"Pippin," as envisioned by Roger O' Hirson (book) is set against the landscape of an immersive, vaudeville-themed backdrop of song, dance, mayhem, sex, perversion, acrobatic artistry, medieval war play, sorcery, magic, illusion, schmaltz and Broadway sizzle.
The title character, a prince and son of the mighty Charlemagne, is struggling to find a purpose in life as the musical opens using the character of the Leading Player as guide, instructor and musical storyteller to break down "the fourth wall of live theatre," surrounded by a mysterious, slithering and sexy troupe of performance artists (no sexual inhibitions, here) who take center stage to set the "Pippin" story in motion for well over two hours with no historical accuracy, rule of language or poetic license, whatsoever.
Here, anything goes: war, violence, revolution, dismemberment, tyranny, injustice, murder, trickery, treason, entrapment, defiance, narcissism, sex, orgasm, orgies, flirtation, incest, deception, etc., etc., etc.
Not to worry, though. It's all in jest, liberties taken, preferred and preserved.
The Music of "Pippin"
Originally staged on Broadway at the Imperial Theater (opening night was October 23, 1972), "Pippin" features 16 original songs penned by "Godspell" composer Stephen Schwartz who was nominated for a 1972 Tony Award for Best Original Score,but lost to Stephen Sondheim for "Follies."
The songs (in order of how they are performed in the production) are: "Magic to Do," "Corner of the Sky," "Welcome Home," "War is a Science," "Glory," "Simple Joys," "No Time at All," "With You," "Spread a Little Sunshine," "Morning Glow," "On the Right Track," "And There He Was," "Kind of Woman," "Extraordinary," "Love Song," "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" and "Finale."
"And There He Was," performed in the Playhouse on Park revival, was originally cut from the show before it made it to Broadway in 1972 but was incorporated by Schwartz into all future editions of "Pippin" including the 2013 Broadway revival and the subsequent 2014 National Tour.
Who Plays What?
The Playhouse on Park edition of "Pippin," directed and choreographed by Darlene Zoller, stars Shannon Cheong as Pippin, Thao Nguyen as the Leading Player, Juliana Lamia as Catherine, Kate Wesler as Fastrada, Gene Choquette as Charlemagne, SuEllen Estey as Berthe, Brad Weatherford as Lewis and Ryan Byrne as Theo,
The Players of "Pippin" (i.e., ensemble) are Julia Solecki, Dalton Bartolone, Teagan La'Shay, Rae Janeil, Stephanie Reuning-Scherer, Leyland Cockerl-Patrick, Oleode Oshotse and Kristen Schoen-Rene. Ryan Byrne, Juliana Lamia and Brad Weaterford are also part of the "Player" ensemble when not playing their regular roles.
The Musical Direction
As with any musical - "Rent," "Les Miserables," "Evita," "A Little Night Music," "My Fair Lady," to name a few - the song line-up, its style, its position, its rift, its emotion and its melody must be brilliantly written, detailed and constructed with happy anticipation, elan and exuberant characterization.
With "Pippin," composer/lyricist Stephen Schwarz duly captures all those expectations, crafting an ardent, persuasive musical score that rises comfortably and emotionally to reach all challenges with affecting passion, maturity, lightness, sensibility, humor, edge, urgency and vocal punch.
At Playhouse on Park, music director Colin Britt and assistant music director Melanie Guerin set this edition of "Pippin" in motion with a pace and precision that complements and heightens the glorious melodies and orchestrations set forth by Schwartz. It's all channeled with lightness of tone, heft and lyricism, synced with stylish rapture, abandonment, dreamlike captivation and bohemian wonderment.
The band - Tucker Barney (trumpet), Selah Kwak (violin), Andrew Studenski/Harry Kliewe (reeds), Nick Cutroneo (guitar), Elliot Wallace/Jianpeng Feng (percussion), Kevin Huhn/Christine Echols (bass), Matthew Russo/Andrew Janes (trombone) - foster the snappy timing, drive, sprawl, joy and merriment of the music with sustained honesty and compliance alongside Britt and Guerin, doubling at the keyboard.
The Staging, the Direction and the Choreography
Staging "Pippin," director/choreographer Darlene Zoller is at the top of her game crafting a show-stopping, meticulous musical revival that pays homage to the original 1972 Broadway production with an endorsement of highs, shouts, jumps, kicks and pivots that explode in thrilling fashion, offset by a creative depth, ingenuity and marshaled activity that is fun, fun, fun.
Here, Zoller takes hold of the "Pippin" material, kicks it into orbit, pulls out the paint brushes and conjures up a three-dimensional musical portrait of dash and panache, populated by an energetic cast of men and women who plunge head-first into her theatrical expressway of imagination, fulfillment and validation with the blueprint-proven exploration, power and physicality dictated by the show's originators and collaborators.
As "Pippin" evolves, Zoller anchors the proceedings forthright and effectively, playing close attention to the show's musical palate, its on-and-off fourth wall abandonment, its fizzy live action sizzle and its constant, strategically placed flourishes of gambit, metaphor, innuendo and cuddled up sweet spots and tangy romanticism. It's all timed, synced and exhibited with the force and drive concurrent in Zoller's vast directorial repertoire, offset by recognizable strokes of challenge, chance, originality and expression.
The storytelling heart and soul of "Pippin" - then, now and always - is its intricate, driven, stylized and acrobatic choreography, which on Broadway and in London's West End, was originally conceived by the late Bob Fosse, a dance visionary whose unique, distinct choice of choreographed movement was one of a kind, in a class by itself - magnificent - on every level imaginable.
