review

[dave1606]

I caught the final performance of this at ART today. This show is going to be a huge hit. Not only does the circus aspect work seamlessly with the show, but there are a THREE tony-worthy performances in the show.

Before I get to those, I want to commend Diane Paulus. She can be a bit polarizing, but she has absolutely given one of the best productions of this show possible. I watched the original on the bus ride back and really appreciated what she did with this show.

First and foremost there is magic and spectacle. The staging is beautiful, and effective. Morning Glow was simply powerful.

Secondly, there are some incredible performances in this cast. Andrea Martin walks away with the show in one swift moment and I was still thinking about that scene long after it was over. Patina Miller is simply incredible, and brings far more enthusiasm to this role than I saw from her in Sister Act.

I cannot say how much I truly enjoyed this. I will most definitely be back to see it on Broadway. A knockout.

[WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel]

I have not been much of a Diane Paulus fan, but she really nails it with Pippin. It sounds cliche, but she really had vision when she created this production. I loved the circus concept so much! It never overwhelms the material- in fact it's just the opposite. The circus stuff strengthens the score and show beyond measure. "Simple Joys" felt like Wonderland (not the musical) or Neverland. Paulus delivers on the promise of the opening number and gives us non-stop magic.

Patina was a revelation for me too. I never thought she brought the excitement in her vocals on the London Sister Act recording to the stage of The Broadway. Here she was alive and juiced up. Her Leading Player is perfect. I had no idea she could dance like that. I hope she gives the Matilda girls a run for their money at the Tonys this year!!

Andrea Martin was wild. I couldn't handle her brilliance! The staging of "No Time At All" combined with her delivery of the song is a signed, sealed and delivered guarantee of a Tony as far as I'm concerned.

I also really enjoyed Charlotte D'Amboise and Rachel Bay Jones. Jones was SO funny. Sometimes I think Catherine can be such a snoozer section of the show, but not this time.

The women are all so glorious and the ensemble so wowing that Matthew James Thomas got lost a little in the mix for me. Maybe that was slightly intentional, but his was the performance that I felt needed to be dialed up a few notches.

Also some of the book is clunky. I think Paulus really did an amazing job making this the best book possible for Pippin though. Even with all the magnificent performances it was Paulus who came out being the star for me. She did what I assume Warren Carlyle tried to do for Chaplin with his circus motif, and failed.

I hope this is a big, big hit on Broadway!

One last thing- Does anyone know what the "official" lyrics for Extraordinary are? The lyrics on the cast recording are the same as the ones William Katt sings in the TV broadcast. Those are not the lyrics that were sung in this production though. I didn't mind the new verse lyrics, but I didn't like that the line, "The fact that I'm different is easy to see..." was changed to, "The fact that I'm special is easy to see..."

[dramamama611]

I actually have the libretto, however, it is in my office, not at home. I'll check for you tomorrow.

[dtzumbrunnen]

What an evening! We made the trek up to Cambridge to see Saturday evening's performance - it was my Christmas gift to my Partner, as it's his favorite show.

We've never left the theatre so engaged in conversation about the motivations behind characters in the show. The entire production was thrilling, although I'm hoping to take it in a little further back when we see it again on broadway. I just know I was missing things happening on stage, although we got tons of interaction with Charlotte D'Amboise and Love Song happened smack dab in front of us.

There are a few things to clean up, but this is ready to head to broadway today!

Matthew as Pippin was glorious. Yes, he's hot, but his voice was so enjoyable, yet not at all what I expected. I was so used to all the syrupy recordings of Corner of the Sky and he brought a real edge and slight gruffness to all of his songs. His take on Extraordinary was so angry that it really helped you buy into his conflict.

Patina took away any doubts about a female Leading Player. She blew the roof off the place at parts and was appropriately menacing at times. There were a few times that the balance between her and the orchestra seemed off, but I'm hoping that was just us sitting right in front of the pit. I'll definitely see it again to make sure!

I'm so glad dramamama posted Andrea Martin's age, because that's exactly what I wanted to google immediately after her number! So incredible. If they change a thing from her number I could cut someone.

Terry and Charlotte are great - Terry killed his patter songs, and Charlotte's dancing was sublime.

