''Pippin'' is a 1972

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

with music and lyrics by

Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...

and book by

Roger O. Hirson Roger Overholt Hirson (May 5, 1926 – May 27, 2019) was an American dramatist and screenwriter best known for his books of the Broadway musicals, ''Pippin'', for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, and '' Walking Happy''. He contributed ex ...

. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

. The musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by the Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for

meaning Meaning most commonly refers to: * Meaning (linguistics), meaning which is communicated through the use of language * Meaning (philosophy), definition, elements, and types of meaning discussed in philosophy * Meaning (non-linguistic), a general te ...

and significance. The '

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...

' is broken numerous times during most traditional productions. The protagonist, Pippin, and his father,

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

, are characters derived from two historical figures of the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, though the plot is fictional and presents no historical accuracy regarding either. The show was partially financed by

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

. As of April 2019, the original run of ''Pippin'' is the 36th longest-running Broadway show. Ben Vereen and Patina Miller won

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

for their portrayals of the Leading Player in the original Broadway production and the 2013 revival, respectively, making them the first actors to win Tonys for Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress in a Musical, for the same role.

Background

''Pippin'' was originally conceived as a student musical titled ''Pippin, Pippin'' and performed by

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

Scotch'n'Soda Scotch'n'Soda is a student-run theatre organization that resides on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University. Its initial dedication was the creation and production of original musicals, but has now taken to performing both professionally publish ...

theatre troupe. Stephen Schwartz collaborated with Ron Strauss, and, when Schwartz decided to develop the show further, Strauss left the project. Schwartz had said that not a single line or note from Carnegie Mellon's ''Pippin'' made it into the final version.

Synopsis

Act 1

This musical begins with the Leading Player of a traveling performance troupe and the accompanying Players inviting the audience to witness their show, breaking the

Magic to Do "Magic to Do" is the opening song from the musical ''Pippin''. It was introduced by Ben Vereen in the Broadway production and performed by Northern Calloway in London. The entire song runs around four minutes. The song is sung by the Leading Player ...

"). They begin telling the story of Pippin, (who they say is being portrayed by a new actor making his stage debut), the first son of King Charlemagne. Pippin tells the Players of his wish for satisfaction, believing he must find his purpose in life ("Corner of the Sky"). Pippin then returns home to the castle and estate of his father. Charlemagne and Pippin don't get a chance to communicate often, as they are constantly interrupted by

nobles Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

, and courtiers vying for Charlemagne's attention ("Welcome Home"). Pippin also meets with his stepmother Fastrada, and her dim-witted son Lewis. Charles and Lewis are planning on going into battle against the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...

soon, and Pippin begs Charlemagne to take him along as a soldier to prove himself. He reluctantly agrees and proceeds to explain the battle plan to his men ("War is a Science"). The Players express the battle through song and dance, with the Leading Player and two lead dancers in the middle (performing Bob Fosse's famous "Manson Trio") whilst depictions of violence and dismemberment occur behind them ("Glory"). Pippin believed that combat would give him satisfaction, but he is instead horrified and decides to flee to the countryside ("Simple Joys"). There,

Berthe Saint Bertha or Saint Aldeberge (c. 565 – d. in or after 601) was the queen of Kent whose influence led to the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England. She was canonized as a saint for her role in its establishment during that period of E ...

, his paternal grandmother, exiled by Fastrada, tells Pippin to stop worrying about his future, and rather to enjoy the pleasures and comforts of the present ("No Time at All"). Pippin takes this advice to heart and searches for more lighthearted pastimes. He begins to enjoy many meaningless sexual encounters, but it soon becomes overwhelming and Pippin forces all the women away ("With You"), discovering that relationships without love leave you feeling "empty and vacant". The Leading Player enters and talks with the now exhausted Pippin, suggesting that fulfillment can be found in fighting against his father's tyrannical ways. He agrees, and becomes the leader of a revolution against his father. Upon Fastrada's realization of Pippin's plan, she takes advantage of it by devising a plan of her own— If Pippin either successfully kills Charlemagne, or if Pippin is arrested for treason, Lewis will be next in line for the throne either way. She gets Charlemagne to go to his annual prayer early, and she tells Pippin that he will be at the chapel unarmed ("Spread a Little Sunshine"). At the royal chapel in Arles, Pippin murders Charlemagne, and the people bow to their new king, rejoicing that the tyranny has come to an end (" Morning Glow"). The Leading Player mentions to the audience that they will break for now, but to expect a thoroughly thrilling finale.The original Broadway production was performed in one act, without an intermission. Subsequent productions ended the first act after Charles came back to life before "On the Right Track" until the Broadway revival. The original ending showed the Players attempting to perform the finale before Pippin unexpectedly exits the stage. The Leading Player then angrily reassures the audience that the performance would continue.

