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Pippin (musical)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pippin
Pippin is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen
Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob
Fosse, who directed the original Broadway
production, also contributed to the libretto. The show
was based on the life of Pippin the Hunchback, the
son of Charlemagne. The show was partially
financed by Motown Records. As of April 2009,
Pippin is the 29th longest-running Broadway
musical in musical theatre history.[1] Pippin was
originally conceived by Stephen Schwartz as Pippin,
Pippin, a student musical performed by Carnegie
Mellon's Scotch'n'Soda theatre troupe.[2]
Original Cast Recording
According to musical theatre scholar Scott Miller in
Music Stephen Schwartz
his 1996 book, From Assassins to West Side Story,
"Pippin is a largely under-appreciated musical with a Lyrics Stephen Schwartz
great deal more substance to it than many people Book Roger O. Hirson
realize." The story is set in Charlemagne's France. Based upon Fictitious life of Pippin the
Because of its 1970s pop style score and a somewhat Hunchback, son of Charlemagne
emasculated licensed version for amateur Productions 1972 Broadway
productions which is very different from the original 1973 West End
Broadway production, the show now has a 1981 U.S. Television
reputation for being merely cute and harmlessly
naughty; but if done the way director Bob Fosse envisioned it, the show is surreal and disturbingly
truthful."[3]

Contents
■ 1 Synopsis
■ 1.1 Alternate Ending
■ 2 Songs
■ 3 Productions
■ 3.1 Broadway
■ 4 London
■ 5 Revival
■ 6 Film
■ 6.1 1981 Video
■ 6.2 Feature film
■ 7 References
■ 8 External links

mhtml:file://C:tarotPROPOSTA 7textoPippin (musical) - Wikipedia, the free encyclope... 24/6/2009


Synopsis
The play begins with a leading player of a troupe and the actors in various costume pieces of several
different time periods. The Leading Player invites the audience to join them in a story about a boy prince
searching for fulfillment ("Magic to Do"). They reveal that the boy who is to play the title character is a
new actor. Pippin tells the scholars of the time about his dreams ("Corner of the Sky"), and they happily
applaud Pippin on his ambitious quest for an extraordinary life. Pippin then returns home to the castle
and estate of Charlemagne (King Charles), his father. Charles and Pippin don't get a chance to
communicate often, as they are interrupted by nobles, soldiers, and couriers vying for Charles' attention
("Welcome Home"), and Charles is clearly uncomfortable speaking with his educated son or expressing
any loving emotions. Pippin also meets up with his stepmother Fastrada, and her dim-witted son Lewis.
Charles and Lewis are planning on going into battle against the Visigoths soon, and Pippin begs Charles
to take him along so as to prove himself. Charles reluctantly agrees and proceeds to explain a battle plan
to his men ("War is a Science").

Once in battle, the Leading Player re-enters to lead the troupe in a mock battle using top hats, canes, and
fancy jazz as to glorify warfare and violence ("Glory"). This charade of war does not appeal to Pippin,
and the boy flees into the countryside. The Leading Player tells the audience of Pippin's travel through
the country, until he stops at his exiled grandmother's estate ("Simple Joys"). There, Berthe (his
grandmother, and Charles' mother, exiled by Fastrada) tells Pippin not to be so serious and to live a little
("No Time At All"). Pippin takes this advice and decides to search for something a bit more lighthearted
("With You"). He soon discovers that relationships without love leave you "empty and unfullfilled."

The Leading Player then tells Pippin that perhaps he should fight tyranny, and uses Charles as a perfect
example of an unenlightened tyrant to fight. Pippin plans a revolution, and Fastrada is delighted to hear
that perhaps Charles and Pippin will both perish so that her beloved Lewis can become king. Fastrada
arranges the murder of Charles, and Pippin falls victim to her plot ("Spread a Little Sunshine"). While
Charles is praying at Arles, Pippin murders him, and becomes the new king ("Morning Glow").
However, after petitions from the masses, Pippin realizes that neither he nor his father could change
society and had to act as tyrants. He begs the Leading Player to bring his slain father back to life, and the
Leading Player does so.

Pippin is left without direction until the Leading Player inspires him ("On the Right Track"). After
experimenting with art and religion, he travels and stumbles upon an estate owned by Catherine ("Kind
of Woman"), a widow, with a small boy, Theo. From the start, it is clear that the Leading Player is
concerned with Catherine's actual attraction to Pippin—after all, she is but a player playing a part in his
yet-to-be-unfolded plan. At first, Pippin thinks himself above such boring manorial duties as sweeping,
repairs, and milking cows ("Extraordinary"), but eventually he comforts Theo on the sickness and
eventual death of his pet ("Prayer for a Duck") and warms up to the lovely Catherine ("Love Song").
However, as time goes by, Pippin feels that he must leave the estate to continue searching for his
purpose. Catherine is heartbroken, and reflects on him (much to the Leading Player's anger and surprise)
("I Guess I'll Miss the Man").

