Pippin (musical)
Pippin is a
stage musical with music and lyrics by
Stephen Schwartz and book by
Roger O. Hirson.
Bob Fosse also contributed to the
libretto. The show purports to tell the story of
Pippin the Hunchback, the son of
Charlemagne.
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 (often said to represent the devil) invites the
audience to join them in a story about a boy prince searching for
fulfillment. Pippin tells the
scholars of the time of his
dreams 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. Pippin also meets up with his step-mother
Fastrada, and her dim-witted son
Lewis. Charles and Lewis are planning on going into battle soon, and Pippin begs Charles to take him along so as to prove himself.
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. 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. There,
Berthe (his grandmother) tells Pippin not to be so serious and to live a little. Pippin takes this advice and decides to search for something a bit more light-hearted. He chooses
sex. After an overwhelming
orgy of sexual activity, Pippin realizes the true nature of sex as an all consuming entity, and begs the Leading Player to halt the troupe in their erotic dances.
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. He kills Charles while
praying and becomes the new king. However, after
petitions from the masses, Pippin finds himself being just as tyrannical as Charles. He begs the Leading Player to bring his slain father back to life, and the Leading Player does so.
The exiled Pippin then travels and stumbles upon an estate owned by Catherine, a
widow, with a small boy, Theo. Pippin thinks himself above such boring manorial duties as sweeping, repairs, and milking cows, but warms up to the lovely Catherine. However, as time goes by, Pippin realizes that he must leave the estate to still find his purpose.
All alone on a stage, Pippin is surrounded by the Leading Player and the various troup members. They all suggest that Pippin complete the most perfect act everthe woman playing Catherine. Catherine and her son stand by Pippin and defy the script, the Leading Player, and Fastrada. The Leading Player gets furious and calls off the show, telling the rest of the troupe to pack up and leave Pippin, Catherine, and her son alone forever, trapped on an empty and dark stage. Pippin realizes that he has given up his extraordinary purpose for the simplest and most ordinary life of all, and is finally a happy man.
Some years after the original production of "Pippin" an alternative ending was written for the show at the request of the publishing company which owned the rights, as some felt that the ending from the original script was too abrupt and shallow, as it ends with the following exchange:
Catherine: How do you feel … ?:
Pippin: Trapped … but happy... which isn't bad for the end of a musical comedy. Ta da!
The new ending replaces this with Pippin and Catherine about to settle down to "live happily ever after", only to discover that the Lead Player and his troupe have targeted young Theo in hopes of succeeding with him where they failed with Pippin (i.e. convince him to commit suicide). The curtain goes down as the troupe begins an encore of the show's opening number "Magic to Do".
*"Magic To Do". Introduced by
Ben Vereen in the
Broadway production and performed by
Northern J. Calloway in London.
*"Corner Of The Sky". Introduced by
John Rubinstein in the title role on Broadway and performed by
Paul Jones in the London production.
*"Welcome Home"
*"War Is A Science"
*"Glory"
*"Simple Joys"
*"No Time At All". Introduced by
Irene Ryan in the Broadway production and performed by
Elisabeth Welch in London with a show-stopping turn by
Jenny Howard in the Australian production.
*"With You"
*"Spread a Little Sunshine"
*"Morning Glow"
*"Right Track"
*"Kind of Woman"
*"Extraordinary"
*"Prayer For A Duck"
*"Love Song"
*"I Guess I'll Miss the Man"
*"Finale"
The show opened at the
Imperial Theater on
October 23,
1972 and ran for 1944 performances. It was directed and choreographed by
Bob Fosse.
Original cast:
*
Eric Berry -
Charles*
Jill Clayburgh -
Catherine*
Leland Palmer -
Fastrada*
Irene Ryan -
Berthe*
Ben Vereen -
Leading Player*
John Rubinstein -
PippinThe 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 -
Charles*
Patricia Hodge -
Catherine*
Diane Langdon -
Fastrada*
Elisabeth Welch -
Berthe*
Northern J. Calloway -
Leading Player*
Paul Jones -
PippinOther
The
Melbourne production opened at
Her Majesty's Theatre on
February 23,
1974.
1981
In
1981 a stage production of Pippin was filmed for
Canadian television. It was directed 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 had to be cut.
Cast:*Ben Vereen ...
The leading player *William Katt ...
Pippin *
Leslie Denniston ...
Catherine *
Benjamin Rayson ...
Charlemagne *
Martha Raye ...
Berthe *
Chita Rivera ...
Fastrada2003
In
2003 Miramax acquired the feature film rights for Pippin, following the success of
Chicago. No details about the production, including casting or release dates, have been announced.
*
Pippin at
Internet Broadway Database*
Pippin at
Music Theatre International*
Pippin cast recording at
Amazon.com*
Pippin Moves from the Stage to the Big Screen
