Pippin Tour? — Page 4

For example, your dismissal of Andrea Martin. Since you're 16, you know nothing of her long career, and the affection most of us already have for her built in. I've been watching her since I was 12 on television. Also, you likely don't have an appreciation of the fact that a nearly 70 year old actress is doing what she did in the show. Or understand her wonderful rapport with the audience.

Keep writing, but if you post here you're for sure gonna get called out on stuff. Good luck!

Reading these reports makes me so impatient! I don't get to see this tour until June 2015! I loved it on broadway and I can't wait to see a new cast! Heres hoping that Kyle Dean is joining. I would LOVE to see him again!

Goldstar just released more week night seats.

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Updated On: 10/26/14 at 01:58 PM

I'm a bit late to this party, but I saw Lisa Karlin as Leading Player on Thursday and Sasha Allen yesterday.

I'm a huge fan of Patina Miller's take on the role, so I couldn't help but compare the two of them (and Ciara Renee, when I saw her) to Patina, and no one lives up to that, for me.

I thought Patina struck just the right balance of menacing and charming. Lisa was quite charming, but not menacing enough, and had a nice voice. I thought she danced the Manson Trio pretty well, but again, I put Patina up on such a pedestal for everything with that role. Sasha has a phenomenal voice, and riffs a ton, but I didn't mind it. It sounded like her illness was still affecting her breathing—she dropped a few words here and there, nothing major, just little things I picked up on cause I've listened to the score so many times. She wasn't menacing enough either, I thought, but was definitely more menacing than Lisa. Ciara struck me as a bit too menacing, I think.

If any one wants my opinion I think Carly Hughes is hitting that fragile balance head on.

The LP really is a devil of a part isn't it? Too much menace and you give the ending away too early, too little and the last two scenes don't land.

One thing that Ben Vereen did that I'm not sure that any of the actresses in the revival/tour have done is explore who this person is underneath all the glitz. I just watched Bob Fosse's preferred cut of the 1981 production, which is on youtube and contains 20 minutes cut from the commercially released video, including "I guess I'll miss the man". That particular scene is a fascinating watch, because the LP is onstage with her, slowly growing angrier as Catherine (played in the video by Leslie Denniston) continues to go off-script, and Vereen lets out an absolutely chilling "I don't think you should sing anymore, Leslie." You can practically hear the italics on her name. Even earlier, when he's berating her for screwing up the delivery, he is really browbeating and bullying her. When I saw the tour, Sascha Allen played this like she was throwing a diva-fit. All icey smiles It was an interesting choice, but it didn't quite convey an explanation for how much Catherine is afraid of the Leading Player.

Updated On: 10/28/14 at 09:16 PM

Sweet isn't the word I'd use. Her player had some arrogance. But she wasn't cruel enough.

I don't think I'm going to win any friends with this post. I saw the tour today in LA and I have very mixed feelings about the experience. I saw the Broadway production last year with all of the original cast - with the exception of Andrea Martin - I saw Tovah Feldshuh in NY.

SASHA ALLEN:
She was - by far - this production's weakest link. There was no fire, no strength, no seductiveness - frankly - there was no performance. Her face was almost constantly locked in a blank look - similar to the way Britney Spears looks when performing. And her body language said "I'm tired and I'd rather be elsewhere." The only time she seemed to have any sort of character was when admonishing Catherine in Act II. To me, what I saw was an attractive woman in some great costumes with an impressive voice. She looked disengaged and uninterested and her dancing was appallingly bad for a show in which dance is so central. I mean, she danced like an arthritic octogenarian. Does being a losing contestant on The Voice really make someone a big enough draw to justify this casting? And, yes, I know she has one Broadway credit already. Let's be honest, though, she's no an actress. She's a singer who occasionally does musicals. Oh, and speaking of her singing, while she certainly has an impressive voice, her diction was just terrible and there appeared to be no meaning behind anything she sang. I don't get the raves - even the qualified ones - for this performance. It certainly made me appreciate Patina Miller even more.

MATTHEW JAMES THOMAS:
Just as fantastic as when I saw him last year. I know he's had a long break from the show, but I'm impressed at how well maintained his performance is and how spontaneous and fresh he keeps things after all this time. Still think he was robbed of a Tony nom. I can't wait to see what he does next.

JOHN RUBINSTEIN:
Was delightful, but a bit too goofy. I mean, of course this character has a good deal of goofiness to him, but he was about as menacing as an Easter bunny.

ANDREA MARTIN:
Oh, you already know. Marvelous. Would it be a crime to mention that I think I might have preferred Tovah by a hair, though?

SABRINA HARPER:
Also, marvelous. Certainly made the most of a small part. A worthy successor to Charlotte.

KRISTINE REESE:
Very good, but no where near as charming and wonderfully nutty as Rachel. But who is?

ENSEMBLE:
The ensemble is stacked with incredibly talented actor/singer/dancer/acrobats, but as an ensemble they never seemed to gel in the way the Broadway company did. Numbers, like "Glory", that were visceral thrills on Broadway, felt a bit stiff and lacking in intensity by comparison.


Leading Player aside, if you haven't seen this production, the tour is still a must-see. There's still so much imaginative theatrical magic happening on that stage. If you saw the original cast on Broadway, you may want to skip the tour.

Updated On: 10/29/14 at 06:02 AM

Sort of expected what, SF?

You have great taste, Jose.

So is the person who they originally cast as Pippin never coming back?

Kyle Dean Massey is good. My problem with him is super dumb, and sounds silly compared to all the complaining in other Pippin threads, but I find him too pretty for the role. I don't know, I feel like Pippin is supposed to look like a normal human being, not someone with abs and a jawline chiseled by Zeus.