Act 2

As king, Pippin brings peace to the land by giving to the poor, eradicating taxes, ending the military, and peacefully settling foreign disputes. However, this soon falls through, as Pippin is forced to go back on many of his promises, reverting to the tyrannical ways of his father. At Pippin's request, the Leading Player revives Charlemagne, who takes the throne back, and Pippin is left discouraged, as his life is still unfulfilled. The Leading Player inspired him to keep going down his life's path ("On the Right Track"), but after experimenting with art and religion, Pippin falls into monumental despair and collapses on the floor. Widowed farm-owner Catherine finds him on the street and is attracted by the arch of his foot ("And There He Was"), and when Pippin comes to, she introduces herself ("Kind of Woman"). From the start, it is clear that the Leading Player is concerned with Catherine's acting ability and actual attraction to Pippin — after all, she is but a player playing a part in the Leading Player's yet-to-be-unfolded plan. Catherine has Pippin help as a farmhand on her estate. At first, Pippin thinks himself above such things ("Extraordinary"), but after comforting her son, Theo, on the sickness and eventual death of his pet duck ("Prayer for a Duck"), he warms up to Catherine and finds himself attracted to her ("Love Song"). However, as time goes by, Pippin realizes he's grown too comfortable in monotony, and leaves the estate to continue searching for his true purpose. Catherine is heartbroken and reflects on him, spontaneously beginning a song that was not initially in the script, much to the Leading Player's anger and surprise ("

I Guess I'll Miss the Man "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" is a song written by Stephen Schwartz and released as a single by Motown singing group The Supremes in 1972 from their album ''The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb''. Contrary to the album's title, the song ...

"). All alone on a stage, Pippin is surrounded by the Leading Player and the various Players. They tell him that the only fulfilling thing is their one perfect act, the Finale, in which Pippin will light himself on fire and "become one with the flame", implying that he will die in the process. Just when he is about to do it, he realizes that there has to be something other than death and chooses not to follow through. Catherine and Theo enter, defying the script, and stand beside Pippin. He sings to her and that his purpose was never in magic, but rather to live an ordinary life ("Finale"/"Magic Shows and Miracles"). The Leading Player becomes furious and calls off the show, telling the rest of the Players and the orchestra to pack up and leave Pippin, Catherine, and Theo alone on the empty stage. Pippin and Catherine leave to go live an ordinary life, while Theo stays behind to examine the set in ruin. Theo gets brought into the magic and illusion of the players. As he sings, ("Corner of The Sky - Reprise") the players come back on stage and take Theo in to become the next Pippin.

Extended ending

The "Theo ending" was originally conceived in 1998 by Mitch Sebastian, and is included in all newer productions of ''Pippin'', including the 2013 Broadway revival. After the Players shun Pippin for not performing the grand finale, and he avers his contentment with a simple life with Catherine, Theo remains alone on stage and sings a verse of "Corner of the Sky", after which the Leading Player and the Players return, backed by the "Magic to Do" melody, implying that the

existential crisis In psychology and psychotherapy, existential crises are inner conflicts characterized by the impression that life lacks meaning. Some authors also emphasize confusion about one's personal identity in their definition. Existential crises are acc ...

at the heart of the play is part of a cycle and will now continue, but with Theo as the Players' replacement for Pippin. Current productions vary between the two possible endings, though Schwartz himself has expressed his preference for the newer ending. Notes

Musical numbers

Though ''Pippin'' is written to be performed in one act and its single-arc structure does not easily accommodate an intermission, many performances are broken into two acts. In the two-act version currently licensed by Musical Theatre International, the intermission comes after "Morning Glow", with an Act I finale – an abridged version of "Magic to Do" – inserted after Charles' murder. As with the new ending, the intermission can be added at the director's discretion without additional permission required. The 2013 Broadway revival is performed with an intermission.

Original Broadway production

2013 Broadway revival

Act I * "Magic to Do" – Leading Player, Players * "Corner of the Sky" – Pippin * "War Is a Science" – Charlemagne, Pippin, Soldiers * "Glory" – Leading Player, Soldiers * "Simple Joys" – Leading Player * "No Time at All" – Berthe, Players * "With You" – Pippin * "Spread a Little Sunshine" – Fastrada * "Morning Glow" – Pippin, Leading Player, Players Act II * "Entr'acte" – Players * "On the Right Track" – Leading Player, Pippin * "And There He Was" – Catherine * "Kind of Woman" – Catherine, Ensemble * "Extraordinary" – Pippin * "Prayer for a Duck" – Pippin, Theo † * "Love Song" – Pippin, Catherine * "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" – Catherine † * "Finale/Magic Shows and Miracles" – Leading Player, Lewis, Pippin, and Ensemble * "Corner of the Sky (Reprise)" – Theo € Notes € - Included as part of the "Finale" track on the Cast Recording † - Not included in the Cast Recording

Licensed version

Act I * "Magic to Do" – Leading Player, Fastrada, Berthe, Lewis, Charlemagne, and Ensemble * "Corner of the Sky" – Pippin * "War Is a Science" – Charlemagne, Pippin, and Soldiers * "Glory" – Leading Player and Soldiers * "Simple Joys" – Leading Player * "No Time at All" – Berthe and Ensemble * "With You" – Pippin * "Spread a Little Sunshine" – Fastrada, Lewis, Ensemble * "Morning Glow" – Pippin, Leading Player and Ensemble Act II * "Entr'acte" – Ensemble * "On the Right Track" – Leading Player and Pippin * "There He Was" – Catherine * "Kind of Woman" – Catherine and Ensemble * "Extraordinary" – Pippin * "Prayer for a Duck" – Pippin, Theo, and Catherine * "Love Song" – Pippin and Catherine * "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" – Catherine * "Finale" – Leading Player, Lewis, Pippin, and Ensemble * "Theo's Corner"§ – Theo and Ensemble In the original 1972 production, Fosse planned to use Stephen Schwartz's songs "Marking Time" and "Just Between the Two of Us", but before the show opened on Broadway the songs were replaced with "Extraordinary" and "Love Song" respectively. The songs "Spread a Little Sunshine" and "On the Right Track" were added to the show during its rehearsal period at the request of Bob Fosse. "And There He Was" was cut from the show before it made it to Broadway, but was incorporated into all future revisions.

