Review - Pippin at the A.R.T. in Cambridge, Mass.

In the arts-criticism course that I teach at the Boston Conservatory, one of the DVDs that I've had my students watch almost every semester is Pippin. This isn't because I necessarily like the show, but rather because it's a relatively easy starting point for my students and their developing critical sensibilities. Many of my students are musical-theater majors, and Pippin usually gives them plenty to think about in terms of what's worth praising and what's worth criticizing in a musical production.

And the verdict by consensus from all of those reviews over the years -- and I'm inclined to agree -- is that Pippin is, at least in its initial incarnation, a triumph of style over substance. The show has some really strong and memorable songs ("Corner of the Sky," "Magic to Do"), but it also has some really dull ones ("Extraordinary," "Love Song"). Plus, the book represents this muddled sort of bildungsroman that seems to be about...I don't know, the meaning of life? The meaninglessness of life? The importance of not falling prey to the ministrations of a traveling group of performers and their charismatic leader?

Pippin's original director and choreographer, Bob Fosse, seemed to understand that the show itself was no great shakes, so he set about reshaping it with his own vision, despite the objections of composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and librettist Roger O. Hirson. Fosse even famously banned Schwartz and Hirson from rehearsals to keep them from meddling. Pippin hasn't been back to Broadway since that original run, possibly because people were afraid to tamper with Fosse's vision, or perhaps thought that the show wouldn't work without the Fosse flair.

Enter Diane Paulus at the American Repertory Theater, a director who has demonstrated repeatedly (see Hair, Porgy and Bess) that she's not intimidated by the iconic status of certain productions or by audience expectations. Paulus starts by getting rid of the commedia dell'arte trappings of the original production. (Although the show includes a very clever nod to Tony Walton and his original logo for the show.) Instead, we have the rather unoriginal device of the circus tent and a band of acrobats to emphasize the notion that this is a tale that the players travel the country with, looking to tempt potential Pippins into their fold. To achieve her own vision of the piece, Paulus has teamed up with Gypsy Snider of the Montreal-based acrobatics troupe Les 7 Doigts de la Main (creators of the much-extended Off-Broadway hit Traces). 

For the most part, I found the acrobatics more of a self-conscious distraction than an additive production value, and the gleeful reaction of the crowd around me the night I saw the show seemed to emphasize this. I mean, we're talking about one number that's meant to depict thousands of people being senselessly slaughtered by the forces of Charlemagne ("Glory"), and people were bursting into spontaneous applause breaks over the admittedly impressive physical feats that were nonetheless upstaging the intent of the number. This was also apparent during "Simple Joys," a song with a lyric that I've never really been able to figure out:

Wouldn't you rather be a left-handed flea
A crab on a slab at the bottom of the sea
Than a man who never learns how to be free
Not 'til he's underground

Yeah, I get that the Leading Player is trying to get Pippin to agree to "star" in the players' nefarious show, but what do fleas and crabs have to do with anything? And the staging here for the number only adds to the confusion, with acrobats bouncing on large green balls, jumping through hoops, doing back-flips, etc. So that's what the simple joys are, huh? Rolling around on all those balls at the gym?    

The choreography for this Pippin is by Chet Walker, working "in the style of" Bob Fosse. Part of me thinks it was a mistake to retain this constant reminder that this production is based on someone else's vision, but to Walker's credit, he manages to put his own imprimatur on many of the numbers, and he's certainly not slavish to Fosse. The opening song, "Magic to Do," for instance, is staged here without the iconic white hands seemingly floating in space. The only segment that's a complete reproduction is the famed "Manson Trio," although the genders are reversed: a female Leading Player (Patina Miller) and two male back-up dancers. Also, I loved how Walker included a loving nod to Fosse in staging the orgy scene with obvious references to the dance from "Take Off With Us" from Fosse's movie "All That Jazz."

The cast here are decidedly mixed, although I must admit that, having watched that DVD of Pippin so many times, I'm a bit spoiled by the intensity and showmanship of Ben Vereen and Chita Rivera. Patina Miller lacked the captivating presence and sinister subtext of Ben Vereen, although she did occasionally find ways to make the part her own. Charlotte d'Amboise as Fastrada was breathless and flat when singing, and her dancing lacked Chita's sharp angularity. Matthew James Thomas as Pippin couldn't seem to hold my attention or inspire my sympathy, although that might be partly because of all the distracting activity in this production. But even when he was alone onstage, his presence was mostly rather bland, although there were some times when his gawkish awkwardness made him almost real.

