Broadway in Chicago presents the Tony Award-winning musical PIPPIN for a limited two week engagement.
This unconventional show looks like a circus, sounds like a musical and acts like burlesque. Among the lovely and peppy harmonies are feats of amazement and risqué flirtations.
At the core, Pippin, a young prince (played by Sam Lips), is searching for the meaning of his life. His existentialist crisis unfolds on a stage. Literally, he is an actor playing a prince playing an actor. His life is being narrated and shaped by the Leading Player (played by Sasha Allen). As Allen, a cross between a circus barker and dominatrix, energetically cracks the whip, a beguiling Lips follows his whims, sows his oats and finds his way.
At first glance, the story seems fairly straight-forward. Yet, the life struggle is both simplistically and metaphysically illustrated. The Prince coming-of-age fairytale is complete with evil stepmother queen (played deliciously by Sabrina Harper). Then there is a layer of grass-roots romance between Lips and a country widow (played by the lovely grounded Kristine Reese). And intertwined throughout is Allen driving the theatrics. Allen navigates Lips’ encounters like a marveling three ring circus. She seductively entices Lips to go for the bigger dramatic moment… the razzle dazzle finale.
Allen and other characters often break the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience. It adds to the charm of this quirky tale by including the audience in the princely metamorphosis. In the showstopping scene, Adrienne Barbeau (Berthe) goads the audience to sing the chorus during her solo. It’s not the audience that makes the song unforgettable. It’s 70 year old Barbeau. Barbeau, who I remember from the TV show “Maude” in the 70s, is Pippin’s grandmother. She sings “No time at all” to Lips as a motivational anthem to go-get-a-life. The song has depth and wit. It also has Barbeau singing and swinging upside down and hanging from an aerialist. Barbeau captivates the entire theatre and is rewarded with thunderous applause following the song. (She is also the talk of the ladies‘ line during intermission as people murmur ‘that Adrienne Barbeau.’)
PIPPIN is magical! The dynamic ensemble is remarkable. They sing. They dance. They defy gravity. And tickle realism. An extremely tall man climbs on top of multiple moving parts to do a slip-and-slide. Aerialists continually suspend from silks and a center ring. And a pair of legs sans torso walks across the stage. Between all the marveling circus feats (created by Gypsy Snider) and Fosse-inspired choreography (choreographer Chet Walker), this musical is gawkable yet still up-lifting. It’s the musical “Fish” meets “Cabaret” with plenty of Cirque du Soliel flare. Heart-warming and sexy with mystifying moves.
Running Time: Two hours and forty-five minutes with one intermission
At Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph
Book by Roger O. Hirson
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Orchestrations by Larry Hochman
Music supervision and arrangements by Nadia DiGiallonardo
Circus creation by Gypsy Snider
Choreography by Chet Walker
Directed by Diane Paulus
Thursdays at 2pm and 7:30pm
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays at 7:30pm
Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm
Sundays at 2pm and 7:30pm
Thru August 9th
Buy Tickets at www.BroadwayinChicago.com
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