I never saw Pippin (book by Roger O. Hirson, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) before and was delighted to find it to be a thrilling, circus-and-vaudeville spectacular filled with stylized silliness, lively gymnastics and acrobatics, sparkling original costumes (by Dominique Lemieux) and strong performances by the entire terrific cast. It’s sort of about Charlemagne (a powerful Terrence Mann), the king of France, and who will succeed him — perhaps his son Pippin (the really cute, warm, sensitive Matthew James Thomas).
Four great women dominate the show: Patina Miller – the powerful interlocutor; Andrea Martin, a great singer, as the king’s grandmother, does a number that stops the show; Charlotte d’Amboise, a great dancer, as Pippin’s stepmother, thrills us with a sensual dance, and Rachel Bay Jones, a fine comedienne with an edge, tickles us as Pippin’s love.
On Scott Pask’s set, a circus tent with aerial rigging, director Diane Paulus and choreographer Chet Walker, with circus creation by Gypsy Snider, dazzle us with their imaginative action-packed fol-de-rol, which breaks The Fourth Wall and includes us in the fun. And great fun it is — some of the best in town.