On the sort-of plus side, we have Terrence Mann as Charlemagne. Mann found lots of small ways to make the part believably pompous and doddering, although his diction was extremely poor during his songs. I don't think I understood a single word of "War Is a Science," and then Paulus makes the mistake of speeding up the final verse to make it a patter song, which only compounded the issue, clouded over the point of the song, and buried Schwartz's erudite lyric.

The two key reasons to see this production are Andrea Martin as Berthe and Rachel Bay Jones as Catherine. Yes, Catherine. How many times do you see Pippin and have Catherine be the one who stands out? Catherine is usually as thankless a role as Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes or Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, but Jones brings the part a certain goofball charm and a strong sense of vulnerability. One of the highlights of act two was "I Guess I'll Miss the Man," a song that's often a throwaway, or even cut entirely (as it was from the DVD).  

And Andrea Martin is simply a force of nature, in everything she does really, but in particular here. She's the best thing in the whole show, and delivers her one and only song ("No Time at All") with enough focus, clarity, and professionalism to lift the first act out of its doldrums and propel the show toward the newly inserted intermission (after "Morning Glow"). Suddenly, I was transported, but Martin's performance only served to underscore what was missing from the rest of the production: focus and honesty. Thankfully, Rachel Bay Jones served this same function in the second act, but for me it wasn't enough. 

Full disclosure: I seem to be the only person in Christendom who didn't like this production. Most of my friends who have seen Pippin at the A.R.T. were thoroughly charmed, even amazed, and the local reviews have been strong. The show announced that it was transferring to Broadway even before the reviews came out, and the entire run at the A.R.T. is almost completely sold out. What can I say? The show doesn't quite work for me, and never really has, and Diane Paulus's production wasn't able to change my mind.

Comments

[Uncle Richard]

Chris:

You are not alone. I really had problems with the production. By the middle of War Is A Science, I realized the production was going to be the same gimmick over and over again. And it got tired. People jumping through hoops doesn't make a show, substitute for choreography or realize a concept. The circus metaphor doesn't hold up and weakens as the show progresses. When it works, as in Andrea Martin's number, it soars but falls flat far too often. I also agree that Catherine was a major plus to the production.

[Richard LeComte]

I saw the original production when I was in eighth grade (Northern J. Calloway had replaced Ben Vereen, and Irene Ryan had died). I remember several parts of it, but it doesn't stick in the mind as much as several other shows I saw in my teens (Mack & Mabel, a revival of My Fair Lady, On the Twentieth Century). Basically, eh. I did listen to the cast album a lot. Still, it seems to me that if I were going to go to NYC and see a show, it wouldn't be a revival of Pippin; I'd much rather see brand-new shows. With brand-new songs. But I'm just weird that way.

[Chris Caggiano]

Thanks, Ricky. I feel a lot less lonesome.

<3

[harry]

I'm both excited and apprehensive about seeing this "revisal" in its Broadway transfer. Pippin played a hugely significant role in my development as a lover of musical theatre. When I was 16, I made my first visit to New York and saw four musicals: Grease, Pippin, Irene and Seesaw. I loved them all but Pippin was the one that simply blew me away with its incredible direction, choreography, sets, costumes, score, performances and style. I bought the record at Korvette's and the vocal selections at Colony and I wore them both out and had to replace them several times. Eventually, the score was published, in hand-written manuscript form (very unusual, in my experience) and I still play it from start to finish with great regularity. And I sing along, too. I can't help myself.

Years later, the show was remounted and video-taped at Hamilton Place, a theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, not far from Toronto. I bought four tickets and convinced three friends to come along. They had never seen the show and I so wanted them to love it as much as I did. They did love it. Very much. But I was disappointed. It simply wasn't as good as the production that I had seen on Broadway. I believe that there are two basic reasons for that: the cast and the two intermissions.

With the exception of Chita Rivera and, of course, Ben Vereen, the cast was never quite as good as the original. William Katt was quite good as Pippin, though not as good as John Rubinstein. Martha Raye came nowhere near Irene Ryan's performance as Berthe. Jill Clayburgh was so much superior to the Catherine in the remount. I could go on and on but you get the point.

Producer Hillard Elkins announced at the outset that there would be two intermissions during the performance, dictated by the necessity of reloading the video-cameras. These intermissions, therefor, were determined by tape length and not the needs of the show. They severely interrupted the flow of the musical for me. And following each intermission, they went back and re-performed and re-taped the last three minutes of each preceding "act". Further disruption of continuity and flow.

