Pippin

[+ Cash4Trash]

Saw Pippin yesterday afternoon and Diane Paulus continues her winning streak (Hair, Porgy And Bess, The Donkey Show) with a truly imaginative production. The show fills the stage, so front mezzanine seats

are best and cheap balcony not bad since the Music Box is such a small house for a musical. Destined to be a hit.

[skynyc]

LONG post...with spoilers...I note when they'll begin!

 

Saw this Wednesday night with two friends. One of them had all ready seen it three times, in two weeks...

 

Okay, 2013 is the 40th Anniversary of the original Broadway production, so I was expecting that it was going to re-appear in some way….

It was no surprise that Diane Paulus who has creatively re-envisioned Hair and Porgy and Bess recently, decided to do it at ART in Boston. And from the first preview up there, word of mouth was that this was something special.

 

Hasn't everyone seen/been in a production in college? Hasn't everyone sang (or run from) a version of Magic To Do or Corner of the Sky at a piano bar? And wasn't the iconic Fosse look sort of galvanized here? Did you, too, sit somewhere in the hinterlands watching the 1973 Tony Awards and think…that doesn't look like any Oklahoma or Kiss Me Kate I've ever seen?

 

While the book and score were pretty summarily dismissed, Clive Barnes called it trite, commonplace and uninteresting…but the staging got raves. http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/theater/Pippin.pdf

 

It's one of the first shows to have a TV commercial, and made Ben Vereen a star.

 

Well, this new Pippin which is previewing at the Music Box theater is still saddled with a book that could be called it's weakest link…but again, the staging is rave-worthy, and I think this production is poised to be this year's Book of Mormon or Wicked. (And in a much smaller theater than either of these.)

 

I went to the box office and using the offer on playbill.com, I bought another pair of tickets for myself and a pair as a gift. (Offer only through performances on 5/12, and seats are all ready getting scarce through then.)

 

And now, here are the spoilers, although some folks may have heard some of them…

 

This production utilizes a circus-big-top conceit, and it fulfilled this show-queen's dreams of an absolutely captivating evening.

The constant activity, like in a circus, almost requires multiple visits to see the aerial stunts, rope tricks, tumbling feats, plus juggling, balancing, and shows of strength and bendy-ness. (If that's his arm, how is his leg over there?)

 

The creativity throughout continued to amaze. Give Diane the Tony right now, from the reveal of the set at the beginning, (nice work Scott Pask) to the starker reveal at the end, I was captivated, there was always something to look at. And while the original show played heavily on real "magic to do", this production also capitalizes on "Circus magic" to great effect. And every opportunity to infuse some humor is used to the fullest.

 

Choreography is "in the style of Bob Fosse" by Chet Walker who was in the original production. His adaptations of Mr. Fosse's work make wonderful use of the hip pops, and in-turned legs that are so recognizable. Yet, his "war" and "love" scenes are chaotic and circus-like, (like war and sex and be.)

 

As for the cast:

 

Patina Miller is sexy and dare I say it, ferocious, as the Leading Player. She slinks around the stage in a black body suit and soars vocally through some terrific Broadway standards. And at the end as things are getting ugly, her menace is palpable. Not a good year for Leading Ladies in Musicals, Ms. Miller's competition for the Tony will be Lilla Crawford as Annie, Laura Osnes as Cinderella, and probably two fo the following three: the four Matildas, (as they gave the three Billy Elliot's the award several years ago), Carolee Carmello who was astonishing in the turkey that was Scandalous, and Stephanie J. Block who was terrific as the title character in Drood. For me, it's Patina all the way.

 

Real-life couple Terrence Mann and Charlotte d'Amboise are a delight as Charlemagne and his second wife. Ms. d'Amboise has a spectacular Music and the Mirror moment, that was pretty awesome last night…as her wig flew off at one point. She ripped off her wig cap (which sent her mic flying) and continued breathtakingly without a pause, and for the last couple of lines of her song cozied up to her "son" Lewis and sang into HIS mic.

 

Okay, Andrea Martin. She WILL win the Tony this year. No question. Apparently when approached to do the show in Boston, she only accepted on the condition that she wouldn't be the old lady in a wheelchair. If it was going to have a circus theme, then she expected to be part of a circus act. And she is. Her fifteen minutes on stage had every audience member in the palm of her hand, and earned her a standing ovation in the middle of Act I. I don't want to give more away than this…

 

The role of Catherine. This is the most difficult role of all, because her "ordinariness" is what is supposed to be the antithesis of what Pippin is seeking. Even her song Kind of Woman is all about her generic routine. Rachel Bay Jones almost steals the last quarter of the show playing it a la Jane Krakowski's character of Jenna on Thirty Rock. And again, Paulus' hand in this is evident, as Catherine's scripted third song isn't even listed in the official program…and it's my least favorite song in the show, I wasn't sorry that it was gone. 'Nuff said on that.