Notable casts

Original Broadway Replacements: * Pippin:

Walter Willison Walter Willison (born June 24, 1947) is an American stage actor. Career He starred on Broadway in '' Norman, Is That You?'', ''Two By Two'', ''Pippin ''(as Pippin), ''Wild and Wonderful'', ''Grand Hotel'', '' A Christmas Carol'' at Madison S ...

Michael Rupert Michael John Rupert (born October 23, 1951, Denver, Colorado) is an American actor, singer, director and composer. In 1968 he made his Broadway debut in ''The Happy Time'' as Bibi Bonnard for which he received a Tony Award nomination and the T ...

, Dean Pitchford * Leading Player:

Samuel E. Wright Samuel Ernest Wright (November 20, 1946 – May 24, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known as the voice of Sebastian in Disney's ''The Little Mermaid'', for which he provided the lead vocals to "Under the Sea", which won the ...

Northern J. Calloway Northern James Calloway (September 10, 1948 – January 9, 1990) was an American actor and singer, best known for playing List of human Sesame Street characters, David on ''Sesame Street'' from 1971 to 1989. He was institutionalized in a psychiat ...

, Ben Harney, Larry Riley * Berthe:

Dorothy Stickney Dorothy Stickney (June 21, 1896 – June 2, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actress, best known for appearing in the long running Broadway hit ''Life with Father''. Early years Stickney was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, but ...

* Catherine:

Betty Buckley Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the American T ...

Joy Franz Joy Franz (born June 13, 1941 in Modesto, California) is an American actress and singer, best known for her stage work. She is currently appearing as the Dowager Empress in US National Tour of Anastasia. She played Susan in the original 1972 West ...

* Fastrada:

Priscilla Lopez Priscilla Lopez (born February 26, 1948) is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is perhaps best known for creating the role of Diana Morales in ''A Chorus Line''. She has had the distinction of appearing in two Broadway landmarks: one o ...

, Patti Karr Broadway Revival: * Pippin:

Kyle Dean Massey Kyle Dean Massey (born November 17, 1981) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his leading roles in the Broadway musicals ''Wicked'' – for which he has played Fiyero on-and-off from 2007 to 2019 – ''Next to Normal,'' and ''P ...

Josh Kaufman Josh Kaufman (born November 9, 1976) is an American soul singer and singer-songwriter. A native of the Tampa Bay area in Florida, Kaufman is based out of and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is best known for winning the season 6 of NBC's '' ...

* Leading Player:

Ciara Renée Ciara Renée Harper (born October 19, 1990) is an American actress and musician. She is best known for her roles on Broadway as The Witch in ''Big Fish,'' the Leading Player in ''Pippin'', and Elsa in '' Frozen.'' She played Esmeralda in ''The H ...

Carly Hughes Carly Hughes is an American actress and singer, known for her role in the ABC comedy series, ''American Housewife'' (2016-2020). Early life Hughes was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in Columbia, Maryland. Her first stage role was playing ...

Ariana DeBose Ariana DeBose (; born January 25, 1991) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for a Tony Award. In 2022, ...

* Berthe: Tovah Feldshuh, Annie Potts,

* Charlemagne: John Rubinstein,

Christopher Sieber Christopher Luverne Sieber (born February 18, 1969) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles Kevin Burke in ''Two of a Kind (American TV series)'' and Agatha Trunchbull in ''Matilda the Musical''. He was nominated for the Tony Awar ...

Productions

Original Broadway Production

The show premiered at the Imperial Theater on October 23, 1972, and ran for 1,944 performances before closing on June 12, 1977. It was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. The original cast was led by Ben Vereen as Leading Player, John Rubinstein as Pippin,

Eric Berry James Eric Berry (born December 29, 1988) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and recog ...

as Charlemagne,

Leland Palmer Leland Palmer is a fictional character from the television series ''Twin Peaks'', created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. He also appears in the prequel, '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me''. He is portrayed in all his appearances by Ray Wise. Le ...

as Fastrada,

Christopher Chadman Christopher Chadman (born circa 1948 – April 30, 1995) was an American dancer and choreographer who was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards and was the winner of the Fred Astaire Award for his choreography for the 1 ...

as Lewis,

Irene Ryan Irene Ryan (born Irene Noblitt, Noblett, or Noblette; October 17, 1902 – April 26, 1973) was an American actress and comedienne who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television, and Broadway. She is most widely known for her por ...

as Berthe, Jill Clayburgh as Catherine, and Shane Nickerson as Theo. Clive Barnes commented for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', "It is a commonplace set to rock music, and I must say I found most of the music somewhat characterless....It is nevertheless consistently tuneful and contains a few rock ballads that could prove memorable." Advertising for the Broadway production broke new ground with the first TV commercial that actually showed scenes from a Broadway show. The 60-second commercial showed Ben Vereen and two chorus dancers,

Candy Brown Candy Ann Brown (also known as Candy Brown Houston) is an American dancer, choreographer and theatre, film and television actress. Career Brown is known for originating the role of June in the 1975 Bob Fosse-directed Broadway musical ''Chicago' ...

and Pamela Sousa, in the instrumental dance sequence from "Glory". The commercial ended with the tagline, "You can see the other 119 minutes of Pippin live at the Imperial Theatre, without commercial interruption." Musical theatre scholar Scott Miller said 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." Fosse introduced "quasi-Brechtian elements" to empower audiences. Brecht's 'distancing effect' breaks the illusion of reality to encourage analysis of the play's meaning. The ambiguity of Pippin's "trapped, but happy" line forces spectators to confront the frustrations of ordinary life as well as the fruitlessness of Pippin's attempt at revolution. Distancing empowers the spectator to think, and moreover to decide for themselves.