All alone on a stage, Pippin is surrounded by the Leading Player and the various troupe members. They
all suggest that Pippin complete the most perfect act ever: the Finale. They tell Pippin to jump into a box
of fire, light himself up, and "become one with the flame." Pippin is reluctant, but agrees that perhaps
suicide is the best way to go ("Finale"), but he is stopped by his natural misgivings and also by one
actress from the troupe—the woman playing Catherine. Catherine and her son Theo stand by Pippin and
defy the script, the Leading Player, and Fastrada. Pippin comes to the realization that the widow's home
was the only place where he was truly happy ("Magic Shows and Miracles") "....I never came close my
love". After removing the sets, lighting, makeup, and costumes from the stage (to no success at



dissuading Pippin), The Leading Player becomes furious and calls off the show, telling the rest of the
troupe and the orchestra to pack up and leave Pippin, Catherine, and her son alone on an empty, dark
and silent stage. Pippin realizes that he has given up his extraordinary purpose for the simplest and most
ordinary life of all, and he is finally a happy man.

Alternate Ending
The currently licensed edition of Pippin has a slightly different ending. After Pippin avers his
contentment with a simple life with Catherine, Theo remains on stage and sings the chorus of "Corner of
the Sky", after which the Leading Player and the troupe return to begin work on this new prospect.
Current productions vary between the two possible endings.

Songs
Though an intermission is often wedged into productions of the show, it is written to be performed in
one act and its single-arc structure does not easily accommodate an intermission. Many directors insert
an intermission after "Morning Glow," though doing so is technically a breach of the licensing contract.

The libretto vocal book for the version of Pippin currently licensed by Musical Theatre International is,
however, divided into two acts, with an Act I finale - an abridged version of "Magic to Do" - inserted
after Charles' resurrection.

■ Magic to Do* ■ On the Right Track
■ Corner of the Sky† ■ Kind of Woman
■ Welcome Home ■ Extraordinary
■ War Is a Science ■ Prayer for a Duck
■ Glory ■ Love Song
■ Simple Joys ■ I Guess I'll Miss the Man††
■ No Time at All‡ ■ Finale/Magic Shows and Miracles
■ With You
■ Spread a Little Sunshine
■ Morning Glow**

* Introduced by Ben Vereen in the Broadway production and performed by Northern J. Calloway in
London.

†Introduced by John Rubinstein in the title role on Broadway and performed by Paul Jones in the
London production. The song was covered by the The Jackson 5 in 1972, and is included as a bonus
track on the 2000 CD release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording. A duet by Dusty Springfield
and Petula Clark, whose vocals were recorded more than thirty years apart, is included on Clark's 2007
CD Duets.

‡Introduced by Irene Ryan in the Broadway production and performed by Elisabeth Welch in London.

** The song was covered by Michael Jackson (from his 1973 album Music and Me), and is included as a
bonus track on the 2000 CD release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording.

††The song was covered by the The Supremes in 1972, and is included as a bonus track on the 2000 CD
release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording.



In the original 1972 production Fosse planned to use Stephen Schwartz' song "Marking Time" but
before the show opened on Broadway the song was replaced with "Extraordinary".

Productions
Broadway
The show premiered at the Imperial Theater on October 23, 1972 and ran for 1,944 performances before
closing on June 12, 1977. It was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse.

Original cast:

■ Eric Berry - Charles
■ Jill Clayburgh - Catherine
■ Leland Palmer - Fastrada
■ Irene Ryan - Berthe (until Ryan's death in April 1973)
■ Ben Vereen - Leading Player
■ John Rubinstein - Pippin

Clive Barnes commented for The New York Times, "It is a commonplace set to rock music, and I must
say I found most of the music somewhat characterless.... It is nevertheless consistently tuneful and
contains a few rock ballads that could prove memorable."[4] Advertising for the Broadway production
broke new ground with the first TV commercial that actually showed scenes from a Broadway show.[5]
The commercial, which ran 120 seconds, showed Ben Vereen and two other dancers (one of whom was
Ann Reinking who was in the chorus of the show) in the instrumental dance sequence from "Glory". The
commercial ended with the tagline, "If you liked this minute, just wait until you see the other 119 of
them!"

Notable Broadway replacements include: Samuel E. Wright, Northern J. Calloway and Ben Harney as
Leading Player; Michael Rupert and Dean Pitchford as Pippin; Betty Buckley as Catherine; Dorothy
Stickney as Berthe; and Priscilla Lopez as Fastrada.

London
Her Majesty's Theatre

The show opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 30, 1973 and ran for 85 performances. Bob Fosse
again was director and choreographer.

