Through Sun 11/19
Pippin, the musical now at Baldwin Wallace University’s Kleist Center for Art & Drama, explores what might happen to a royal prince who yearns to do “something extraordinary.” The Broadway show directed by Bob Fosse (with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schartz) premiered in the 1970s, but it’s been revived numerous times.
A musical satire, Pippin enjoys the same light-hearted, ironic style seen in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. Both musicals poke fun at the futility of human ambition, but they do so with such lively dance and songs that we can’t help but enjoy the show (and the object lessons).
On opening night, I saw the “Magic” cast. (The “Glory” cast, in alternating performances, keeps the same ensemble members, but includes different leads for some roles.)
Pippin (an appealing Aamar-Malik Culbreth) tries almost everything to find afore-mentioned “something extraordinary” to do with his life. His search even includes assassinating King Charles, his overbearing father (a comically heroic Praise Oranika).
(Don’t worry about the father, he comes back later. Magic rules this storyline.)
The real mover of Pippin’s adventure was — despite Pippin’s belief that he’s the boss — not the young prince. It’s Leading Player (Kris Lyons). As Leading Player, Lyons roams about the stage, sets the scenes, and tells the other performers what to do, how to dance, and when to enter and leave. The engaging Lyons never seems to falter or miss a beat and makes us believe in her magic.
So yes, there’s plenty of action as Pippin learns that knowing what you think you want might not really be knowing anything.
It’s a huge show — I counted nearly three dozen singers and dancers in some numbers — and everyone contributes. Nelia Rose Holley, as Pippin’s grandmother Berthe, proved that even a “granny” can steal scenes. She led both players onstage behind her and the audience members before her in boisterous choruses of “No Time at All.”
Other leads in the overall excellent cast were Zach Mackiewicz (as Pippin’s vainglorious stepbrother Lewis), Hailey Lynn Elberg (as Pippin’s true love, the tuneful Catherine), Bella Serrano (as the glamorous wicked stepmother Fastrada), and Parker Towns (as the adorable little Theo). Towns’ Theo closes the show with his own solo that reveals the “same old same old” we watched Pippin endure is about to be his story too. As Director Nathan Henry points out in the program notes, “Growing up is hard.”
Music director Chase Kessler ably conducted the small orchestra just below the stage — and at times comically interacted with the cast. Choreographer Greg Daniels followed the Fosse tradition and set a fine pace.
Bottom Line: BW’s Pippin is an engaging production that offers an advance glance at future Broadway stars.
[Written by Laura Kennelly]
One Response to “THEATER REVIEW: “Pippin” @ Baldwin Wallace by Laura Kennelly”
EDWARD MYCUE
Movements of lifetimes big little medium from small and as it ends begins again in the audience’s mind. Lucky to have such performers and the powerhouses of the back of them that here equal the singing and acting. Sorry for me not being able to experience this phenomenon