Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: Connecticut and the Berkshires


Regional Reviews by Fred Sokol

Pippin
National Tour


John Rubinstein
Pippin, at Hartford's Bushnell through January 11th, as envisioned by director Diane Paulus, happily startles its audience time and again through acrobatics, hoop twirling, and even lyrical trapeze artistry. The touring version of the show, which on Broadway was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and a winner of four, is nothing short of spectacular.

This is the story of an appealing and youthful prince named Pippin (Kyle Dean Massey) who is a searcher in the midst of an identity crisis. He wants to find something meaningful in his lifetime, and early on he comes home and converses with his father King Charles (John Rubinstein). Rubinstein actually played the title role of Pippin when this musical with song and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson played its debut on Broadway in the early 1970s. The relationship between father and son becomes less amicable as time moves on. Providing narrative throughout the evening is the lively Leading Player (Sasha Allen).

The Middle Ages and anytime circus gymnastics/stunts meet through Pippin. Paulus, finding another vehicle for those theoretical moments when Charles and Pippin were at war with the Visigoths, opens up the theater and encourages her audience to participate. Gypsy Snyder of Les 7 Doigts de la Main, in Montreal, enhances through circus work, and Chet Walker's choreography is in Bob Fosse's mode.

As Pippin, Massey demonstrates a sweet singing voice on "Corner of the Sky" and other tunes. The triple threat (act, sing, dance) requirement for musical theater is amplified since Massey must also manipulate his body, and he does so adroitly, as part of the athletic troupe. Sasha Allen is brassy and extroverted—a neat fit for Leading Player.

This Pippin benefits greatly from those who might be nominated as "best supporting." Rubinstein, 68, is superb as a father and king who offers advice, stands up for himself ... and flies around the stage with great vigor. Sabrina Harper is tuned in to her character, Fastrada, Pippin's mother who is far from sympathetic.

Lucie Arnaz (yes, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) absolutely steals the show during her major scene as Berthe, Pippin's grandmother. Her big number, "No Time at All," demands agility and strength on the trapeze and Arnaz is more than up to it. She is charismatic, sensual, and, at age 63, radiant.

Much of the third act features Catherine (Kristine Reese), a widow with blonde tresses who has a young son, Theo (Lucas Schultz on opening night in Hartford). Hoping to find some personal stability and care for her estate/farm, she finds Pippin attractive. Cut to the chase: it is very much about the large bed on stage and its implications.

The current Pippin is visually arresting: Dominique Lemieux's costumes are flashy, catchy and, in many cases, a tad revealing. The most significant tip of the imaginative hat, though, goes to Diane Paulus, artistic director of American Repertory Theater at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A few years ago, she configured what she wished to happen with this show. She said at the time, "I really live vicariously through other people's daring feats." Paulus brought Gypsy Snider aboard to actualize. The resultant production includes, for example, actors rolling and balancing on balls of various sizes. The plot line is not lost but theatergoers are ensnared, fittingly, through the scope, shape, and effects of this Pippin. The depth and breadth of the show, too, require great specificity of detail. With a high level team of performers and creative artists, Paulus propels the presentation into high gear.

All of this might not work for everyone. For some, it will take a leap to love the concept. Others will gravitate from the initial second when the fourth wall which figuratively separates performers from observers is broken. This is not a conventional musical but it certainly, in terms of form, exhibits an arc: beginning, middle, and ending. Much is made, by Leading Player, of The Finale. Some of the middle moments of Pippin are exhilarating.

Pippin continues at The Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut, through January 11th, 2015. For tickets, call (860) 987-5900 or visit bushnell.org. For more information on the tour, visit www.pippinthemusical.com/tour.php.


Photo: Terry Shapiro

- Fred Sokol