Don Pippin Talks Herman, Music & More to DC Theatre Scene

Legendary musical director Don Pippin, one of the leading conductors in the United States, has taken up the baton to lead the National Symphony Orchestra this week as the Kennedy Center honors the accomplishments of Jerry Herman in Jerry Herman'S Broadway. The gifted Pippin has had a long and rich creative history with Herman as he has collaborated on the composers many works including such musicals as "Ben Franklin in Paris", "Mack and Mabel", "Mame" and "La Cage Aux Follies".

Pippin gave a wonderful interview to DC Theatre Scene that we are happy to share with you here on BWW, to read the article click here.

Press notes describe the celebratory concert as, "Not an evening goes by without someone in the world performing the music and lyrics of Jerry Herman--whether it's a woman in a red headdress, a lady with a bugle, or a middle-aged man in a wig and a boa. The wildly popular productions of Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles have given Jerry Herman the distinction of being the only composer-lyricist in history to have three musicals run more than 1,500 consecutive performances on Broadway. Led by Donald Pippin, one of the Great White Way's most honored conductors, the NSO Pops celebrates Herman's greatest hits with classic tunes from his triumphant trio of musicals, as well as other fan favorites Mack and Mabel and Milk and Honey".

Jerry Herman has the distinction of being the only composer-lyricist in history to have had three musicals that ran more than 1,500 consecutive performances on Broadway. His first Broadway show was Milk and Honey (1961), followed by Hello, Dolly! (1964), Mame (1966), Dear World (1969), Mack & Mabel (1974), The Grand Tour (1979), La Cage Aux Folles (1983), Jerry's Girls (1985) and Mrs. Santa Claus (1966), a CBS TV special starring Angela Lansbury. Showtune, a revue of his life's work, is performing in regional theatres around the country. His string of awards and honors includes multiple Tonys®, Grammys®, Drama Desk Awards, a Johnny Mercer Award, a Richard Rodgers Award, an Oscar Hammerstein Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Frederick Loewe Award, and election to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Don Pippin's distinguished career on Broadway includes A Chorus Line (for which he received the Golden Record Award), Oliver! (which won him the Tony Award®), Applause, Woman of the Year, Mame, Dear World, Cabaret, Seesaw, Jerry's Girls, Mack and Mabel, and La Cage Aux Folles. Pippin has been the musical director for many years at Radio City Music Hall, as well as a consultant. He won the Emmy Award for the TV special Broadway Sings Jule Styne and he was nominated for a second Emmy for the televised concert, Jerry Herman at the Hollywood Bowl, performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He was the musical director for An Evening with Alan Jay Lerner live at Lincoln Center and part of PBS Television's Great Performances series. Pippin was chosen to be the musical director for the concert galas celebrating Cole Porter's 100th birthday in New York's Carnegie Hall and in London at the Prince Edward Theatre. He returned to London to conduct the 25th Anniversary Gala of Hello, Dolly! in concert. RCA has released Pippin's CD of Jerry Herman's Broadway. Today, he keeps busy performing his Broadway music programs with "Pop" Symphony orchestras all over the USA and Europe. Although known best as a conductor, Pippin is also a pianist. He has accompanied many of our great entertainers: Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ann Hampton Callaway, Julie Andrews, Alfred Drake, Chita Rivera, Angela Lansbury, Marilyn Horne, and Debbie Voigt. When not on the road, he enjoys life in Brewster, NY with his many pets.