"Pippin" goes on the road
A revival of the beloved musical "Pippin" closes on Broadway today, but a national touring company is criss-crossing the country . . . and that warms the heart of David Pogue, who's been a "Pippin" follower for decades:
"Join us, leave your fields to flower.
Join us, leave your cheese to sour.
Join us, come and waste an hour or two.
Doodle-ee-do."
Sasha Allen has performed on Broadway. She was a finalist on the TV show, "The Voice." But nothing prepared her for a challenge like this.
"I've never done this style of dance before," she said, "so the training that I've been doing has been kicking my butt, right? OK, it really has!"
Allen leads the cast of the new national tour of "Pippin," the Broadway musical revival that won four Tony Awards in 2013. She had only a few months to master a role immortalized by Ben Vereen.
"We've got magic to do, just for you,
We've got miracle plays to play.
We've got parts to perform, hearts to warm.
Kings and things to take by storm
As we go along our way."
"Pippin" originally opened on Broadway in 1972, directed and choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse, with songs by Stephen Schwartz.
Pippin, and his father King Charlemagne, were actual historical figures -- but this musical is no history lesson. It's about a young man's very modern journey through war, politics and love, to find himself, to find his "Corner of the Sky."
For the Broadway revival, Tony-winning director Diane Paulus turned the show's chorus into a troupe of circus performers. As she sees it, the circus theme is perfect for a national tour.
"They're actually going to pick up that tent and move it city to city," she told Pogue. "There's a reality of that touring life that I think is only going to reinforce the meaning of the show with every stop we make."
The touring cast will make stops in more than 25 U.S. cities.
The circus theme also means that singing and dancing aren't enough; the cast also had to learn acrobatics.
Pippin's grandmother is played by Lucie Arnaz: Broadway veteran, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz -- and novice on the trapeze.
"They said, 'Here's how you get strong: You do these [exercises], and you do those, and you do this, and trust the process, and pretty soon you'll be able to do that,'" Arnez said.
"My body is this way and I have to still sing the last chorus of the song, and then go upside-down and sing the last line. But that's kind of fun!"
Also, learning new tricks, Kyle Selig in the title role. This tour is his first real gig. "I've never even thought about being an acrobat -- it's like learning a whole new art form," he said.
But he'd be learning from someone who's already been in his shoes. On the national tour, King Charlemagne -- Pippin's father -- is John Rubinstein, who was a 26-year-old unknown when he created the role of Pippin in 1972.
"You're the original Pippin," said Pogue. "And now you're playing your father. So what's that like?"
"Well, it's wonderful," said Rubinstein. "The main thing is I don't have to hit all those high notes anymore!"
"But it's not weird? You don't go, 'That's my part'?"
"No. You know what it's like? Visiting after 40-some years your home. You had amazing memories, and you come back, and it's the same place and it smells the same, but they've redecorated it. And you have a new family."
Paulus and her cast rehearsed for a month-and-a-half in New York City, and made something new.
She pushed Sasha Allen and the rest of the cast not to simply re-create what's been done on Broadway, but to make the show their own.
"In a way, the national tour is the opportunity to visit it again, hopefully make it a little better," said Paulus. "You get your second chance to go in there. And this morning we were actually making some changes to things that I've wanted to change."
Pogue asked, "Is it possible the tour will be better than Broadway?"
"Yes, absolutely!" she replied.
But that means Selig -- fresh out of college -- had to exceed his director's demands as they explored this new "Corner of the Sky." "Make these words like you are making them up," she told Selig.
As rehearsals ended, the show's elaborate rigging went up in Denver, the show's first stop. For eight more months, the 50 members of the cast and crew will be family.
"People are gonna get mad at each other, and people are gonna fall in love, and all kinds of stuff is gonna happen on the road," said Paulus. "It's just what happens."
And stuff did happen. A week before opening night, Selig left the show.
"That was a hard moment for him, for us," said Paulus. "I adore him. He was doing great work. But he just needed the vocal time off to take care of himself."
So the show needed a replacement Pippin, fast. Somebody who already knew the part. Somebody who'd played Pippin on Broadway. Somebody like . . . Matthew James Thomas! He played Pippin when the revival opened in New York City. "I'd be an idiot not to say yes," he told Pogue.
But he hadn't done the show in five months. Thomas had just six days to learn all the changes that Paulus had put into the touring show.
"Any production coming together is like the birthing of something," said Thomas. "It's going to be incredibly painful, and you have no idea what's going to happen."
And what did happen? Rave reviews for the whole cast, including the original Pippin -- and the ORIGINAL original Pippin, John Rubinstein.
They'll perform this show eight times a week in city after city. Hartford, Conn., is the next stop.
Pogue said that attending the rehearsals took him back. "As a kid, I wore out the 'Pippin' cast recording; it gave me the Broadway bug. In fact, before I became a humble TV correspondent, I worked as a Broadway conductor."
And so, with the original Pippin, Pogue asked if he could accompany Rubinstein on eight bars of "Corner of the Sky."
"Sure, if I can still sing it!" Rubinstein replied.
"Everything has its season,
Everything has its time.
Show me a reason
and I'll soon show you a rhyme..."
Forty-two years after creating the role on Broadway, John Rubinstein sang Pippin's signature song once again. Something this touring company never thought they'd see.
"It's very emotional being on the stage with John," said Thomas, the new Pippin. "He is Pippin grown up."
"Rivers belong where they can ramble,
Eagles belong where they can fly.
I've got to be where my spirit can run free
Got to find my corner of the sky.
Oh, yeah! He's still got it!
For more info:
- "Pippin" tour dates
- Follow "Pippin" on Twitter (@PippinMusical), Facebook, Instagram and YouTube