Miller, Mann, d'Amboise, Daunno to Join ART's PIPPIN — Page 2

How I'd do it, not that anyone asked:

Staging and Choreography

Get Ann Reinking and anyone else who's still alive to recreate the Fosse steps. Not Fosse-esque steps. The Fosse steps. Bob was a genius, and I'm tired of seeing Xeroxes every time I go into the city and hope Chicago's latest replacements won't disappoint me. I want the real McCoy, or I'm the Hatfield who leaves.

Script

When I once began assembling my dream production of Pippin, My initial interest involved nothing more than reading the play at the library (in a published hardbound edition which did not seem to include any of Bob Fosse's contributions to the script), listening to the score (which I loved), and reading about the "new Theo ending" on Schwartz's website; Papermill Playhouse developed a new ending for their 2000 production which Schwartz liked, approved of, and eventually added to the licensed version of the show.

As time went by, I learned more about Pippin and the creative differences about what the show should be (much exaggerated, in my opinion) between Fosse and Schwartz, thanks in no small part to Scott Miller's enlightening article on Pippin at Fosse.com. In comparing the script (based on the hardback edition, but with slight differences inherent to a license copy) floating around the Internet to the 1981 video of the Fosse version (both in its officially released and "alternate edit" cuts, the latter thanks to some anonymous friends who didn't charge me a hundred bucks for the thing), I discovered that Bob made a lot of vital contributions to the final product, and I began creating a stage edit that re-inserted as much Fosse as I could add to the script.

I learned later that the script currently licensed by MTI, in addition to including the "new Theo ending" and other small changes, re-inserted a lot of Fosse's contributions. In re-evaluating the script, I therefore went back and took a second look with the MTI script in hand, incorporating the changes and additions that I thought worked, including Theo as an "emo" teenager and the new lyrics for "Extraordinary," which I felt were more naturalistic and suited the sequence better.

Furthermore, in a West Coast production, Schwartz added a new song, "Back in the Bosom," to the initial scenes where Pippin arrives home from school before going off to war. With the help of Michael Cole, Schwartz's assistant, via StephenSchwartz.com, I was able to incorporate the lyrics to this new number, which reads like a parody of the quintessential Eighties sitcom theme song form (much in keeping with the rest of Pippin's over-the-top theatricality), wrap the scene around them, and even re-insert a Fosse line (Stuart Ostrow's much-beloved favorite "Why do I always get nauseous when he calls me father?") where appropriate.

To summarize: Start with the Fosse script; split it into two acts along the lines of the MTI script, with the Act One ending and Act Two entr'acte inserted; add "Back in the Bosom," the new lyrics to "Extraordinary," and concepts like Theo as an "emo" teenager; and a new "new ending," starting with the original Fosse ending ("trapped" minus the "...but happy") and then leading into the "new Theo ending."

Casting

As I said, Elaine Stritch for Berthe. How hard can it be to memorize one scene and one song? The scene and song is practically right up her alley anyway -- a cantankerous old biddy with some bawdy laugh lines, and a song well within her range, abilities, and style, including the spoken interruptions. Frankly, I'm surprised no regional theater has thought of this. For all I know, they have, and she just didn't want to leave the city.

(Berthe is technically scripted for more, but let's be honest -- going back to the Fosse production through to now, has she ever taken all of the material actually scripted for her? Even were she to do all of the material actually scripted for her, it's a light enough load. She's backstage most of the show, and can consult the script as many times as she needs to get her lines, presuming six to twelve weeks of time in the role from the beginning don't do the trick.)

For the Leading Player, I like the idea of a female Leading Player, because it adds a sexual element to Pippin's seduction, and also gives the show a much more contemporary feel, to have a woman in the position of authority.

But... if people are gonna kvetch like a bunch of old queens, then you could do worse than Usher. He looks just like his father (er... godfather...), he can dance, he can sing. And when it comes to the acting, he had his father (er... godfather...) as his acting coach on Chicago, so who would be better to coach him through the role than someone who's already played it, and won the Tony for it?

Orchestrations

The Papermill production in 2000, previously referred to, was the only production that made the orchestrations fit the show. Use those.

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I am a HUGE fan of Stritch, but I don't think she should be doing live performances anymore.

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As far as the book goes, the original Broadway version works, it worked many years on BWay (with no stars or stunt casting).
The new versions only make the ending slightly less cynical.
The original ending wrapped it up in brown paper not gold trappings
I've never seen it (and hope not to) with any emos.

