''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.

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...

, 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 Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...

, a young prince on his search for meaning 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 Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a T ...

and

Patina Miller Patina Renea Miller is an American actress and singer. Miller's breakout role was as originating the role of disco diva wannabe Deloris Van Cartier in the 2009 West End and 2011 Broadway productions of '' Sister Act'' for which she earned a Laur ...

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 Troupe may refer to: General * Comedy troupe, a group of comedians *Dance troupe, a group of dancers ** Fire troupe, a group of fire dancers * Troupe system, a method of playing role-playing games * Theatrical troupe, a group of theatrical perform ...

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 Playe ...

"). They begin telling the story of

, (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, and

courtiers A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official ...

vying for Charlemagne's attention ("Welcome Home"). Pippin also meets with his stepmother

Fastrada Fastrada (c. 765 – 10 August 794) was queen consort of East Francia by marriage to Charlemagne, as his third wife. Life Fastrada was born ''circa'' 765 at Ingelheim, the daughter of the powerful East Frankish Count Rudolph (also called Eado ...

, and her dim-witted son

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

. 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

'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 Eng ...

, 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 "Morning Glow" is a 1973 single released by Michael Jackson on the Motown label. It was the singer's second single release from the album '' Music & Me''. The song was not released as a single in the US. Meanwhile, it was released in United Kingd ...

"). 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"). 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 ...

Dean Pitchford Dean Pitchford (born July 29, 1951) is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, eig ...

* Leading Player: Samuel E. Wright, Northern J. Calloway,

Ben Harney Benjamin Robertson "Ben" Harney (March 6, 1872 – March 2, 1938) was an American songwriter, entertainer, and pioneer of ragtime music. His 1896 composition "You've Been a Good Old Wagon but You Done Broke Down" is the second ragtime compositi ...

, 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, Joy Franz * 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 Patti Karr (July 10, 1932 – July 11, 2020), born Patsy Lou Karkalits, was an American actress, dancer, and singer in Broadway musicals, and in film and television. Early life Patsy Lou Karkalits was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the daught ...

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 '' ...

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, Ariana DeBose * Berthe:

Tovah Feldshuh Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh (born December 27, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for more than four decades, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations f ...

Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ''Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty i ...

* Charlemagne:

John Rubinstein John Rubinstein (born December 8, 1946) is an American actor, composer and director. Early life Rubinstein is the son of Polish parents. His mother, Aniela (née Młynarska), a dancer and writer, was a Roman Catholic native of Warsaw, the dau ...

, Christopher Sieber

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

. The original cast was led by

as Leading Player,

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 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 Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Ac ...

as Catherine, and Shane Nickerson as Theo.

Clive Barnes Clive Alexander Barnes (13 May 1927 – 19 November 2008) was an English writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977, he was the dance and theater critic for ''The New York Times'', and, from 1978 until his death, '' The New York Post.'' Barnes had sig ...

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

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 Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...

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 Northern James Calloway (September 10, 1948 – January 9, 1990) was an American actor and singer, best known for playing David on ''Sesame Street'' from 1971 to 1989. He was institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital and died less than eight mo ...

as the Leading Player, Paul Jones as Pippin,

John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...

as Charlemagne,

Diane Langton Diane Langton (born 31 May 1947) is an English actress and singer, known for playing Marlena "Nana" McQueen in ''Hollyoaks'' from 2007 to 2009 and 2012 onwards. Career Langton has appeared in numerous television series. In the 1980s, she appear ...

as Fastrada,

Elisabeth Welch Elisabeth Margaret Welch (February 27, 1904July 15, 2003) was an American singer, actress, and entertainer, whose career spanned seven decades. Her best-known songs were " Stormy Weather", " Love for Sale" and "Far Away in Shanty Town". She was ...

as Berthe, and

Patricia Hodge Patricia Ann Hodge, OBE (born 29 September 1946) is an English actor. She is known on-screen for playing Phyllida Erskine-Brown in '' Rumpole of the Bailey'' (1978–1992), Jemima Shore in ''Jemima Shore Investigates'' (1983), Penny in '' Mira ...

as Catherine.

National Tours

The first national tour opened on September 20, 1974, at the Scranton Cultural Center. 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 seaso ...

on August 2, 1977. The tour closed at the

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt ...

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 Joshua Park (November 26, 1976 – August 30, 2015) was an American theater and screen actor, known for his Broadway debut as the title character of Tom Sawyer in the 2001 musical comedy, '' The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''. He died following a bri ...

as Pippin, Micky Dolenz 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 ...

