PIPPIN Revival is happening...

[Bdwyguy30]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 9:49pm

Just found out that there is to be a New National Tour of Pippin which is beginning at Goodspeed Opera House this summer and then going on a 21 week National Tour. does anyone think that it will turn up on Broadway for a 2007 Revival??

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 9:51pm

It's about time IMO.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 9:54pm

i just got sad. i hate that show. Except for spread a little sunshine....... Anyone else pray they rewrite that HORRIBLE ending?

[halyiaganitefiz]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:03pm

I just got done playing Catherine at my high school... I have a fervent love and appreciation for the beautiful things on the inside of that show. It's taken for granted; there's so much there that people overlook.

If this is true, I am overjoyed and can't wait to hear the casting!

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:08pm

They did re-do that "Ending" at the Concert with Michael Arden and Rosie (et al). That was a fun ending!

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:09pm

care to share?

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:12pm

As Pippin & Catherine turn to exit, The Kid turna around and starts to sing "Corner of the Sky". He is immediately surrounded by all those that had done the part of "The Leading Player" leering down at him - as if he were going to repeat the process and they were more than happy to help - BLACKOUT.

[halyiaganitefiz]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:16pm

Interesting change... but I like the original better. It's unsatisfying and disjointed and, well, lame. But it means something, and it's one of the few shows that didn't spell everything out for the audience at the end. It made people uncomfortable and thoughtful and... I promise I'll stop rambling. :)

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:17pm

Oh i would rather see that ending!

[jsand25]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:17pm

actually, I saw a production about two years ago with the rewritten ending. What happens is the leading player tells the young boy to walk into a pit of fire. And he does, and the show ends. It has a much darker meaning about life with this ending. I think it works perfectly, instead of them all riding into the sunset, it shows that another person has the thought that there must be more to life.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:30pm

I don't know that I want to see the boy die, Just enough to know that the process was ongoing was enough for me.
I saw, Maybe the first or only woman to do "The Leading Player" - Paula Kelly in the national tour, and she played it mean. I recall her glare when she looked into the pit and said "Take your godamn fingers off that keyboard!".
Her hair was shaved too, Very Grace Jones-ish.

[BroadwayBaby21]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:41pm

my sister's college put on Pippin two years ago with that/or something similar to that rewritten ending... I've never seen it with the original ending... what's the difference between the two?

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:44pm

In the original Pippin, Catherine & Child stand in the dark on a bare stage as Pippin says something like "What better way to end a Musical Comedy, Ta-Da!" and the curtain comes down.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:54pm

"Anyone else pray they rewrite that HORRIBLE ending?"

And the score.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 10:57pm

I must confess, I skip over all Catherine's songs. That is when the show starts to lulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:01pm

I hope they get Michael Arden and then put on a new Cast Album.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:03pm

Michael is wonderful. He would be a wise choice. I can see Liza as Berthe too.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:11pm

oh i just love the ending so much. with the ghostlight and all. the audience is just flabbergasted (or at least they should be...)

as for berthe, don't you remember a while ago when we had dream casting for the revival and the ideals of elaine stritch, carol channing and bea arthur were being fought over. surely none would actually do it, but the thought alone is so much fun!

[halyiaganitefiz]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:17pm

OBC Catherine (Jill Clayburgh) does really drag on the album. :x And OBC Fastrada (Leland Palmer) is pretty vocally obnoxious. Which is precisely why we made sure to record our show from the soundboard and burn CD's for each other. :) Much better.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:18pm

i heard that S Schwartz said the only reason to revive it would be for Arden and since he is involved with Tharp and Dylan don't hold yer breath.
Arden was Stunning in the New York Concert and the LA Reprise Production.
Schwartz was right.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:21pm

Stritchie would be the ultimate Berthe! A reason to buy the ticket alone, Though I have seen productions where the Actor as Charles doubled as Berthe.
Stritchie would be the ticket, But I hear she is getting her follow up to "At Liberty" ready now.
Whatever happend to Leland Palmer anyway?

[tzwicky2]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:28pm

Geez, I have a Broadway Playbill for Pippin.

The last time I saw it was at a nearby college.

It was a bit scary with college age (only) kids.

They did the happy ending, since I don't remember anything jarring.

I once saw the show from the front row, which should have been cordoned off, because my feet were literally hanging over the pit, half a story below.

I was so close, that me and about half the front row watched with awe as the cast came closer and closer to the giant palmetto bug (an atomic, tropical version of the tiny little german roaches most people deal with) that had skittered onstage from between boards, but never got squashed.

Talk about riveting stagecraft.

The only musical I ever saw more times, and that's a long story, was Godspell, which I was addicted to, less from religious fervor, than the Jesus dude was hugely cute (found him at the National Theatre, in Washington DC, listed as: "June 24, through September 30, 1974. GODSPELL – musical based upon the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Music and New Lyrics by Stephen Schwarz. Directed by John-Michael Tebelak. With The Company: Zenobia Conkerite, Nedra Dixon, George-Paul Fortuna, Michael Hoit, Lynn Humphrey, Peter Jurasik, Rune Kaptur, Nancy McCall, Tom Rolding and Naomi Wexler. Lighting by Spencer Mosse, Costumes by Susan Tsu. Produced by Edgar Lansbury/Stuart Duncan/Joseph Beruh. Associate Producer Charles Haid"), and who can go wrong in a knit Superman top like that, anyway?

tzwicky

[Cages or Wings]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 11:59pm

I love the ending with Theo singing "corner of the sky". The original TaDa! ending just didn't do it for me.

[JSousa]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 12:41am

when I did the show, We blocked the show with the original ending. A few weeks before we opened, we changed the ending to the "new ending" and we all loved it as well as audiences loved it. I just like the idea of the cycle, and Theo is the next "Pippin" so to speak.

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 1/7/06 at 12:47am

I must say, now that I've doven (?dived? dove?) into my Fosse research for a production I'm choreographing, I understand the show so much more, and have come to really love his endings. All the shows he wrote ended so realistically, including Pippin and Sweet Charity, which I know people don't like being left so ambiguous, but...I love it. That's what life's like. There are sometimes no clear answers. Many times things get built up and then just end, much like the show does. There's no clear statement, just what feels right for now; after all, how much more can one really go on in life anyways, other than what feels right for you at the time?

I think there's a high significance to these endings; much like his choreography, they are a style that is all Fosse's. I'd be sad if they changed it to satisfy the audience because that wasn't his goal and that wasn't the point - it's like when people cop out and put in that 'happily ever after' alternate ending to Sweet Charity.

I dunno...in my life experiences it actually makes me feel better to see shows that so reflect the way life really is: full of ambiguity and doubt. Shows that answer all those questions for you and have that happy ending (not ALL shows, mind you) tend to make me feel like I'm failing at life becuase I dont' have all the answers...

just my two cents!

Either way, I'd LOOOVE a revival - this was my favorite show ever for about 6 years...

Updated On: 1/7/06 at 12:47 AM