While I am delighted that Pippin, a musical I adore, was immortalized on video and DVD, it is simply not the performance that I would wish to have immortalized. The cast is not ideal. I miss I Guess I'll Miss The Man which WAS performed and taped, but was obviously edited out. There is also a very strange and abrupt cut in Spread A Little Sunshine that eliminates part of the dance. And as much as I love Chita Rivera, Leland Palmer was better IMHO.

[Scot Colford]

I think it's funny that you keep bringing up that DVD for comparison. Of course, that production was a "remount" launched nearly 10 years after the original premiered and three years after the Broadway run closed. Isn't this DVD a limited run in Toronto? I forget where it was filmed.

But directed by the original person (Fosse), of course it's stale and abridged. In this context, the soap star playing Catherine doesn't have to sing the one big number she should carry. I think that this context is missing in your text (and perhaps your class?), Chris.

That said, I did not see the production at the ART. I am sad that I am to busy to do so. I *do* think that the essential work has intrinsic value outside of Fosse's stylistic influence. I would be glad to address your dubitancy regarding fleas, crabs, and the theme of the work, but it's hard to do asynchronously. ;-) xoxo

[Scot Colford]

I so wish I'd been able to see Leland Palmer do this. Or Your Own Thing, for that matter!

[ccaggiano]

Scot, I've seen Pippin in numerous other contexts, and it still doesn't quite work for me. I tend to focus on the inherent quality of the piece rather than the production at hand, although I certainly take the production into account in my reviews. But in temrs of judging a show and its place in MT history, it's all about the piece. And, for me, the piece is deeply flawed.

But thanks for keeping me honest.

[Theplaybillcollector]

I'm so sad to hear you did not enjoy the production. I have never seen "Pippin" but really enjoy the soundtrack. My sisters friend saw it in Boston twice and loved it. I plan to see it in NYC when I head there in April. Thanks everyone for your input. I love reading different opinions on shows!

[feistyemm]

I've been reading reviews of this show ad nauseum, and they are so positive I feel like they saw a different show! I saw the original Pippin on Broadway in 1972. This past Saturday evening I saw the revival. I was told in advance that it was very different, but I guess I just didn't imagine how different it could be. Disappointed doesn't cover my reaction. It was very dark in spirit, there were constant distractions when you tried to follow the story -- I kept losing Pippin! It was unnecessarily sexual rather than sensual, and I am extremely liberal. It is NOT kid friendly. If my mother were still alive, may she rest in peace, she would have had her heart attack right then and there. The ending creeped me out. There were a FEW delights, like Rachel Bay Jones as Catherine -- we adored her! And the grandmother, now played by Tovah Feldshuh, was terrific (though I loved Irene Ryan's version in her white gown). The songs, which have been engraved into my heart for 41 years, made me tear up, but it was in spite of this revival which ruined Pippin for me. I've

[David]

It's been more than a year since you wrote this review, but I thought it was excellent. You are not alone. I just saw the new production. And while the sheer physicality of the acrobats was exciting, it was too much of a disjointed distraction, catapulting me out of the musical and into a circus performance. Their feats should have been integrated as a seamless, natural part of the choreography - one way to break out of the Fosse mold.

I've always adored Fosse's macabre vision of the original Pippin, particularly because the essential plot is about a troupe of (demonic?) players trying to get a guy to kill himself by self-immolation. That's dark. There's no way around it. I've always thought that Schwartz's and Hirson's attempt to make the musical more happy and family-friendly was a tragic misread of the story.

The new production has dark elements, but they're pretty safe, as were the simulated sex scenes. I mean, Pippin is supposed to be disgusted by the overindulgence. The new production doesn't really show this. The ending is cliche, a cop-out. The original ends with Pippin "winning" (i.e. not killing himself) but being trapped in the mundane world of adult responsibility. A victory, but one devoid of magic and mirages to touch.

Also, the dark stage of the original show seemed more attuned to the fact that the action of the performers takes place in the mind of Pippin. The circus tent was bright blue, with stars. The original costumes were tattered and torn; the make-up of the players, corpse-like. These suggested that the players were, in fact, the Dead (a theme of Fosse's, seen also in the dancers of Cabaret and Sweet Charity). The new production's costumes and make-up were Bright! and Ta-da! Again, at odds with the inherent darkness of the story.

I agree that Catherine was refreshingly solid, funny, and a pick-me-up. I've always felt that directors should over-emphasize that she ultimately rebels against the Leading Player. Ben Vereen did a great job expressing his anger over this. Where Vereen bullied and scared Catherine into playing her part, Miller whined about it.

I also agree that Andrea Martin was great, but I was surprised that she didn't play up some of the lines of her song for comedic value. She could have been more funny, in my humble opinion.

Again, thanks for the great review. And, again, you are not alone.