Street Theatre Company to Present PIPPIN

Following on the heels of the hilarious LUCKY STIFF and the poignant JOHN & JEN, Street Theatre Company presents PIPPIN. This venerable musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson opened on Broadway in 1972 under the brilliant direction of Bob Fosse and went on to receive 5 Tony Awards and 4 Drama Desk awards the following year. A fully reimagined Broadway revival in 2013 won the show 4 more Tonys, 4 more Drama Desks, plus a slew of other awards.

PIPPIN tells the story of the eponymous young man as he searches for meaning and his place in the world. Along the way he tries his hand at war, gluttony, sex, politics, and domesticity but never quite finds his "Corner of the Sky." Meanwhile, a troupe of players led by The Leading Player strive to convince Pippin to help them achieve "a climax justly famous throughout the civilized world!"

Says STC artistic director Jason Tucker, "PIPPIN is ultimately a musical for the fatalist or the nihilist but it's wrapped up in conventional musical theater paper and tied with a classic Broadway bow. Original director Bob Fosse brought a dark and sinister element to Hirson's and Schwartz's creation by adding the role of the Leading Player - an interlocutor of sorts with questionable motives who serves as our Master of Ceremonies." Originally played by the inimitable Ben Vereen, the Leading Player has become one of the great roles in American musical theater.

Composer Stephen Schwartz is one of broadway's most successful composers having written the blockbuster shows Godspell and Wicked along with cult favorites The Baker's Wife, Rags, and Children of Eden.

STC's production of PIPPIN is charging into the 21st century by embracing social media to help tell the story. Audiences will be invited to keep their devices out and share with the cast on Twitter and Instagram throughout the performance. (Standard prohibitions of photography and audio/video recording will still be in effect.)

STC's cast for Pippin includes Ryan Greenawalt as Pippin, David Ridley as The Leading Player, Elliot Robinson as Charlemagne, Amanda Elend, as Catherine, and Natalie Rankin as Fastrada.

PIPPIN is directed by STC artistic director Jason Tucker with musical direction by Randy Craft and choreography by Mallory Mundy. Designers include Sarah Levis (props) and Christen Heilman (costumes). Jason Tucker designs the lights in consultation with Katie Gant.

Pippin performs at Holy Trinity Community Church, 6727 Charlotte Pike, June 9-25. Thursday Friday, and Saturday nights at 7:30, Sunday June 11 at 2:00, Sundays June 18 and 25 at 5:00. Tickets are $24 for adults and $20 for children, students, and seniors (60+) with two Pay-What-You-Can performances on Thursday June 15 and Thursday June 22 (minimum ticket price of $10). There is a $3 fee for every ticket sold.

Go to www.streettheatrecompany.org to purchase tickets or call 615-554-7414.

Street Theatre Company: STC is a professional non-profit arts organization dedicated to pioneering innovative modern musical theater in Nashville. Our aim is to engage our audience with universal stories that speak to the human experience and challenge conversations, to support local artists, to provide arts education to children of all ages, and to foster a new generation of theater arts participants and supporters.

Pippin: Book by Roger O. Hirson. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Originally produced on the Broadway stage by Stuart Ostrow. Directed on the Broadway stage by Bob Fosse. "Theo Ending" originally conceived in 1998 by Mitch Sebastian. Pippin is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

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