Review Roundup: PIPPIN at Ephrata Performing Arts Center

The Stephen Schwartz / Bob Fosse modern classic PIPPIN comes to Ephrata Performing Arts Center July 18 - August 3, 2019, at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre. Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto.

For tickets and additional information, please visit www.ephrataperformingartscenter.com or call EPAC's box office at 717-733-7966 x1.

Let's see what the critics have to say!

Jane Holahan, Lancaster Online: Highlights in the excellent cast include Clare Daher as Berthe, Pippin's grandmother, who tells her grandson to quit worrying and enjoy what life has to offer. Her song "No Time At All" is a joy to behold. And funny, too. Elizabeth Checchia is a wonderfully nasty Fastrada, Charlemagne's wife and Pippin's stepmother. She plots for her son, Lewis (a wonderfully not-so-bright Jordan Eck) to steal the throne from Pippin. Jordyn McCrady is Catherine, the widow who may have won Pippin's heart, at least for a moment. She's got a lovely voice and, like everyone in the cast, knows how to mine laughs from the material. She also finds the poignancy in Catherine.

Rich Mehrenberg, BroadwayWorld: Co-directors, Ed Fernandez and Kristin Pontz do a good job with blocking, especially on a mostly empty set. Pippin does not require elaborate set pieces, so a large center ramp, some stripper poles, and a few sets of stairs are pretty much all that is needed to bring the story to life. Kristin Pontz's choreography and Kate Willman's costumes added significant sizzle and fit in quite nicely to the overall vision of the production. The 16 member ensemble was athletic and attractive. Their consistent presence throughout the show added a lot to the finished product.

Michael C. Upton, The Ephrata Review: Pippin is a lot of fun because it breaks the fourth wall early and often, giving the audience member a feeling of inclusion in the festivities. At times, this can be a bit awkward as EPAC's sexually charged version of "Pippin" is more voracious and tantalizing than any other production of the musical I have before seen. While past productions of "Pippin" I've viewed have portrayed the sex more subtly, directors Edward Fernandez and Kristen Pontz pull no punches as characters find themselves in a variety of situations, positions, and pleasantries.

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