Original West End Production

The show opened in the West End at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 30, 1973, and ran for 85 performances. Louise Quick, Fosse's personal assistant, and Gene Foote, an original cast member, co-directed this production with Fosse's original staging and choreography. The cast included Northern Calloway as the Leading Player, Paul Jones as Pippin, John Turner as Charlemagne, Diane Langton as Fastrada, Elisabeth Welch as Berthe, and Patricia Hodge as Catherine.

National Tours

The first national tour opened on September 20, 1974, at the

Scranton Cultural Center The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple (formerly the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral) is a theatre and cultural center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Cultural Center's mission statement is "to rejuvenate a national architect ...

. The production starred Irving Lee as the Leading Player, Barry Williams as Pippin, I. M. Hobson as Charlemagne, Louisa Flanigan as Fastrada, Adam Grammis as Lewis, Dortha Duckworth as Berthe, Carol Fox Prescott as Catherine, and Eric Brown as Theo. The production closed at The Playhouse on Rodney Square in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

, on April 5, 1975. A second tour starring Michael Rupert as Pippin, Larry Riley as the Leading Player,

as Charles (reprising his role from the original Broadway cast), and

Thelma Carpenter Thelma Carpenter (January 15, 1922 – May 14, 1997) was an American jazz singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie ''The Wiz''. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Fred and Mary C ...

as Berthe opened at the

Los Angeles Civic Light Opera The Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (LACLO) was an American theatre/opera company in Los Angeles, California. Founded under the motto "Light Opera in the Grand Opera manner" in 1938 by impresario Edwin Lester, the organization presented fifty season ...

on August 2, 1977. The tour closed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion back in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on August 26, 1978. A third tour began opened on October 7, 2006, at the Eisenhower Hall Theatre in

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

. The cast was led by Andre Ward as the Leading Player, Joshua Park as Pippin,

Micky Dolenz George Michael Dolenz Jr. (born March 8, 1945) is an American actor, musician, TV producer and businessman. He is best known as the drummer and one of three primary vocalists for the pop-rock band the Monkees (1966–1970, and multiple reunions ...

as Charlemagne, Shannon Lewis as Fastrada, James Royce Edwards as Lewis,

Teal Wicks Teal Wicks (born September 8, 1982 in Sacramento, California) is an American singer and stage actress, who is best known for her performances as Elphaba in the Broadway, San Francisco, and Los Angeles productions of the musical ''Wicked'' and as M ...

as Catherine, and Jason Blaines as Theo. The production ended its run on January 15, 2007, at the Forrest Theatre in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The fourth US tour launched in September 2014, at the Buell Theatre in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, with Sasha Allen as Leading Player,

Kyle Selig Kyle Andrew Selig is an American actor, dancer, and singer. He is known for originating the role of Aaron Samuels in the 2018 Tony Award, Tony-nominated musical, ''Mean Girls (musical), Mean Girls'' and for playing the role of Mr. Komos in Monster ...

as Pippin, John Rubinstein as Charles, Sabrina Harper as Fastrada, Kristine Reese as Catherine, and Lucie Arnaz as Berthe. Selig was placed on vocal rest just one week before the tour was scheduled to open and was replaced by

Matthew James Thomas Matthew James Elwyn Thomas (born 3 March 1988), also occasionally credited as Matthew Thomas, is a British actor who has made appearances in television, film, and theater. He is known for his television roles including the BAFTA and Emmy Award-w ...

. Despite being said to be on a medical leave of absence, Selig never rejoined the touring company; but instead, when Thomas left the production, he was replaced by

. Andrea Martin reprised her role as Berthe for the last two weeks of the San Francisco engagement and the entire Los Angeles engagement of the tour. In Dallas in summer of 2015 the role of Berthe was played by Adrienne Barbeau and Pippin by Sam Lips. Gabrielle McClinton (who performed the role on Broadway as Tony Award Winner Patina Miller's understudy) replaced Sasha Allen as Leading Player on July 29, 2015, in Chicago, and Brian Flores replaced Sam Lips as Pippin.

Broadway Revival

A new production was developed for the American Repertory Theater in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. The production was directed by

Diane Paulus Diane Marie Paulus (born 1966) is an American theater and opera director who is currently the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.Colleen Walsh"Paulus reaches beyond boards" ''Harvar ...