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

Forrest Theatre The Forrest Theatre is a live theatre venue at 1114 Walnut Street Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has a seating capacity of 1,851 and is managed by The Shubert Organization.

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 Sasha Sierra Allen (born June 4, 1982) is an American singer and actress. Born and raised in Harlem, New York, she began her career in the music industry as a backing vocalist for the likes of Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Leona ...

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-nominated musical, ''Mean Girls'' and for playing the role of Mr. Komos in Monster High: The Movie. Early life and ...

as Pippin,

as Charles, Sabrina Harper as Fastrada, Kristine Reese as Catherine, and

Lucie Arnaz Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Early life Arnaz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of acto ...

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- ...

. 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 Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and ''Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), ''W ...

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 Adrienne Jo Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress, singer and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical '' Grease'', and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter o ...

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 The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

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 Scott Pask is an American scenic and costume designer. He has worked primarily on stage productions in the United States, on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and in regional theatre, as well as in the United Kingdom. He has won Tony Awards for his work ...

, costume design by Dominique Lemieux, lighting design by

Kenneth Posner Kenneth Posner is an American lighting designer, working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in American regional theatre. His most notable designs include the musicals ''Wicked'' and ''Hairspray'', two highly regarded musicals of the early 21st centu ...

, sound design by Clive Goodwin, orchestrations by

Larry Hochman Larry Hochman (; born November 21, 1953) is an American orchestrator and composer. He has won four Emmy Awards for his original music on the TV series ''Wonder Pets!'' and a Tony Award for his orchestrations for ''The Book of Mormon''. Early li ...

, 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,

as Leading Player,

as Berthe,

Rachel Bay Jones Rachel Bay Jones (born November 8, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She has played the roles of Catherine in the 2013 Broadway revival of ''Pippin'' and Evan Hansen's mother, Heidi Hansen, in ''Dear Evan Hansen''. The latter earned her ...

as Catherine, Erik Altemus as Lewis,

Terrence Mann Terrence Vaughan Mann (born July 1, 1951) is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the Broadway stage, which include Chester Lyman in ''Barnum'', Rum Tum Tugger in '' Cats'', Javert in '' Les ...

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 orchest ...

. 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 The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, the Music Box Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane in a Palladian-inspir ...

, 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 Gypsy Snider (born 1970) is a Canadian–American director, choreographer, and former acrobat. She co-founded The 7 Fingers, an artist collective, and choreographed Pippin in 2013. Early life and education Snider's mother Peggy and stepfather Lar ...

. 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 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

, and then

. On June 19, 2014

, 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 The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

'', 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

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 as the Leading Player,

Colleen Hewett Colleen Hewett (born 16 April 1950) is an Australian singer and actress. Hewett's top 40 singles on the Kent Music Report include " Super Star", " Day by Day" (both 1971), "Carry That Weight" (1972), "Dreaming My Dreams with You" (1980) ...

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

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 The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, ''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 Simon Gareth Burke (born 8 October 1961) is an Australian actor, active in films, television and theatre. Biography Simon Burke began his career at the age of 12, starring in Michael Cove's ''Kookaburra''; a painful look at a dysfunctional wo ...

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 Kerri-Anne Kennerley (née Wright; born 22 September 1953) is an Australian television and radio presenter, actress and singer. She has more than 50 years in the industry, and is an inductee into the Logie Hall of Fame. Kennerley was a co-host ...

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 Teatro de los Insurgentes ( en, Theater of the Insurgents) is a theater located on Mexico City's Avenida de los Insurgentes. It was built by José María Dávila in 1953 as part of President Miguel Alemán's program of urban renewal. Dávila c ...

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 Anita Blanch (July 26, 1910 – April 23, 1983) was a Spanish-born, Mexican actress, who worked in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She was nominated for an Ariel Award from the Mexican Academy of Film three times and won the Best Supporting Actr ...

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 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

. 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, ...

(Berthe),

Ginger Prince Ginger Prince (1942-2015) was a child actress, best known for her roles in a handful of Hallmark Productions pictures. She starred in three of Kroger Babb's productions. She then returned to Atlanta, GA to host a radio program, "Ginger from Geo ...

(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 (Charles). In June 2000, the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live in ...

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 Gregg Barnes is an American costume designer for stage and film. Barnes is a two-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for his work on the Broadway productions of ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' (2006) and ''Follies'' (2011). ...

, lighting design Kirk Bookman, and orchestrations by David Siegel. The cast starred Jim Newman (Lead Player), Ed Dixon (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 Michael Jerrod Moore (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as Michael Arden, is an American actor, singer, musician, and theatre director. Early life Growing up in Midland, Texas, he was active in the Pickwick Players, Midland Community ...