I really enjoyed Rachel as Catherine, especially her a capella opening to I Guess I'll Miss The Man. It changed the whole tone of the song and made it make so much more sense - and she felt so alone, you really started rooting for her at that point.

This can hurry up and open now, I want to see it again and again!

[lenstersf]

I also watched the final performance at the A.R.T. on Sunday (my third time!). Still incredible....I seem to enjoy it more and more with each viewing, which does not bode well for my work schedule or wallet once it's on Broadway. I think Rachel Bay Jones needs to be commended for her performance. Act 2 absolutely depends on Catherine to keep the energy in the absence of the acrobatics. Her voice and acting are wonderful.

I really hope this production is a huge hit on Broadway.

[customsay]

Caught up with PIPPIN last week and it was fun to see a full-scale professional production trying to bring a fresh spin to the material while still honoring much of what made Fosse's original staging so iconic. The circus elements are a good fit, although I think they still need to work on integrating them into the storytelling so the show doesn't feel halted periodically by performers doing tricks. And about those tricks: I wasn't really blown away by the circus performers (who hail from a troupe called Les 7 Doigts de la Main). Although they sing and dance as part of the ensemble there's an obvious divide between their abilities and those of their Broadway trained counterparts. They're clearly there to showcase their specialty, circus arts, which includes some pole and ring work and there's lots of tumbling but no really spectacular or original feats. With the exception of a balancing stunt involving a muscular guy, four cylinders, and a plank at the start of act two, the staging of the circus elements held no novelty or amazement for me. With all the editions of Cirque du Soleil out there and SPIDERMAN raising the bar on Broadway for acrobatics and physical stunts, I think this PIPPIN needs to be more inventive and dynamic with regards to the circus stuff as the show is bound to be remembered, for better or worse, as director Diane Paulus’s “Big Top” PIPPIN. It will also be remembered for Andrea Martin's scene-stealing performance as Berthe (in the one number where the show's circus choreography yields an irresistibly delightful effect through wonderfully surprising and economical means); Matthew James Thomas's lanky, unaffected Pippin; and the slyly comic, slightly zonked out poignancy of Rachel Bay Jones's Catherine (who also sings beautifully). I like the placement of the intermission, although I think the break exacerbates one of the show's big deficiencies - the lack of ensemble participation in the second half. And Diane Paulus and Chet Walker are smart to retain a few benchmark touches from the 1972 staging (most notably the timelessly seductive menace of Fosse's "Manson Trio"). Their vision is certainly less cynical and dark than Fosse's, and more calculatedly PG (as opposed to PG-13 or R). PIPPIN will only get stronger and sleeker, mining more comedy, shading and razzle dazzle as it moves into the Music Box, and with a few tweaks it will be a welcome addition to the spring season.

[HoldThatThought]

"and Charlotte's dancing was sublime."

So for those of you who saw it this past weekend, was Charlotte's extended dance routine at the end of "Spread a Little Sunshine" back in the show? When I saw it in previews, it was there. When I saw it almost 2 weeks ago, it was noticeably missing.

[dtzumbrunnen]

HoldThatThought - I don't have anything to compare it to, but it was pretty big. She did at least ten pirouettes all around the stage. I'd estimate about 30 seconds of solid Charlotte dancing, give or take.

[lenstersf]

Now that you mention it, I do think they've put back her extended dance routine. I remember thinking that her routine was shorter when I watched it a couple of weeks ago (compared to previews), but I wasn't sure why...but she did a lot of solo dancing this past weekend, as dtzumbrunnen mentioned.

[macnyc]

I know no one has a crystal ball, but what is your opinion about possible discounts for Pippin? I haven't found any yet. The Music Hall is a pretty small venue, for Broadway, and I'm thinking this show might be popular with the tourist crowd. If all else fails, I'll try the half-price booth after the show opens.

[HoldThatThought]

Thanks dtzumbrunnen and lenstersf - sounds like it's back in. I'd imagine once it opens on Broadway, all the experimenting and tweaking will stop.

[Queen of the Night]

Well, I would hope they put Fastrada's dance stuff back in. When you have a dancer of Charlotte's caliber there is no sense in cutting her dance moments. I'm planning to go see this in NY this spring and she is one of the reasons I wanted to see it (her fantastic husband being another).

[WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel]

Charlotte performed a full, extended dance after Spread a Little Sunshine this past weekend. I would be disappointed and surprised if they cut it after the response it received. I would like to think they will retain the dance for Broadway.

[HoldThatThought]

^ Excellent. Thanks Whizzer. And I agree - I think they will keep it in for Broadway.

So since they put her dance back in, then I have another question - did they have the scene in there where they imply the incestuous nature of Lewis and Fastrada's relationship? Again, it was in the previews, and then removed after opening when I saw it the second time. I think it occurs around the time they introduce Fastrada, and it's fairly obvious.

Since it is a short scene in the show when it is acted out, it might have made more sense to leave it out of this production, given all the other things going on.

[ex-gypsy]

After speaking to someone in the production, Charlottes dance was cut from a few performances, due to her nursing an injury. It was back in the entire last week of the Cambridge run, and will be in the show on Broadway.

[dramamama611]

I really missed the teased incestuous stuff when I saw it...but that was just before xmas.

[dtzumbrunnen]

I think there were a few movements that you could certainly see as incestuous (backing up suggestively into Lewis), but the larger spin seems to be on her working to have Lewis move up in the line of succession after Charles - less about her wanting to put the moves on him.

[HoldThatThought]

^ Yes, I remember that from the second time.

When I saw it the first time on Dec. 16th, the three things I remember most are:

1) Fastrada sitting on the throne and Lewis was on her lap kissing her on the neck.

2) As Fastrada gets up to walk around, Lewis follows her like a dog on all fours, and she occasionally bumps his head with her butt.

3) At the end of all that, for some reason that I don't remember, Fastrada is lying on the stage floor when Lewis and some of the other players do something to end up on top of her.

There might've been a couple of other things, but that performance is a bit of a blur at this point.

"After speaking to someone in the production, Charlottes dance was cut from a few performances, due to her nursing an injury. It was back in the entire last week of the Cambridge run, and will be in the show on Broadway."

Good to know, and glad she recovered. I hope they all can stay healthy during their Broadway run.

[lenstersf]

In Sunday's performance, those three things happened between Lewis and Fastrada.

[After Eight]

The circus element was fresh and winning. By far the best thing about the show. The design was also excellent. Paulus has done a fine job, just as Fosse did. They both had magic to do, and they did it.

But neither Fosse nor Paulus are alchemists; they couldn't turn dross into gold. And that's what Pippin is: dross --- sophomoric, simplistic, and pretentious, with some catchy songs. It's quite a bore, actually. It's very much a product if its time, or actually, a by-product of its misbegotten time, with its mindset of self-centeredness and self-indulgence. Who cares about Pippin's "journey" to self-realization? Certainly not the audience.

So thank heavens for the circus!

[Trish2]

After Eight, I can't help but to totally agree with you ! You hit the nail on the head with your concise, abbreviated review. This is exactly why the show has not been revived for thirty plus years. It's book is problematic, and yes, boring. I hate to even add to your review as I think it's perfection, but aside from some wonderful songs ( there are equally as many poor ones) there’s not enough magic in this circus to make this cynical musical less than a downer. Lots of frosting, but not much cake.

[After Eight]

Thank you most kindly, Trish. It's obvious: great minds think alike. :)

And I'm glad you appreciate concision.

Some people here just go on and on and on. If only they would just cut to the chase and make it easy on all of us!

[FindingNamo]

"with its mindset of self-centeredness and self-indulgence."

Which it critiques and upends and shows for its emptiness.

[HoldThatThought]

"In Sunday's performance, those three things happened between Lewis and Fastrada."

Excellent! Good to know. Thanks lenstersf.

[lenstersf]

To be fair, I don't think people are lauding the book, but rather this particular production of Pippin. The direction, acrobatics, staging, costumes, acting, singing, set, and dancing are all fantastic. I doubt most people will watch this show and experience something revelatory (not universal, as my friend came out crying, particularly touched by the message that one can have an ordinary life and still be happy). For me, this production has numerous magical moments that make it special. It's clear that the book is flawed, and yes, even boring at times. But Paulus did a remarkable job with the material, and the result is something worth experiencing.

[dtzumbrunnen]

I've found watching the video recording very "meh."

I was exhilarated throughout this performance, largely driven by what lentstersf just stated.

I also prefer more frosting than cake.