, with choreography by Chet Walker, scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Dominique Lemieux, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Clive Goodwin, orchestrations by Larry Hochman, music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo, and music direction by Charlie Alterman. Notable in this new production are its integration of illusions by

Paul Kieve Paul Kieve (born 1967) is an English professional illusionist and whose consulting work for both stage and screen has contributed to changing how magical special effects in productions are approached. He is the only illusionist ever to have w ...

and circus acts created by Gypsy Snider and performed by the Montreal-based troupe ''Les 7 Doigts de la Main''. The cast was led by

as the title prince, Patina Miller as Leading Player, Andrea Martin as Berthe, Rachel Bay Jones as Catherine, Erik Altemus as Lewis, Terrence Mann as King Charles,

Charlotte d'Amboise Charlotte d'Amboise (born May 11, 1964) is an American actress and dancer. She has played starring roles in musical theatre, and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and won the Los Angeles Ovation Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musica ...

as Fastrada and Andrew Cekala as Theo. The players were Gregory Arsenal, Lolita Costet, Colin Cunliffe, Andrew Fitch, Orion Griffiths, Viktoria Grimmy, Olga Karmansky, Bethany Moore, Stephanie Pope, Philip Rosenberg, Yannick Thomas, Molly Tynes, and Anthony Wayne. Miller was nervous to take on the role of the Leading Player, re-creating a character originated by the highly acclaimed Vereen. However, the challenge presented by such a role, and the representational power of the gender-blind casting, outweighed the apprehension. "I know there are people who wonder why the Leading Player has to be a woman this time, but one of the great things about revivals is to be able to do things in a new and exciting way," Miller said. Composer Stephen Schwartz was present to oversee the

sitzprobe In opera and musical theatre, a ''sitzprobe'' (from the German for ''seated rehearsal'') is a rehearsal where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups. It is often the first rehearsal where the orchestra ...

. The production omits the first act number "Welcome Home". The A.R.T. production opened on December 5, 2012, and ran through January 20, 2013. This production transferred to Broadway with an opening on April 25, 2013. The production transferred to Broadway beginning with previews on March 23, 2013, at the Music Box Theatre, followed by an opening on April 25. The same cast that performed at the A.R.T. transferred to the Broadway production.

again directed, with circus choreography and acrobatics by Chet Walker and Gypsy Snider. This revival won four categories at the

67th Tony Awards The 67th Annual Tony Awards were held June 9, 2013, to recognize achievement in Broadway theatre, Broadway productions during the 2012–13 season. The ceremony returned to Radio City Music Hall in New York City, after two years at Beacon Theatre ...

out of 10 nominations, including Best Revival, Best Leading Actress for Miller, Best Featured Actress for Martin, and

Best Direction The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is an award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly rename ...

for Paulus. On April 1, 2014, the roles of Pippin and Leading Player were taken over by

and

, respectively. The role of Berthe was taken over by Tovah Feldshuh, Annie Potts, and then

. On June 19, 2014 John Rubinstein, the original Pippin in 1972, replaced Terrence Mann in the role of Charles. From September 2, 2014, through September 21, 2014, the role of Berthe was played again by Andrea Martin, who won the Tony for her portrayal of Berthe in 2013. In September 2014, Carly Hughes replaced Ciara Renee as the Leading Player. In November,

, winner of the sixth season of U.S. television series '' The Voice'', took over the role of Pippin from Kyle Dean Massey. The Broadway revival closed on January 4, 2015.

Other productions

The original Australian production (a replica of the Broadway production) opened in February 1974 at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. It starred

John Farnham John Peter Farnham Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a Teen idol, teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an Adu ...

as Pippin, with

Ronne Arnold Ronne Arnold (1938 – 13 February 2020), also credited as Ronnie Arnold , was an African American performer, whose Australian-based career spanning some seven decades encompassed various genres. He was a dancer, choreographer, tutor, singer and ...

as the Leading Player, Colleen Hewett as Catherine,

Nancye Hayes Nancye Lee Bertles AM ( Hayes; born January 1943), billed under her maiden name as Nancye Hayes, is an Australian actress, dancer, singer and choreographer/director and narrator. She has been a leading figure in Australian musical theatre sin ...

as Fastrada, David Ravenswood as Charles and Jenny Howard as Berthe. The production transferred to Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney in August 1974. A cast album was released and it reached 60th on the Australian charts according to the (

Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...

). Following an 8-month suspension of theatrical performances due to the global coronavirus pandemic, ''Pippin'' was the first major musical to open in Australia, produced by the Gordon Frost Organisation at the Lyric Theatre in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. Previews began 24 November with an official opening on 3 December 2020, and a planned closing on January 31, 2021. The production reproduces the 2014 Broadway revival and is directed by

. It stars

Ainsley Melham Ainsley Melham (born 2 December 1991) is an Australian actor, best known as a former member of Australian children's musical group Hi-5 from 2013 to 2016 and for playing the title role in Disney's ''Aladdin'' in Australia and later on Broadway ...

as the title character and Gabrielle McClinton, reprising her Broadway role as Leading Player. The cast also includes: Simon Burke as Charlemagne,

Lucy Maunder Lucy Maunder, is an Australian cabaret and theatre performer. She originated the role of Lara in the Australian premiere of ''Doctor Zhivago'' opposite Anthony Warlow, and has toured with her own cabaret ''Songs in the Key of Black'', releasing ...

as Catherine, Leslie Bell as Fastrada, Euan Doidge as Lewis and Kerri-Anne Kennerley as Berthe. Theo is alternated between Ryan Yates, George Halahan-Cantwell, Andrew Alexander and William Wheeler. The production was criticized for failing to cast a local woman of colour as the Leading Player. In 1974, ''Pippin'' made its Spanish-language debut at Teatro de los Insurgentes in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. It was produced by Mexican pop singer

Julissa Julissa (born Julia Isabel de Llano Macedo; 8 April 1944 in Mexico City, D.F., Mexico) is a Mexican actress, producer and singer. She is the daughter of radio and television personality Luis de Llano Palmer and actress Rita Macedo. Her childr ...

