'Pippin' the night away with new 'magic'

NEW MAGIC: The cast of ‘Pippin.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

PIPPIN
Book by Roger O. Hirson
Music & lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Circus creation by Gypsy Snider
Choreography by Chet Walker
Directed by Diane Paulus
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.pippinthemusical.com

By David NouNou

The miracle of the season has arrived and is being performed at the Music Box Theatre.

What a theatrical journey this past season has been. We hit unfathomable lows with some of the most dreadful offerings Broadway has encountered, but thanks to Diane Paulus and her exceptional vision and directorial skills, and the circus creation by Gypsy Snider, the theatrical magicians behind Pippin have ended this season with a Utopian high. There is enough magic here and cause for celebrating for many a season to come. I must admit I was never a fan of the original 1972 version of this musical. In this new, re-imagined revival of Pippin, I was like a kid at the circus having the time of my life.

The story is still the same; an allegory now told by a circus troupe that has come to town to tell the story set in the medieval times of Charlemagne and his son, Pippin, who is searching for his place in the world and life’s meaning. It is amazing how the story lends itself to the whole circus milieu Just as remarkable is the score by Stephen Schwartz that has become absolutely enchanting with age. When I first heard it, I thought it was an ordinary score of the 1970s; it paled against the rhapsodic melodies of its opponent that year, A Little Night Music. However, with Larry Hockman’s orchestrations, the cobwebs have been dusted off and it has become a score for the ages. The show’s best-known numbers, from “Magic to Do” and “Corner of the Sky” to “Spread a Little Sunshine,” are now cherished classics.

There is an arsenal of unexpected magic in Act I’s Scene 4: “The Flesh,” with the songs “Simple Joys;” Andrea Martin bringing down the house with “No Time At All” (complete with lyrics projected behind the stage so the audience can sing along; and the sensuous, pansexual, libidinous “With You” (featuring Patina Miller and writhing men and women dancing around a cage, like a scene from a fetish ball dance party). The latter song and the choreography are so gloriously sexually charged and visually stunning, and certainly nothing audiences have ever seen on Broadway.

In addition to the phenomenal cast, the technical wizards that have created the visuals all deserve to be mentioned because they have created unparalleled illusions: Scott Pask for set design; Kenneth Posner for lighting; and Dominique Lemieux for costumes. Not since the magnificent 1962 show Carnival has there been a musical that captures the essence of a circus and the magical world of illusion. Not since the heyday of the golden age of musicals has there been such a visual feast for the eyes.

Now for the formidable cast. I wish I could name everyone of the ensemble but space and the reader’s attention span forbids me. Patina Miller, who has taken over the part of Leading Player originally played by Ben Vereen; and Matthew James Thomas, as Pippin, are perfection. In support, Terrence Mann and Charlotte d’Amboise as Pippin’s parents, Charles and Fastrada, are theatre royalty now who have learned their craft and know how to display it. However, there is a “scene stealer” the likes of which you see once or twice in a lifetime, and she is Andrea Martin as Pippin’s grandma, Berthe. Rachel Bay Jones is adorable as the girlfriend, Catherine.

A special shout-out goes to the rest of the ensemble, all of whom are absolutely otherworldly as the circus performers, each being a part of a cohesive whole.

Well, what else can I say? Pippin is the theatrical event of the year, and the sexiest, most original Broadway revival of the New Millennium.