PUP reinterprets 'Pippin'

Once upon a time there was a songwriter and a choreographer who decided to collaborate on a musical. The songwriter envisioned an upbeat, powerful fairy tale, but the choreographer saw the opportunity to create an edgy, sexually charged musical. Frustrated with the choreographer's work, the songwriter gave up on the show, and the choreographer took it to Broadway himself.

The songwriter was Stephen Schwartz, the choreographer was Bob Fosse, and the show was "Pippin", Princeton University Players' newest production that comes to Frist Theater this weekend.

The show, directed by John McMath '03 and Jess Bonney '05, is an anachronistic fairytale that centers around Pippin, the son of Charlemagne, and follows him in his quest to find purpose in life.

"Pippin is an 'every man' sort of character," said Joe Cermatori '05, who plays the title character. "As a recent college graduate he finds himself without any sort of structure in his life. He's at the point in his life where he finds himself in control of what happens to him and eventually he realizes that he has to grow up and take control of his life."

While at first the plot seems to be yet another take on the theme of self-fulfillment, "Pippin" ends up twisting and rearranging the conventions of musical theater in a way that is still fresh and engaging nearly thirty years after its Broadway debut.

A metatextual play-within-a-play, "Pippin" features a set of players, led by the Leading Player, who attempt to put on a play about the young prince Pippin. Each character in the production is portrayed by one of the players, except for Pippin who is the only thoroughly human character and thus remains distinct from the players.

The players serve as Pippin's inner voice, as a force that pushes him in a number of different directions throughout the course of the play.

"The Leading Player not only serves as a narrator for the show, but also as Pippin's inner voice," said Danielle Ivory '05, who plays the character, in an email. "Along another line, Pippin could be perceived as a morality play: Pippin would be everyman; the Leading Player, Satan.

The Leading Player is incredibly complex because she is Pippin's temptress, his conscience, a surrogate parent-figure, a hero, a devil — she is the voice inside his head."

Bright Costumes, Darker Sides

To separate between the world of the players and the world of Pippin, costume designer Jen Brea '04 has created sharp, black and white costumes for the players and colorful costumes for the other characters that they play. The colorful costumes are worn over the black-and-white clothing in order to emphasize the multiple layers of the musical.

The sets, designed by Tom Jackson '03, are minimalist and consist of three acting blocks, which the players rearrange throughout the play. Jackson also uses a set of large Tarot cards to represent the magical, fate-related elements of the musical. All set pieces are black, white and gray in order to complement the costume design.

"The use of the Tarot picks up on the general theme of 'magic' running through the musical as well as the feeling of predetermined fate that the Players are trying to establish," Jackson said in an email. "The fire trick of the final scene is actually continually foreshadowed throughout the play, and this seemingly inexorable march to the end is paralleled as the cards are dealt out."

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PUP's production will also diverge from traditional productions in that the directors have chosen to present a new ending used in the Paper Mill Playhouse revival of the Broadway show.

McMath and Bonney have also decided to accentuate the darker, more provocative side of the musical, a side that is often downplayed in high school versions of the show.

"'Pippin' is a popular show with high schools; thus, a lot of the more racy stuff tends to get cut out," said McMath and Bonney in an email.

"However, those elements, like everything else that happens to Pippin, are an important part of his journey. In presenting this show to a college audience, we didn't hold back; the lust, murder, and other adult themes that are written into the script are fully incorporated."

Perhaps more than anything else, "Pippin" is a product of the conflict between Schwartz and Fosse. The bright, pop-infused music collides with Fosse's sharp, suggestive choreography in the same way the black-and-white world of the players clashes with the colorful world of Pippin.

McMath, who also worked on the choreography, has attempted to maintain the classic Fosse style while adding his own updated twist.

"A lot of the moves are inspired by Fosse-style choreography: it is seductive and abstract style seems to fit with the Players' personality," said McMath and Bonney.

"We also, however, incorporated other dance styles where they fit, especially some with sort of a soul feel to it, as well as some modern dance. Basically, it was a matter of whichever style fits best with the music."

Ultimately, "Pippin" is more than just an entertaining musical, but an energetic, innovative piece that broke ground when it premiered in 1972 and is still making an impact on theater today.

"This is an excellent showpiece, period," McMath and Bonney said. "The music is electric, and the plot is engaging and entertaining. Also, the show has an important message, one from which we can all benefit. This is not merely entertainment for entertainment's sake; this is a show that, while keeping an audience's attention and giving them a good time, also makes them think."