 

And Pippin. I saw Matthew James Thomas twice as the Spiderman alternate. He was FAR superior vocally and as an actor to his co-Spiderman Reeve Carney. He's beyond cute, in that lean, tasty, (I mean pasty,) youthful, adventurous way…if you like that kind of thing. (which I usuallly don't.) He truly looks like he's relishing being on stage, especially in his scenes with Miller and Martin…you can see the relish in his being there. He sings beautifully, and some of his stunts are probably unprecedented for a Broadway leading man. (His time in Spiderman served him well.) Just when he couldn't be any cuter…he plays the guitar. Swoon.

 

There's a lot of fire on stage. Not common any more, and very exciting.

 

The kid playing Theo is probably 11 or 12, and I've always seen him as 5 or 6. This makes his scene regarding Otto much less touching as he comes across as a petulant teen. But "teen-Theo" is able to participate in the circus mayhem, and works well for the new ending.

 

Tony-wise, this cannot beat Producer's record…it's just not eligible for that many (No Book or Score since it's a revival). I do predict it will win Revival, Direction, Choreography, Actress, Featured Actress, and Lighting.

 

This is going to be a hot ticket…get your tickets now.

[N13]

Just want to point out that there is a dvd of Pippin starring William Katt as Pippin with Ben Vareen. You can find it on Amazon. William Katt is adorable if not the best performer in the world...

 

Saw the original four or five times. Loved the production...less so the book. However some of it was stunning..choreography, costumes, energy. Interesting to note that Jill Clayburgh was the original Catherine.

[foxy]

And irene Ryan who played Granny in the Beverly Hillbillies played the original granny in Pippin. She died during it's run sadly. I loved her "sing along" number.

[operalover21]

Saw Pippin yesterday afternoon and Diane Paulus continues her winning streak (Hair, Porgy And Bess, The Donkey Show) with a truly imaginative production. The show fills the stage, so front mezzanine seats

are best and cheap balcony not bad since the Music Box is such a small house for a musical. Destined to be a hit.

 

Has the music gotten any better since it was originally written?

[+ Gar1eth]

I've seen it on stage - not the original- college productions- several times and I saw the William Katt version (rented it from Blockbuster the 1st time back in the late 1980's. I love him, Martha Rae,Chita Rivera, and Ben Vereen. ). In general I like the play and the music, except for the war scene. I've always thought it went on waaaay too long. I'm also not sure the song 'No Time At All' makes a lot of sense - I don't mean in relation to the play. I mean the lyrics themselves. But I love the song. And Martha Rae did a great job with the number.

 

When I was in 7th or 8th grade in 1973-74, the touring company came to my city- starring Barry Williams (Greg Brady), I wasn't able to see it. A friend of mine did. I was always a bit envious that he had seen it and I hadn't.

 

 

 

Gman

[skynyc]

No, OL(d)21

The music is just as terrible as you remember it.

Don't waste your money.

[Cooper]

Memorable Tunes from Pippin

 

No, OL(d)21

The music is just as terrible as you remember it.

Don't waste your money.

 

LOL... I must have seen "Pippin" over a dozen times and I'm looking forward to seeing it's revival on Broadway... One of my favorite songs from Pippin is "Corner of the Sky(nyc)".. Skip the ad and forward to the song.

 

[operalover21]

No, OL(d)21

The music is just as terrible as you remember it.

Don't waste your money.

 

I usually see everything (even stuff I hate because I tend to get invited) but I will avoid it because I hate the score which doesn't have a single memorable tune. Gosh, at least the awful WICKED has a memorable tune or two.

[+ Gar1eth]

I usually see everything (even stuff I hate because I tend to get invited) but I will avoid it because I hate the score which doesn't have a single memorable tune. Gosh, at least the awful WICKED has a memorable tune or two.

 

I like 'Corner of the Sky', 'Ordinary Woman' and 'No Time At All'. The thing that's confusing about the play is at the beginning he is a player who is playing Pippin. Then the other players almost kill him- which may be one of the reasons he is new to the part- they loose a lot of Pippins that way- then at the end - he's still Pippin and not a player.

 

Gman

[bostonman]

I usually see everything (even stuff I hate because I tend to get invited) but I will avoid it because I hate the score which doesn't have a single memorable tune. Gosh, at least the awful WICKED has a memorable tune or two.

 

I'm sorry you feel that way, and that your memory seems to have lapses where the well-crafted, quite memorable score of Pippin

is concerned. ;-)

 

I've always felt that the score, and Fosse's direction, were the best elements of the show. The book is very slight. I think it worked fine when it premiered in 1972 - a show that reflected its zeitgeist in its title character (this was, after all, "The Me Generation" and a show about a character trying to find his personal identity would fit right in) - but I find the story pretty much nonexistent, and the characters not particularly fleshed out, particularly Pippin. But I'd gladly listen to the score anytime.

