PIPPIN Comes to StoryBook Theatre

StoryBook Theatre (SBT) invites audiences to join a talented group of young players on a mystic and exotic journey in their presentation of Pippin The Musical, onstage from August 19 - September 2023, the opening show of their Season to be Extraordinary.

With unforgettable music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, creator of Wicked, book by Roger O. Hirsonm, and libretto contributions from Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, Pippin has experienced a resurgence in popularity after its Tony-Award-winning revival in 2013. The musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by a Leading Player, to tell the story of a young prince in his search for meaning and significance in his life.

SBT presents the beloved coming-of-age musical through the eyes of high school drama students, using song, dance and acrobatics to tell the story of King Charlemagne's royal heir, Pippin. The idealistic and inexperienced prince, played by Leah Chan, is enticed by a captivating group of performers to go on a death-defying quest to find the secret to true happiness and fulfillment, or as he sings, his "Corner of the Sky." Pippin heroically wrestles with his own demons in his search for an extraordinary life. Along the way, he must make his own choices while coming to terms with a desire for excitement and glamour that may be impossible to achieve with the realities of life. Will he choose a happy but simple life? Or will he risk everything for a singular flash of glory?

"In to try to find balance in his life, Pippin asks questions that will be familiar to us all, dealing with disappointments and frustrations along the way, coming to terms with the fact that he can't satisfy his every want or goal," says Artistic Producer and Pippin director, JP Thibodeau. "It's a story about learning to see the extraordinary joy in ordinary, everyday things. This production has even more meaning, as it's performed by this group of incredibly talented students from our Summer Intensive Program, who have grown up in a society full of pressures to do more, be more, have more. It's been truly inspiring to watch them learn and grow throughout the summer - both in their performing skills and maturity. I know our audiences will be inspired by their storytelling, and blown away by their incredible talent."

Pippin is being presented by StoryBook's Student Intensive Program (SSIP). Since its creation in 2014, the program has seen nearly 350 students work through a summer of focused musical theatre training. This year, the program includes fifteen students, ages 14-19. The program offers students interested in the performing arts a chance to learn and grow as artists and community leaders alongside some of Calgary's leading musical theatre professionals.

Pippin runs from August 18-September 3, 2023, at the Beddington Theatre Arts Centre (375 Bermuda Drive NW). Tickets are available at www.storybooktheatre.org or by calling 403-216-0808.

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