London cast:

■ John Turner - Charlemagne
■ Patricia Hodge - Catherine
■ Diane Langdon - Fastrada
■ Elisabeth Welch - Berthe
■ Isaiah Boyd - Leading Player
■ Paul Jones - Pippin



Revival
Mark Taper Forum

The show was revived in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum, from January 15, 2009 through March
15, 2009, in a radically different form: the play's setting was changed to reflect a modern tone and was
subtly modified to include deaf actors using American Sign Language. The production was
choreographed and directed by Jeff Calhoun for actors from both the Deaf West Theatre Company and
the Center Theatre Group. The title character was played to great effect by Tyrone Giordano, who was
voiced by actor Michael Arden.[6] The New York Times noted that the duality was required by the
situation, but effectively showcased the character's "lack of a fixed self" in an exciting new fashion.[7][8]

Cast:

■ Michael Arden and Tyrone Giordano (Pippin)
■ Dan Callaway (Voice of Charles/Soldier)
■ Bryan Terrell Clark (Voice of Theo/Noble)
■ Nicolas Conway/José F. Lopez Jr. (Theo)
■ Rodrick Covington (Voices of Torch Bearer Noble and Couriers No. 2 and No. 3/Courier No. 1)
■ James Royce Edwards (Lewis)
■ Sara Gettelfinger (Fastrada)
■ Harriet Harris (Berthe)
■ Troy Kotsur (Charles)
■ John McGinty (Noble/Courier No. 2/Peasant)
■ Anthony Natale (Torch Bearer/Petitioner/Courier No. 3)
■ Aleks Pevec (Voices of Petitioner and Peasant/Visigoth Head)
■ Ty Taylor (Leading Player)
■ Melissa van der Schyff (Catherine)
■ Alexandria Wailes (Visigoth Arm)

Film
1981 Video
In 1981, a stage production of Pippin was videotaped for Canadian television. It was directed by
Kathryn Doby, Bob Fosse's dance captain for the original Broadway production, and directed for video
by David Sheehan, with Roger O. Hirson in charge of the music. Ben Vereen returned for the role of
Leading Player, while William Katt played the role of Pippin. Because of the time restrictions in
television, many parts of the play were cut from the broadcast.[9]

Cast:

■ Ben Vereen – The leading player
■ William Katt – Pippin
■ Leslie Denniston – Catherine
■ Benjamin Rayson – Charlemagne
■ Martha Raye – Berthe
■ Chita Rivera – Fastrada



Feature film
In 2003, Miramax acquired the feature film rights for Pippin, following the success of the musical,
Chicago. No details about the production, including casting or release dates, have been announced.[10]

References
1. ^ List of the 100 Longest-Running Broadway Shows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_100_Longest
-Running_Broadway_shows)
2. ^ Holahan, Jane (2006-12-07). "Creator on ‘Pippin:’ ‘It was an inventive time’". Lancaster Online.
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/28490. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
3. ^ Miller, Scott (1996-01-01). From Assassins to West Side Story. Heinemann.
4. ^ Barnes, Clive. The New York Times, October 24, 1972, p. 37
5. ^ Robertson, Campbell (2006-09-10). "Broadway, the Land of the Long-Running Sure Thing". The New
York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/theater/10robe.html?
partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all. Retrieved on 2008-03-25.
6. ^ Gans, Andrew."CTG/Deaf West's Pippin Ends Limited California Engagement March 15",
(http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127293.html) playbill.com, March 15, 2009
7. ^ Isherwood, Charles."A Prince Without Direction, Facing Inner Demons Through Song and Sign",
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/theater/reviews/12pipp.html) The New York Times, February 12, 2009
8. ^ Pippin Slideshow
(http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/02/12/theater/20090212_PIPPIN_SLIDESHOW_8.html) The New
York Times
9. ^ Internet Movie Database listing (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082909/)
10. ^ "Miramax Acquires Film Rights for Pippin", (http://www.broadway.com/Miramax-Acquires-Film-Rights-
for-Pippin/broadway_news/29374) broadway.com, June 26, 2003

External links
■ Pippin (http://www.ibdb.com/show.asp?id=7111) at the Internet Broadway Database
■ Pippin (http://www.mtishows.com/show_home.asp?id=000060) at Music Theatre International
■ Pippin (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082909/) at the Internet Movie Database
■ Pippin: An Analysis (http://www.newlinetheatre.com/pippinchapter.html) at New Line Theatre
■ Pippin cast recording (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004YNGH) at
Amazon.com
■ Pippin Moves from the Stage to the Big Screen
(http://movies.about.com/cs/upcomingreleases/a/pippinnews.htm)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippin_(musical)"
Categories: 1972 musicals | Broadway musicals | West End musicals | Rock musicals | Musicals
inspired by real-life events

■ This page was last modified on 10 June 2009 at 17:50.
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for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)
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