[+ Cash4Trash]

This production has released video.

[bostonman]

This production has released video.

 

Funny - I literally just commented on this video on a theatre chat site...any sense of the production, for me, is totally useless because of the relentlessly rapid editing here - my god, I wish they'd let us focus in on anything for more than a millisecond...I honestly gave up after watching about 30 seconds of this. I know they're trying to pack it all in, but this is ridiculous.

[Cooper]

This production has released video.

 

Thanks Cash for this link. I saw Pippin and enjoyed it very much. I also took your advice and purchased front row center mezzanine seats. Yes, that's the best location to view many of the aerial circus acts... As for the video, it does seem to focus more on the circus performances rather than the plot of this musical. Weekday (not weekend) tickets have been available at TKTS with 20-40% discounts.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

Weekday (not weekend) tickets have been available at TKTS with 20-40% discounts.

 

Thanks for the tip Cooper. I'm heading there next week and was hoping to see the show.

[skynyc]

Sam.F...

Just a bit of advice...if you're coming next week, and want to see this, I would get your ticket before Thursday night this week. I think the critics are going to rave about this and tickets will become hen's teeth for the next month and a half, if not the summer. (It's a relatively small house, only 850 seats.) There are a couple of offers on Playbill.com or Broadwaybox. Just a thought.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

Sky - thanks for the suggestions. I'll check it out now.

[Cooper]

Thanks for the tip Cooper. I'm heading there next week and was hoping to see the show.

 

Sam, You might find this useful: TKTS has an APP (called TKTS) that lists all the day of shows available at the TKTS booth. I noticed Pippin was not available at TKTS yesterday (Tuesday). Enjoy your trip.

[edjames]

Pippin was terrific! I really enjoyed this show. Yes, the show has some minor difficulties with the book and the score; however this production takes it to a new level. The cast is incredible. Patina Miller brings an erotic, sensual quality to her role as the hostess of the evening. She totally takes charge. Charlotte d'Amboise never looked better and her dancing is fabulous. I wish she had done more. Young, handsome and cute Matthew James Thomas was charming and captivating in the role of Pippin. It didn't hurt that he is shirtless in a number of scenes but couldn't somebody give him a gift certificate to a tanning booth? He's ghostly white! Andrea Martin practically stopped the show with her song No Time At All. The rest of the cast is energetic and performs well. The show is a blend of Cirque du Soleil and Broadway. The choreography is a homage to the late, great Bob Fosse, so if you are a Fosse fan, you won't be disappointed. It was SRO last night and the audience roared its approval with an instant standing-O at the finale. Opens tomorrow night and is destined to be a huge hit. Get tickets today before the reviews come out. Seriously, this show will sell out and discounted seats will no longer be available. (Matilda opened to rave reviews last week and hit the $1 million box office last week, so Pippin will soon joing that box office group of hit Broadway shows selling over $1 Million soon, although the smaller theater may impede that but a lot of tourists will pay premium prices these days..) FYI...I sat center orchestra and had no sight problems whatsoever; any seat has a great view of the production.

 

ED

[+ Cash4Trash]

The first review.

 

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/d.php?id=2136459

[edjames]

Reviews are in...a solid smash hit!

 

http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/theater/reviews/pippin-directed-by-diane-paulus-at-the-music-box-theater.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1366990385-XhYMeCyCTI7Sln2moiT9mQ

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/pippin_pip_pip_hooray_DsM7DdoXiJNL0wBRht9zEP

 

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177324-The-Verdict-Critics-Review-Pippin-Broadway-Revival

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

Gentlemen, thank you for your suggestions. I was able to catch the matinee this afternoon. Since there had not been tickets available at TKTS over the weekend, I wasn't expecting any today and had decided to see another show. However, as I walked past the TKTS booth and saw ticket availability, I jumped at the chance.

 

The show was excellent! I was surprised was the couple in the seats to my right chose not to return after intermission. All of the starring cast was excellent and the ensemble was very talented. While I always enjoy Andrea Martin, she gives a strong and gutsy performance that exceeded my expectations, despite reading the reviews.

 

If I was in NYC more frequently, I would see it again to make sure I did not miss anything after just one performance.

[foxy]

Got a great seat in the mezzanine for $99 through Theatermania today. Saw and loved the original show in 1973 and this was even better. A fantastic production which I would definitely see it again. Highly recommended.

[foxy]

There are some very funny and amazing videos of Orion Griffiths, the gorgeous hunk acrobat in Pippin, doing his street performance on YouTube.

[+ Gar1eth]

Shhh- Don't Tell Anyone!!

 

This may not be a big secret. But I just looked for tickets for Pippin for this weekend-Sunday- on the Pippin website and Broadway.com. Both of those sites said there were no tickets available. I tried Telecharge expecting to receive the same information- but lo and behold- they had tickets.

 

Gman