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,

as Charlemagne,

Charles Busch Charles Louis Busch (born August 23, 1954) is an American actor, screenwriter, playwright and drag queen, known for his appearances on stage in his own camp style plays and in film and television. He wrote and starred in his early plays Off-off- ...

as Berthe, and the role of the Leading Player was split up among five actors including

Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' ...

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

, 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 Bradley Darryl Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in ''M. Butterfly'', becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Crit ...

(Leading Player), Stephanie Pope (Fastrada),

Anastasia Barzee Anastasia Barzee (born April 24, 1971) is an American actress. Born in Miami, Barzee is a graduate of Frost School of Music. Career Barzee originated the role of Betty Haynes in '' White Christmas''. She also originated the role of Josephin ...

(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 Timothy Dang is an American actor and theatre director originally from Hawaii of Asian origin. He served as the artistic director at the Asian American theatre company, East West Players (EWP), in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California until 20 ...

. 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 is a Japanese anime television and film director, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo''. An auteur of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized ...

, 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 is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The debut television production of studio Manglobe, the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on Fuji TV, then had a complete ai ...

''; as such, the production incorporated aesthetic aspects of both anime and hip-hop. The set, designed by

Alan Muraoka Alan Muraoka (born August 10, 1962) is a Japanese American actor and director who plays Alan, the current owner of Hooper's Store, on the television show ''Sesame Street'' since 1998. He currently serves on the board of directors at thBayard Rusti ...

, 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 Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and th ...

. The title character was played by Tyrone Giordano and was voiced by actor

. 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'' create ...

. 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 Ian Kelsey (born 17 December 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Dave Glover in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Patrick Spiller in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', DI Richard Mayne in the ITV crime drama '' Blue Murder'' ...

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 Mitch Sebastian (born 1966) is a British theatre director, choreographer and performer. He has been nominated for an Olivier Award and Whatsonstage Award for writing, directing and choreographing '' The Rat Pack: Live from Las Vegas.'' He was Ar ...

. 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 Mary Testa (born June 4, 1955) is an American stage and film actress. She is a three-time Tony Award nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein's '' On the Town'' (1998), '' 42nd Street'' (2001) and'' Oklahoma'' (2019). Early life ...

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 is a Japanese actor and singer who starred in the musicals '' Evita'', ''The Phantom of the Opera'', and ''Les Misérables''. Songs * Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger is Toei's twenty-fifth production of the ''Super Sentai'' metaseries airing in ...

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 actre ...

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 A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...

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 Decca Broadway is an American record label specializing in musical theater recordings founded in 1999 by Decca Records and is a unit of Universal Music Group. Decca Broadway issued both new original cast albums as well as reissues of classic music ...

. 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 " I Guess I'll Miss the Man," The Jackson 5's cover of "Corner of the Sky," and Michael Jackson's cover of "

" as

bonus tracks An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

. A cast recording was made for the Australian premiere, starring

and

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

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 Sh-K-Boom Records is an independent record label and producer of recorded and live entertainment, which was founded in 2000 by Kurt Deutsch with the mission of bridging the gap between pop music and theater. In 2004 Sh-K-Boom created their second ...

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 Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) is a public community college in Wilmington, California. It is one of two community colleges serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles. LAHC serves mainly students from Harbor City, Carson, San Pedro, Gar ...

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,

'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 William Theodore Katt (born February 16, 1951) is an American actor and musician best known as the star of the television series ''The Greatest American Hero''. He first became known for playing Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date of Carrie W ...

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: *

as Leading Player *

as Pippin * Leslie Denniston as Catherine * Benjamin Rayson as Charlemagne *

Martha Raye Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway. She was honored ...

as Berthe *

Chita Rivera Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chica ...

as Fastrada * Christopher Chadman 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 James Adam Ponsoldt (born 1978) is an American film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed the drama films ''Off the Black'' (2006) and ''Smashed (film), Smashed'' (2012), the romantic comedy-drama ''The Spectacular Now'' (2013), and the dr ...

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 ''Lo ...

''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

{{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Pippin'' , list = {{DramaDesk MusicalRevival 2001–2025 {{TonyAward MusicalRevival 2001–2025 1972 musicals Broadway musicals West End musicals Existentialist plays One-act musicals Drama Desk Award-winning musicals Musicals choreographed by Bob Fosse Plays set in the Middle Ages Cultural depictions of Charlemagne Musical television films Tony Award-winning musicals Musicals by Stephen Schwartz