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| Charlene Baldridge Photo by Ken Howard |
The “eye-popping” circus Pippin, which played i at New York City’s Music Box Theatre and which copped four 2013 Tony Awards (for Best Revival, Best Direction, Best Featured Actress and Best Actress in a Musical), set up its touring tent Wednesday night at the Civic Theatre under the aegis of Broadway San Diego. It plays through Sunday – 7:30pm tonight, 8pm Friday and Saturday, with matinees at 2pm Saturday and 1pm Sunday, with the closing performance at 6:30pm Sunday.
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| Gabrielle McClinto as Leading Player (center) and the company of Pippin Photo courtesy of Broadway San Diego |
How one plays that many performances of this physically demanding show is beyond me. Even leading man Brian Flores in the title role performs high trapeze feats and Gabrielle McClinton as the Leading Player has lots of death-defying tricks in her bag.
The Leading Player has convinced Prince Pippin, just returned to the court of King Charlemagne (John Rubinstein) from four years of college in Europe, that he is destined to find his own “Corner of the Sky” and the way to do it is to set forth on a quest to find the means. Those who would to thwart him include his stepmother, Fastrada (Sabrina Harper) and his stepbrother Lewis (Erik Altemus), an ideal warrior because he is “fearless and stupid,” according to Charlemagne.
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| Priscilla Lopez as Berthe Brian Flores as Pippin Photo courtesy Broadway San Diego |
When Pippin proves incompetent at warfare, he seeks the counsel of his grandmother, Berthe (show-stopping Priscilla Lopez, who played the role on Broadway), and who sings “No Time at All.” It is the musical’s wisest, funniest and most intimate moment.
When Pippin realizes how cruel Charlemagne is, the Leading Player (LP) convinces him to slay his own father and become the ruler. Then Pippin must make decrees that go against his nature. He convinces LP to resurrect Charlemagne, who is bewildered but happy to continue his tyranny. What the heck, it works.
Pippin goes off again to find glory, but this time finds true love and the joy of manual labor with the farm widow, Catherine (Bradley Benjamin, who possesses a lovely voice) and her son, played Wednesday by Ben Krieger. Does he sell out glory for the simple life? And by the way, “Glory” is one fabulous number, sung and danced by LP and all the other Players, who surround and inhabit the action all the way through, tumbling, flying, juggling, hu
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| Jphn Rubinstein as Charlemagne Sabrina Harper as Fastrada Photo courtesy of Broadway San Diego |
la-hooping, and making all kinds of magic.
Spectacle it is, a long way from the intimate Diversionary production seen a few years back. Spectacle is fine, especially as accomplished by a fine company accompanied by a rather fine orchestra conducted by Ryan Cantwell, with four traveling musicians and eight locals, all members of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
As the Leading Player McClinton, who performed the role on Broadway, is lithe, wondrous and an indefatigable singer. Clad all in black, she is not always happy with Pippin’s exercise of free will. Up to you to decide whether she is a force for good or evil – the inner voice that deludes or supports one through life. The attractive Flores has a grand free delivery, with accurate high notes. Rubinstein is a distinguished, handsome presence, but I’ve never been a fan of his singing. The rest are all just fine, including Harper’s Fastrada, and all are fetching in their circus and court duds. Scott Pask’s set works for me and Kenneth Posner’s lighting is award-worthy. Dominique Lemieux’s costumes are everything they should be, constantly entertaining. Chet Walker’s choreography tends to get lost in highflying circus hubbub.
This brings us to my constant carp: the inability of traveling companies to get the Civic Theatre sound right (sound design in this case by Jonathan Deans and Garth Helm). For the most part the diction, including that of the all-important storyteller, LP, is pretty much non-existent. Civic Theatre opening night audiences must have studied the libretto. As usual they gave the show a standing O.
Pippin’s book is by Roger O. Hirson, with music and lyrics by
Stephen Schwartz. The original production opened on Broadway in 1972, with the Tony Award-winning Ben Vereen in the role of the Leading Player and John Rubinstein as Pippin. Bob Fosse was the original director and choreographer and copped a Tony for each.
Stephen Schwartz. The original production opened on Broadway in 1972, with the Tony Award-winning Ben Vereen in the role of the Leading Player and John Rubinstein as Pippin. Bob Fosse was the original director and choreographer and copped a Tony for each.
Pippin continues through Sunday. For tickets: www.broadwaysd.com