RPW: Pippin Review

For one of my blog posts, I decided to do a review of the revival of the musical Pippin, which started previews on Broadway about a month ago, and had its official opening last week. With music by Steven Schwartz, Pippin uses a performance troupe, led by their Leading Player, to tell the story of a young prince and his journey to adulthood. The original production premiered in 1972 on Broadway, directed and choreographed by the iconic Bob Fosse. The music and choreography of the show is very reflective of the era in which it was created, and because of this is considered by some to be a rather "dated" production. However, seeing the revival production, I can say that Pippin is the farthest thing from dated.
There were many changes from the original production to this revival, most of which I can say I enjoyed and were positive changes. The biggest change would have to be the concept. In the original production, the concept was rather unclear. It wasn't set in a particular way, and was made in a way that could foster numerous productions of different scales and levels. In the revival, director Diane Paulus(of HAIR and Porgy and Bess directorial fame) took a completely new route, setting Pippin in a circus. She enlisted help from a French circus company, creating an ensemble of acrobats and circus arts. These elements enhanced the production in ways I never thought possible. It was captivating to constantly be suprirsed by what types of daring tricks the ensemble, and even lead players, would be performing next.
 Broadway actress Patina Miler played the role of the Leading Player. Although this role is usually played by a male actor(and the original, Ben Vereen, won a Tony for it in its premiere), Miller was absolutely phenomenal. The role of the Leading Player is arguably one of the most demanding in the world of musical theater. The actor never leaves the stage, and is constantly leading the ensemble of players in their singing and dancing. Miller was effortless in both her musicality and dance execution, and had a constant energy throughout the entire performance.
Quite possibly the biggest standout excluding Miller would have to be Andrea Martin, who played the role of Pippin's grandmother, Berthe. Although the show has its funny moments, Berthe is the clear comic relief in the musical, and Martin was perfectly cast. She's known to Broadway audiences as having played Frau Blucher in the fairly recent production of Young Frankenstein, and has been in many films, including My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Martin was perfectly witty and just all-around perfect; her number had the audience on their feet...before it was even over!
 I saw Pippin the night after its first preview, which was a pretty cool experience. When a show is in previews, the artistic team can make changes during this time that will make the show different when it officially opens. So, this means that I could have seen parts of the show that became slightly altered by the time the masses came to see the production. Also, the majority of the audience members that go to previews are your typical NY Theater audience: they know the story, they know the music, and want to be entertained. Although it may seem trivial, seeing a show among theater people can be quite a different experience than with amateur theatergoers.
I thoroughly enjoyed Diane Paulus' revival of Pippin. The Tony Award nominations were announced today, and it received 10 nominations. Here's hoping it at least wins a few!