Well aware of this inspired influence and athleticism, Zoller, as "Pippin's" choreographer, celebrates all things Fosse with themes, expressions, configurations, gyrations and data reminiscent of his celebrated work in the stage productions of "Pippin," "Chicago" and "Sweet Charity" and the film version of "Cabaret."
Fingers snap. Shoulders are rolled. Shoulders are curved. Knees are turned in. Heads tilt. Bodies move back and forth through sideways movements and shuffles.
It's an homage of sorts, illuminated by smart, original, creative choices of newness, confidence, abstractness and application that heighten the jazzy pulse and ripeness of the "Pippin" story, its melancholy, its activism, its double dares and its hyper-specific evolution. Zoller, of course, is in her element (this comes as no surprise to those familiar with her oft-praised work) and "Pippin" represents her love and embracement of dance and everything else it has to offer.
She also turns up the heat full blast in an explicitly choreographed dance/action/movement sequence that wildly embraces Pippin's "anything goes" sexual exploits (i.e., orgy) and couplings with selected, rhythmic moves, gestures and pairings reminiscent of "Rich Man's Frug" and "Rhythm of Life" from "Sweet Charity."
The Standout Performances
As Pippin, Shannon Cheong is a handsome, charismatic leading man oozing plenty of charm, invention, humor and dash, all of which heightens his engaging, open-hearted performance. He also brings a natural, unaffected innocence to the part, a requirement that immediately draws the audience into his story, hoping that he finds contentment and happiness during the final minutes of musical. Vocally, Schwartz gives the character of Pippin several storied songs to sing - "Corner of the Sky," "With You," Morning Glow" and "Extraordinary," among others. It's a feat Cheong pulls off swimmingly, bringing warmth, chill, tempo and changing mood sensation to the composer's grab bag of appealing show tunes.
In the role of the beguiling Catherine, the widowed mother who falls for Pippin in Act II, Juliana Lamia delivers a sweet and sentimental performance, chock full of real emotion, radiance, spirit and nuance which makes every one of her scenes stand out whenever she's on stage. Her vocals - "And There He Was," "Love Song," "Kind of Woman," "I Guess I'll Miss the Man"- are palpable and silky smooth, refreshed and lavished with unhurried pace, rhythmic swing and definition and rapturous surge, phrasing and expression.
Welcoming everyone to the production with the hypnotic and tuneful opening number "Magic to Do," Thao Ngyuen brings mystery, mayhem, menace and icy cool persuasiveness to the part of the Leading Player. It's a role he plays with command and thrust, doubling as storyteller, actor and singer, always making sure the "Pippin" story is front and center, even when scripted cues are purposely missed, performers let their egos run amok and the female leading lady is late for her big, first entrance. Like Cheong, he too gets his share of songs - "Glory," "On the Right Track," "Simple Joys"- which he tosses off with relished enthusiasm, charisma, joy and vocal engagement.
In the role of Pippin's grandmother Berthe, a role created especially for Irene Ryan (best remembered as Granny in "The Beverly Hillbillies") in the 1972 Broadway production, SuEllen Estey has some pretty big shoes to fill. Not to worry, though. Her knowing smile, wry misdemeanor and engaging personality does wonders for her performance (she's a perfect fit for the part) as does her splendid, humorous, perfectly primed vocal rendition of "No Time at All," a lighthearted ditty about life's pleasures and comforts that includes an invited, much-appreciated sing-a-long (chorus only) from the audience. Just as Ryan stopped the show on Broadway, Estey does more of the same here with her own, spirited uniquely different rendition of the popular Schwartz-fueled musical number. Elsewhere, Gene Choquette green lights Pippin's all-powerful father King Charlemagne with engaged wit, purpose, kaleidoscope, reflection and status quo. Vocally, he also has great fun with "War is a Science," a playful musical number that asks his character to explain intricate plans of battle, war and strategy to son Pippin who longs to one day become a soldier in his father's army.
Kate Wesler's Fastrada, Pippin's manipulative stepmother (originally played on Broadway by the great Leland Palmer) brings plenty of grace, sensuality, spirit, fun and bitch realization to the part. Musically, she is in fine voice, thus, turning the cheery "Spread a Little Sunshine" into a bona fide showstopper, enhanced by impressive vocal command, applied rhythm and savvy, athletic Fosse-style choreography. They don't come any better than pretty-boy Brad Weatherford, a shrewd, driven, gleeful actor whose frequent dashes of preening, twinkle, narcissism and muscular agility make him the ideal candidate to play Fastrada's egotistical son Lewis, a character who loves - so we are told - only Lewis. He's monstrously entertaining. He's slippery and cunning. He's deceptively menacing. And finally, he's a fantastic addition to the cast giving an undeniably amusing performance of gleam, mood and eye-catching comedic detail.
Why You Should See It
An atmospheric revival of artistry, fantasy and vocal strongness, "Pippin" is hardcore musical theatre served up in style by a group of talented musicians, actors and collaborators who have magic to do - and do it ever so well.
As seen through the eyes of director/choreographer Darlene Zoller, this revival is deep level Fosse at its finest hour with choreography, movement and staging that's controlled, involved, commanding and showstopping.
If it's entertainment you're after, you'll find plenty of that here - and so much more.
Delightful. Blissful. Hypnotic. On its toes.
This is the one musical to catch this summer.
It's easy on the eyes. It's fun to watch. It's hot and steamy. It's sexy. It's exhilarating.
And boy, do we need it now.
"Pippin" is being staged at Playhouse on Park (244 Park Rd., West Hartford, CT), now through August 21, 2022.
For tickets or more information, call (860) 523-5900.
website: playhouseonpark.org
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