Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's 2013 Tony Awards Clip Countdown with a special spotlight focused on ten-time 2013 Tony Award-nominated Best Revival, PIPPIN, which was also the recipient of five 1973 Tony Awards for its original Bob Fosse production.
Magic To Do
Darkness. Smoke. White-gloved hands. A chorus calling out, "Join us," set to a slinky, slightly funky R&B-tinged groove. The opening moments of Bob Fosse's original production of PIPPIN are near peerless for the era in which they first appeared as far as sheer, well, magic is concerned, yet it is the central performance by that year's Tony-winner for Best Actor In A Musical that really made the entire affair blast off into the stratosphere and become a part of musical theatre history - the incomparable triple-threat talent known as Ben Vereen.
Few performers before or since Mr. Vereen have managed to make quite as major a mark with such an enigmatic character, yet the idiosyncratic Leading Player of PIPPIN is a powerhouse performance piece waiting to happen for any able actor capable of fulfilling the Herculean demands of the role - yet another case, not unlike GYPSY, of the best and biggest part in the musical not actually belonging to the title character. But, hey, Pippin gets goes get to sing the popular "Corner Of The Sky"!
In the unenviable position of filling Mr. Vereen's spats for the largely-reconceived, but still admittedly Fosse-influenced new revival of PIPPIN - directed by heralded HAIR helmer Diane Paulus and choreographed "in the style of Bob Fosse" by Chet Walker - is recent rising star and Tony nominee for SISTER ACT in 2011, the incandescent Patina Miller. The gender-switch, coupled with a significantly reworked attitude for the character - along with a wholly new look and feel for the show itself, given the circus-like and acrobat-abounding atmosphere conjured up by Paulus and company - make for a worthwhile new look at a long-running '70s hit. It is PIPPIN for a modern audience - and it's as devilish and delicious as ever. Indeed, the original Bob Fosse production of PIPPIN ran for nearly 2000 performances, yet it has never been revived on Broadway in the intervening thirty years or so, until now, so 2013 is a momentous year in the history of the show - and rave reviews and ten Tony nominations only add to the luster.
40 years later, PIPPIN still packs a punch
The 2013 Tony Awards air Sunday, June 9, at 8 PM on CBS. More information is available at the official site here.Extraordinary
So, today, let's take a look at some of the reasons why PIPPIN remains "Extraordinary", from its 1973 bow through to its 1980s video incarnation until now, with the atmospheric, revitalized new 2013 revival.
First up, get a gander at Ben Vereen and the original cast of PIPPIN performing "Magic To Do" on the 1973 Tony Awards.
After that, enjoy the complete 1982 special engagement of PIPPIN, featuring Vereen alongside William Katt, Chita Rivera, Martha Raye and more as broadcast on TV and subsequently preserved on video.
Now, without further ado, see what all the fuss is about insofar as this new revival is concerned with a dazzling montage of clips from the 2013 production of PIPPIN, directed by Diane Paulus.
Next, Patina Miller leads the cast in the infamous Fosse moment to remember, The Manson Trio, followed by an athletic "Simple Joys" on THE LATE SHOW WITH David Letterman.
Lastly, enjoy the revival cast of PIPPIN performing "Magic To Do" and "Corner Of The Sky" on GOOD MORNING AMERICA.
So, what is your favorite musical number in Stephen Schwartz's earworm-packed score for PIPPIN? Furthermore, what song do you anticipate the revival cast presenting on this year's Tony Awards telecast? Whatever one is your favorite, tune in on June 9 to find out!