, who also played Catherine. Also in the cast were Burt Rodríguez as Leading Player, Héctor Ortiz as Pippin, Guillermo Rivas as Charles, Anita Blanch as Berthe, and

Jacqueline Voltaire Jacqueline Voltaire (6 November 1948 – 8 April 2008) was a British-born Mexican actress, model and singer, known for her successful career in telenovelas, especially on Televisa. Voltaire also appeared in Mexican and international films, inclu ...

as Fastrada. A cast album was released by Discos Gas. On June 10th, 1975, the musical made its African debut at His Majesty’s Theatre in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It was produced by musical duo

Des and Dawn Lindberg Des and Dawn Lindberg were a South African husband and wife folk musical group who won a SARIE award in 1971 and 1973 for best vocal group. Their first album, Folk on Trek was banned by the Apartheid government. Their song, The Seagull's Name W ...

and starred Sammy Brown as Leading Player, Hal Watters as Pippin, Robin Dolton as Charles, Andre Haddingh as Catherine, Jo-Ann Pezarro as Fastrada, and Bess Finney as Berthe. A cast recording was released by Satbel later in 1975. In 1986, a production of ''Pippin'' toured throughout the US, directed by Ben Vereen. Vereen also reprised his original role of the Leading Player. The production was choreographed by Kathryn Doby, who was also in the original production. The cast featured: Sam Scalamoni (Pippin),

Betty Ann Grove Betty Ann Grove (September 9, 1929 – November 13, 2015) was an American actress and singer. Early years Grove was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her mother was "an exhibition ballroom dancer" who performed with Ray Bolger and Jack Haley, a ...

(Berthe), Ginger Prince (Fastrada),

Rae Norman Rae Norman (April 1, 1958 – November 14, 2020) was an American actress. Among mainly television acting appearances, she may be best known for her appearance in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Tapestry Tapestry is a form o ...

(Catherine), and

Ed Dixon Ed Dixon (born September 2, 1948 in Oklahoma) is an American character actor, playwright and composer. Actor Dixon has appeared in numerous Broadway shows, including ''No, No, Nanette'', ''The King of Schnorrers'', ''The Three Musketeers'', ''L ...

(Charles). In June 2000, the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, staged a revival with director Robert Johanson, choreographer, set design Michael Anania, costume design by Gene Meyer and Gregg Barnes, lighting design Kirk Bookman, and orchestrations by David Siegel. The cast starred Jim Newman (Lead Player),

(Charlemagne),

Jack Noseworthy Jack Evan Noseworthy Jr. (born December 21, 1964) is an American actor known for his roles in ''Event Horizon'', '' U-571'', ''Barb Wire'' and ''Killing Kennedy''. Early life Noseworthy earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Boston Conse ...

(Pippin), Natascia Diaz (Catherine),

Sara Gettelfinger Sara Gettelfinger (born 1977 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Early life and education Gettelfinger was raised in Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana.

(Fastrada), Davis Kirby (Lewis), and

Charlotte Rae Charlotte Rae Lubotsky (April 22, 1926 – August 5, 2018) was an American character actress and singer whose career spanned six decades. Rae was known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms ''Diff'rent Strokes'' and its spin-off, '' ...

(Berthe). In 2004, the first major New York revisitation of the show was featured as the second annual World AIDS Day Concert presented by

Jamie McGonnigal James Campbell McGonnigal (born August 6, 1975 in Weymouth, Massachusetts) is an American voice actor, producer, activist and director, who has worked for various companies such as 4Kids Entertainment, Central Park Media, NYAV Post, DuArt Fi ...

. It featured Michael Arden as Pippin,

Laura Benanti Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 13, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of '' Gypsy'', winni ...

as Catherine,

Julia Murney Julia Kathleen Murney (born January 14, 1969) is an American actress and singer, also known for television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway. This wa ...

as Fastrada, Terrence Mann as Charlemagne, Charles Busch as Berthe, and the role of the Leading Player was split up among five actors including Rosie O'Donnell,

Darius de Haas Darius may refer to: Persian royalty ;Kings of the Achaemenid Empire * Darius I (the Great, 550 to 487 BC) * Darius II (423 to 404 BC) * Darius III (Codomannus, 380 to 330 BC) ;Crown princes * Darius (son of Xerxes I), crown prince of Persia, m ...

, Billy Porter,

Kate Shindle Katherine Renee Shindle (born January 31, 1977) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and AIDS activist. She is currently serving as the President of the Actors' Equity Association. She was Miss America 1998 in 1998 and Miss Illinois in 1997. ...

and a surprise guest appearance by Ben Vereen, making his first New York stage appearance in over a decade. In 2005, the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, New York, staged a production starring BD Wong (Leading Player), Stephanie Pope (Fastrada), Anastasia Barzee (Catherine) and James Stanek (Pippin). The production ran from August 9, 2005, through September 4, 2005.

East West Players East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give v ...

(EWP) produced a diverse and inclusive version of the musical featuring a cast with all artists of color as a part of their 42nd season under the artistic direction of Tim Dang. At the time, ''Pippin'' was the highest grossing production ever produced by EWP in their 50-year history (later surpassed by ''Allegiance'' in 2018). Stephen Schwartz had reached out to Tim Dang on multiple occasions prior to the show's run, playfully noting that EWP had a penchant for hosting the works of

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

while "never oing Schwartz'swork -- the other SS." From this interaction, a new version of the musical was conceived. As with other interpretations of this musical, the music and aesthetics of EWP's iteration were a vast departure from the original. Both aspects of the production were heavily inspired by the animated works of Shinichirō Watanabe, who is most well known for his work on the Japanese

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and '' Samurai Champloo''; as such, the production incorporated aesthetic aspects of both anime and hip-hop. The set, designed by Alan Muraoka, was constructed in the image of a dance club with characters sporting vibrantly colored costumes and slicked neon hairstyles. Dang saw this blend of cultural elements as a reflection of the youth at the time:

A lot of the younger audiences, the younger performers, don’t want to be defined by race anymore. They’re not necessarily Asian anymore, or African American or Latino. They’re this urban, metropolitan, cosmopolitan kind of generation.

