Diane Paulus-Helmed PIPPIN Revival in Development

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 12:49am

Per Michael Reidel, a reading produced by the Weisslers was held this week featuring Gavin Creel as Pippin, Tracie Thoms as The Leading Player, Natalie Cortez as Catherine, and Jayne Houdyshell as Berthe, directed by Paulus.

The goal is to produce the show at ART in Boston in advance of a bow on Broadway in the 2012/2013 season.

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/schwartz_again_pippin_hot_bTex5RFV8yaytmUlarwduL

Updated On: 11/19/10 at 12:49 AM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 12:53am

I love Natalie Cortez, but is Catherine really an appropriate role for her? You know who I'd love to see? Lily Rabe. I feel like it would be both perfect and fitting since Jill just passed away.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 1:23am

Diane Paulus is a fanastic choice for Pippin and cant wait to check this out at ART in Cambridge.
They revived it at the Mark Taper Forum in LA which I caught a few years ago. That production was, ahem, a bit rough - although not without its artistic merits - not sure if that book was polished up or revisited for the Taper which I understand Paulus is doing for this Love the music, Piippin is so very summer camp/middle school standard musical that the songs are kinda woven into our collective theater-going fabric.
Looking forward to it.
CAN I START THE DARREN CRISS THREAD AS PIPPIN NOW?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 5:30am

Oh.
My.
God.

This could possibly be the best news. I've never been happier to live in the Boston area.

I love Pippin. I love Paulus. I love the announced casting. (Although, Gavin seems a bit old for the part of Pippin, no? I thought that about his playing Claude, too -- but that worked out well.)

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 7:36am

Awww... Jayne Houdyshell <3

[GatorNY]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 7:39am

I've been hoping for a Pippin revival for years. I share your excitement Mama.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 7:45am

As much as I love Jayne Houdyshell, I really really really want Cloris Leachman as Berthe.

It'd be nice to see Benanti as Fastrada, provided she can dance.

[romgitsean]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 8:35am

Did you see the 2004 concert?! Murney as Fastrada!!

But this awesome news xD
Don't know how crazy I am about Thoms for LP though...

[Q]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 8:41am

I think Michael Arden should play Pippin.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 8:54am

"Don't know how crazy I am about Thoms for LP though..."

Ditto, ditto, ditto. She's good, but she doesn't exactly scream charisma.

[gustof777]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:30am

Michael Arden or Bobby Steggert.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:35am

Love, Love, LOVE PIPPIN!

SO happy for this news.

I actually think Gavin Creel would make a great Pippin...

Love the suggestion of Lily Rabe in it.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:37am

I gots a feeling Steggert's gonna end up in the D.C. FOLLIES.

[jon2]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:40am

Betty White was born to play Berthe! But I guess at this point it would have to be at Encores or LA Reprise ...

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:42am

That would be great! Amazingly, she's never done any professional theater. How about that?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:46am

I'm excited to see Sept Doigts de la Main in January, in their show PSY. Because to me, any Montreal cirque troupe is worth checking out. I have no idea what Paulus will come up with while using them. Here's hoping for something well-integrated and not grafted on.

[Q]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:50am

Reprise did PIPPIN just a few years ago (with Arden as Pippin,) and Mimi Hines played Berthe. She tore the house down - people went nuts over her.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 9:55am

Michael Arden was great in that.

[romgitsean]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 10:02am

Are you kidding me? Jackie Hoffman for Berthe!

I hope that they do tweak this script, because it really does need some touching up, and it's been put off for sometime. It just needs to be clarified. The whole play-with-in-a-play concept is definitely made unclear. They should go back to the Fossie revisions. And I can say this as a Pippin fanatic, and as someone whose playing Charles right now that this NEEDS to be clarified.

I personally think that Aaron Tviet would be a great pick...or most people who've played Gabe. Even maybe Matt Doyle? c:

I almost would love it if at every performance the Pippin rotated between people in the company (hell, even a few chicks playing Pippin...even though on Broadway that would look strange...but it'll never happen.

I say Tommar Wilson for LP. Give the guy a freakin' lead for pete's sake, he's fantastic!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 10:24am

I can confirm Reidel's report...because my friend was AT the workshop for two days. She says they have plans to do an interesting take on the story and do some neat things with the score and staging. She also said Creel was PERFECTION.

[quitetheatrical23]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 10:35am

this is amazing. Pippin is one of my favorite musicals of all time, so smart and funny...can't wait for this to happen.

[PurpleFanta]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 10:44am

I heard that Katie Finneran was involved in the reading. Does anyone have details on that? Or can anyone actually confirm it?

[singtopher]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 12:23pm

Crucify me all you want for the celebrity casting, but I think Justin Timberlake would make a great Leading Player. (probably wouldn't work in this production, but it's fun to think about)

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 2:27pm

I love the idea, especially the bit about the updating, but I just don't know why they keep casting women as the Leading Player. I've seen it twice now with that casting, and it just never seems to quite work. And the two women I saw are fantastic performers.

[romgitsean]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 3:11pm

I agree. I as well had a friend who attended (her involvement to remain anonymous) but she said nothing but great things. I'm so anxious in seeing how this pans out!!

I love Thoms, but no no no no no for a woman LP. It doesn't work.