Melissa - I understand what you mean - "Pippin", if played exactly as written, can be deadly, which is why most of the better productions take liberties with the concept of the "Players" and the framework of the show.
I went to a theater camp for 8 summers - "Pippin" was done at least every other summer thanks to the need for a little kid (Theo) and the flexibility to pack in a huge ensemble. So after 8 years, I'd grown weary of mediocre productions; actually, that's an understatement - I straight up hated it. Then I got assigned to a grad thesis production of "Pippin" for stage management class in college. The director decided to completely change the Players' relationship to the Pippin/Catherine/Theo trio and to the audience. He also took some liberties with casting (Charlemagne and Berthe were played by the same [male] actor) and retooled the finale so that it didn't land with a thud (the original ending literally isn't one), and I fell in love with the show and gained a new appreciation for the score (especially some of the very clever wordplay in the lyrics). So when I saw Pippin on Broadway last weekend, I came in with high expectations. And I was NOT disappointed. I could go on and on - this was a production without a flaw - and trust me, I've been known to spot the tiniest flaws in revivals I hold dear. To kinda get this back on topic, here's a clip of the cast of "Pippin' performing on Dave's show last month. It's hard to get a true feel for the production based on this one clip, but it's a start. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kI7SZnwRCJI"; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> On Sunday, June 2, 2013 11:41:02 PM UTC-4, MelissaP wrote: > > No no no no! > > Pippin was the first Broadway musical I saw -- my freshman year of college > I > visited my relatives in New York and they were so good to me -- took me > everywhere I requested -- tour of the UN, West Point, Greenwich Village, > and > a Broadway musical. I've seen tons of musicals since then (most recently > The Book of Mormon and The Drowsy Chaperone, which I love) and I've got to > say that Pippin is just about the least memorable musical I've ever seen. > So, skip it! > > If you've got to see a musical, pick just about anything else. > > Also, I'll second Letterman. If you do the morning ticket thingy, you can > probably get in. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] <javascript:> [mailto: > [email protected] <javascript:>] On > Behalf Of M-D November > Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2013 11:06 PM > To: [email protected] <javascript:> > Subject: RE: [TV orNotTV] Nyc > > Skip Midler and Hanks and try to score a ticket for "Pippin". If you like > musical even in the slightest, you won't be disappointed. And Andrea > Martin > is amazing. (Music Box Theater on 45th) > > -- > -- > TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TV or Not TV" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]<javascript:>To > unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] <javascript:> > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected] <javascript:>. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
