Saturday 30 May 2015

Musical Review - Pippin, the Musical

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About the show:
Pippin is a Tony Award-winning musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. HirsonBob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto. The musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by a Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaningand significance.
The protagonist Pippin and his father Charlemagne are characters derived from two real-life individuals of the early Middle Ages, though the plot presents very little historical accuracy regarding either. The play rather derives from the old Burlesque of Faust. The show was partially financed by Motown Records. As of April 2014, the original run of Pippin is the 32nd longest-running Broadway showPippin was originally conceived by Stephen Schwartz as a student musical entitled Pippin, Pippinand performed by Carnegie Mellon University's Scotch'n'Soda theatre troupe.
According to musical theatre scholar Scott Miller in his 1996 book, From Assassins to West Side Story, "Pippin is a largely under-appreciated musical with a great deal more substance to it than many people realize...Because of its 1970s pop style score and a somewhat emasculated licensed version for amateur productions, which is very different from the original Broadway production, the show now has a reputation for being merely cute and harmlessly naughty; but if done the way director Bob Fosse envisioned it, the show is surreal and disturbing." Ben Vereen and Patina Miller won Tony Awards for their portrayals of the Leading Player in the original Broadway production and the revival, respectively, making them the first two actors of different genders to win a Tony for the same role.

My opinion: 

On our last night in Florida we had a bug highlight planned. You all know that I love
Dr Phillips Center, Orlando
Musicals and I was finally able to see a Broadway touring company on stage. We went to see Pippin, the Musical in Orlando.

First of all, the theater is amazing! It's in downtown at the Dr Phillips Centre, a new building, very modern and just stunning from the inside and outside.

Now in to the Musical, it was just awesome! The whole cast did a brilliant job and guess what I fell a little bit in love with the guy playing Pippin. I live men with a great voice and he had that and he was gorgeous ;) he also did an amazing job. His name is Sam Lips, he also played Fiyero in Wicked once, would have lived to see him in that role.
The girl playing the female lead was awesome as well, Sasha Allen.

Pippin has great music and the dancing mives were brilliant, simple, but so effective. The cast was full of artists doing circus numbers, which was amazing to see and they also had some special effects, including magic. The songs were great and beautiful, the harmonys were wonderful.

The story is very interesting, but I couldn't connect to it at first, I liked that second act much mire. It's about a young man finding has goal in life. The songs added a lit to ut and there were some really cute scenes. The acting was brilliant.
I'm really happy I was able to see the show, I really have to go to New York to see some Broadway shows!!!

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