The show was produced in Los Angeles at the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...

, from January 15, 2009, through March 15, 2009, in a radically different form. The play's setting was changed to reflect a modern tone and was subtly modified to include deaf actors using

American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual lang ...

. The production was choreographed and directed by Jeff Calhoun for actors from both the

Deaf West Theatre Deaf West Theatre is a non-profit arts organization based in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is most well known for its Tony Award-nominated productions of '' Big River'' and '' Spring Awakening''. Deaf West Theatre is led by Artistic Director, ...

Company and the Center Theatre Group. The title character was played by

Tyrone Giordano Tyrone Giordano (born 1976) is a deaf American film, television, and stage actor. He is known for his roles in the musical '' Big River'' and the movie ''The Family Stone''. Early life and education Giordano was born in Hartford, Connecticut t ...

and was voiced by actor Michael Arden. The Leading Player was played by

Ty Taylor Ty Taylor (born January 5, 1969, in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American musician best known for being the lead singer of Los Angeles soul rock band Vintage Trouble. He is the voice of character Lester Grimes on the HBO series ''Vinyl'' created ...

. The rest of the cast included Troy Kotsur as Charles (who was voiced by Dan Callaway),

as Fastrada,

Harriet Harris Harriet Sansom Harris (born January 8, 1955) is an American actress known for her theater performances and for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on ''Frasier'' and Felicia Tilman on '' Desperate Housewives''. Harris won a Tony Award in 2002 as a F ...

as Berthe, and Melissa van der Schyff as Catherine. Nicolas Conway and José F. Lopez Jr. alternated as the role of Theo (and they were voiced by Bryan Terrell Clark). ''The New York Times'' noted that the duality was required by the situation, but effectively showcased the character's "lack of a fixed self" in an exciting new fashion. The

Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate, Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in ...

opened a revival of ''Pippin'' on November 22, 2011. The cast was made up of

Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle (born 29 August 1965) is an English musical theatre actress and singer. She won a Tony Award in 1987, and represented the United Kingdom in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free)", f ...

, Ian Kelsey,

Matt Rawle Matt Rawle is a British actor. He was born in Birmingham on 10 March 1974. He has appeared in many high-profile theatre productions which include ''Martin Guerre'', '' Evita'' and ''Zorro''. His performances in the theatre have seen him nominated ...

, Carly Bawden, Ben Bunce, Louise Gold, Bob Harms, Harry Hepple, Holly James, Anabel Kutay, David McMullan, Stuart Neal, David Page, and Kate Tydman. The creative team was led by director/choreographer Mitch Sebastian. The Kansas City Repertory Theatre produced and performed a version of ''Pippin'' that opened on September 14, 2012, and closed on October 7, 2012. The score was adapted to reflect a punk-rock style by Curtis Moore. The cast included Wallace Smith as the Leading Player,

Claybourne Elder Claybourne Elder (born April 21, 1982) is an American actor, singer, and writer who is best known for his work on television and on Broadway. Biography Elder is from Springville, Utah. His mother is a schoolteacher and father a carpenter, an ...

as Pippin, John Hickok as Charles, Katie Kalahurka as Fastrada/Ensemble, Sam Cordes as Lewis, Mary Testa as Berthe, Katie Gilchrist as Catherine/Ensemble, and Utah Boggs as Theo. The ensemble was made up of Jennie Greenberry and Gil Perez-Abraham Jr. The creative team was headed by Director Eric Rosen, Production Stage Manager Samantha Greene, Music Director/Orchestrator/Arranger Curtis Moore, Choreography Chase Brock, Scenic Design Jack Magaw, Costumes Alison Heryer, Lighting Design Jason Lyons, and Sound Design Zachary Williamson. Poster Pippin Venezuela

A Spanish-language version of ''Pippin'', produced by the Lily Alvarez Sierra Company in

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, directed by César Sierra, opened on December 12, 2013. The cast featured Ruthsy Fuentes as the Leading Player, Wilfredo Parra as Pippin, Anthony LoRusso as Charlemagne, Marielena González as Fastrada, Orlando Alfonzo and Gerardo Lugo shared the role of Lewis, Violeta Alemán as Berthe, and Rebeca Herrera Martinez as Catherine. In August 2017, a scaled down production opened at the Hope Mill Theatre in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. It featured a ten-person cast and a scaled down set to focus more on the story. This production transferred in late February 2018 to the

Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London, located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They identified the need for a h ...

in London for a limited run. The production starred Jonathan Carlton as Pippin and Genevieve Nicole as Leading Player. A Japanese-language version of Pippin, produced by Fuji-Television, Kyodo-Tokyo and Watanabe-Entertainment in Tokyo, directed by

, opened on June 10, 2019. It then commenced a tour in July in Nagaoya, Osaka and Shizuoka. The cast featured