For the Leading Player, why does there need to be more sexual tension in this show? FOSSE's version was extremely hot. And there could still be some between 2 males, PIPPIN is the ultimate TWINK. I don't think it's THE LEADING PLAYER's job to actually have sex with PIP, just expose him to it.

I can't put into words why it urks me for the Leading Player to be female, but I think it makes Pippin's choice at the end more of a "I choose this girl over you" instead of "I choose this LIFE over you."

That's an incredibly narrow-minded train of thought on your part.

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g.d.e.l.g.i. Confused by one thing in your post--you know Reinking's choreography for Chicago is essentially new I assume? I love it, especially compared to Marshall's bland work with the choreography of the film, and she obviously used many elements from his, but aside from Hot Honey Rag it's not actually the same (and even comparing Fosse's All I Care About is Love from the Tony telecast with Reinking's, you see that while the dance is essentially the same, the actual moves are much sharper in the original).

There are so many variations to the script, but I agree with those who say that the Fosse rewrites made it work the best, although that's partly just because his production as a whole is so brilliant (I also have the full "Fosse cut" of the televised version and it's pretty maddening that the producer who re-cut it by nearly twenty minutes still apparently pretends that this longer cut doesn't exist, and won't release it--it's pretty great).

I'm not sure I'd call the original Fosse ending cynical, really. It's always worked for me and made sense, even if the rest of the piece can seem more and more synical (I've always seen it as essentially Pippin being seduced into suicide, which he narrowly escapes). I admit, I have no idea wht the "Emo teen" ending is, but it seems like it would just add an uneeded element at a late point in the musical...

Where is the show usually divided when it's done in two acts? I always thought it was one of those shows that is helped by the momentum of doing it in one solid act, although I suppose it's not as dependant on that as A Chorus Line, Passion, or, arguably, Follies are.

That said, the gender of the leading player doesn't really bother me--the character has always seemed sexual but androgynous to me.

"When I did the show in college, back in the fall of 2000, we put the intermission after "Morning Glow.""

Same here when I did it in '99. It worked well at that spot.

Honestly, there's not much of a problem with the book. It's a very theatrical show - and you don't need the Fosse circus theme to make Pippin work. When I did it, we used the Chicago revival for inspiration for costumes, but the sets and themes were tarot cards/mysticism. The first thing you saw on stage was a giant Magician card, then when the show began, the card revealed the Leading Player.

Pippin has always worked for me, but it is a fragile show. I think people are a little scared of it because it is so dated, especially the orchestrations, and there's not so much a plot as it is a journey. You need a strong choreographer but you also really need a strong director to hold it all together. I always felt Fosse's production was too choreographed and not directed. It needs a little polishing, but by no means an overhall.

And I stick with my original head-shaking with a female Leading Player.

But remember that "Morning Glow" begins with Pippin stabbing Charles in the back (literally) and the ensemble proclaiming Pippin as their new king. If you choose to end the act after "Morning Glow" you are left with a dead body onstage and Pippin getting ready to begin his reign as king. Considering how everything else has worked out for Pippin up until that point I think the audience is probably pretty well aware that there are going to be problems with Pippin's reign that are going to have to be figured out.

I like the break after Morning Glow. Pippin has overthrown dad and is king of the world. His subjects sing a song of ebullient optimism. There is hope in the kingdom.

We break. Have a glass of wine. Feel good about the future.

Act two begins and reality sets in. Nothing quite lives up to the promise of hope. The Republicans erect obstacles at every turn; nothing is accomplished. (Oops - wrong show.)

Good place for a break; very Into the Woods, or Sunday in the Park with George.

My fave Berthe of recent times was Mimi Hines, she Sang that song like I've never heard it before and was full of spunk.
Harriet Harris (Whom I love) was not very good in the Def West Production.
I'm thinking Paulus will go diverse for this role.

I just ordered tickets to go see this in December at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA. Here's the link if anyone is interested:

http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/events/show/pippin

Patina is a lovely, very talented lady.
But, could people who think she's perfect and will be fantastic in the role, explain that?
We don't really know the concept yet, and what has Patina shown that makes her so right for this. I could see a more exotic or flashy dancer in the role. (if you're going female, which doesn't matter so much if the performer is up to it).
This is not a dig to Pateeen, just a question.

I think Miller's calculated, vibrant, sexy energy is what makes her so idea for The Leading Player. It's very much the same presence she brought to Dionne in HAIR- she steps out on stage and completely owns the moment, and I think that's exactly what the role requires.

It's clear that this is Paulus' train of thought in terms of casting after having worked with her in HAIR. I agree that these are the type of qualities you want in a Leading Player, regardless of gender.

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