Yu Shirota is a Japanese-Spanish actor and singer, most known for his role as Kagurazaka Makoto in the Japanese television drama live action adaption of ''Hana-Kimi'', Kunimitsu Tezuka in the '' Prince of Tennis Musicals'', Tuxedo Mask in the Sailor Moon ...

as Pippin,

Crystal Kay is a Japanese singer, songwriter, actress and radio host. After releasing her first single, "Eternal Memories" (1999), Crystal Kay gained fame for her third studio album, '' Almost Seventeen'' (2002), which debuted at number 2 on the Japanese ...

as the Leading Player, Kiyotaka Imai as Charlemagne, Hiromu Kiriya as Fastrada, Ryosuke Okada as Lewis,

Mie Nakao Mie Nakao (Japanese: 中尾ミエ ; born 6 June 1946 in Kokura) is a Japanese actress and singer. With Yukari Ito and Mari Sono she co-starred in the hit 1963 teen movie ''Hai, Hai Sannin Musume'' ("Yes, Yes, The Three Girls"). The three actres ...

and Beverly Maeda shared the role of Berthe,

Emma Miyazawa is a Japanese television personality and actress. Her former stage name is . Family She is the daughter of Christopher J. LaFleur, the former United States Ambassador to Malaysia, and Keiko Miyazawa LaFleur, the daughter of Kiichi Miyazawa, ...

as Catherine, and Jian Kawai & Seishiro Higurashi shared the role of Theo.

Film adaptations and recordings

Cast recordings

In 1972, a cast recording of the original Broadway production was released on LP by

. It was the label's first musical cast recording and featured the entire original cast. In 2000, it remastered and released on CD by Decca Broadway. This version featured

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

' cover of "

," The Jackson 5's cover of "Corner of the Sky," and Michael Jackson's cover of " Morning Glow" as bonus tracks. A cast recording was made for the Australian premiere, starring

and Colleen Hewett in 1973. It was released on LP and later CD by

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

. The first non-english cast album was made for the 1974

production produced by and starring

. Also featured were Hector Ortiz as Pippin, Burt Rodríguez as Leading Player, Guillermo Rivas as Charles,

as Fastrada, and Anita Blanch as Berthe. The recording was released by Discos Gas on LP in 1974. A 2013 revival cast recording was released on CD by Ghostlight Records on April 29, 2013. This version included four

karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

tracks as bonus tracks. A competition was held to find 700 fans of the show to sing the section of "No Time at All" where Berthe invites the audience to sing along with her. Additional cast albums were released for the 1975

production and the 2014

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

production. Los Angeles Harbor College also recorded and released a cast album of their production in 1980.

1981 filmed production

In 1981, a stage production of ''Pippin'' was videotaped for

Canadian television Television in Canada officially began with the sign-on of the nation's first television stations in Montreal and Toronto in 1952. As with most media in Canada, the television industry, and the television programming available in that country, a ...

. The stage production was directed by

Kathryn Doby Kathryn Doby is a Hungarian dancer, actress and choreographer who worked as assistant and dance captain for Bob Fosse. She made her Broadway debut in the ensemble of Fosse's ''Sweet Charity'' at its premiere in January 1966 at the Palace Theatre i ...

, Bob Fosse's dance captain for the original Broadway production, and

David Sheehan David Sheehan (March 31, 1938 – December 1, 2020) was an American broadcaster, interviewer, host and reporter. Starting in 1970 on CBS, Sheehan was a reviewer and interviewer covering movies and television on a daily local newscast. He went on t ...

directed the video. Ben Vereen returned for the role of Leading Player, while William Katt played the role of Pippin. However, this version was a truncated adaptation and several sections of the play were cut. Originally, Catherine sings "I Guess I’ll Miss the Man" after Pippin departs, but this song does not appear in the video. The cast included: * Ben Vereen as Leading Player * William Katt as Pippin * Leslie Denniston as Catherine * Benjamin Rayson as Charlemagne * Martha Raye as Berthe * Chita Rivera as Fastrada *

as Lewis

Proposed feature film

In 2003,

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a leadi ...

acquired the

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

rights for ''Pippin'', following the success of the

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

of the musical ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

''. It was announced in April 2013 that

The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America prior ...

has set director/screenwriter James Ponsoldt to pen and adapt the film. In December 2014,

Craig Zadan Craig Zadan (April 15, 1949 – August 20, 2018) was an American producer and writer. Working alone and with Neil Meron, his partner in the production company Storyline Entertainment, he produced such films as ''Footloose'', ''Chicago'' and ...

announced that his next project with coproducer

Neil Meron Neil Meron (born October 26, 1955) is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film ''Chicago'' and the 2007 film ''Hairspray''. With partner Craig Zadan he ran the production company Storyline Entertainment until Zadan's death in ...

would be ''Pippin'', to be produced for The Weinstein Company. In April 2018, the film rights have quietly reverted to Schwartz following

's bankruptcy filing with the project being shopped to other studios.

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

2013 Broadway revival

Notes

References

External links

*
''Pippin: The Musical''
official site for 2013 Broadway revival
''Pippin''
at the

Music Theatre International Music Theatre International (MTI) is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. Description MTI was founded in 1952 by American composer and lyricist Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker. Along with the licensing rights to Lo ...

website *
''Pippin'': An Analysis
at

New Line Theatre New Line Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, is an alternative musical theatre company producing challenging, adult, politically and socially relevant works of musical theatre. The company was created in 1991 and produces world premieres such as ''Lov ...

''Pippin cast recording''
at

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

Pippin Moves from the Stage to the Big Screen

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