[NEohioPAL] Berko review: PIPPIN (Cain Park)

[Roy Berko]

 ‘PIPPIN’ reigns at Cain
Park!
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member, American Theatre
Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County
Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times 
 
--coolcleveland.com—
 
‘PIPPIN,’
the musical with words and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, that is now on stage at
Cain Park, according to musical theatre scholar Scott Miller, "is a
largely under-appreciated musical with a great deal more substance to it than
many people realize.”  He goes on
to say, “the show has a reputation for being merely cute and harmlessly
naughty; but if done the way director Bob Fosse envisioned it,
the show is surreal and disturbing."
 
I thoroughly
agree with Miller.  ‘PIPPIN’ is one
of my most liked scripts and contains my favorite Broadway song, “Corner of the
Sky.” 
 
I go to see
productions of the show with fear.  Happily, joyously, there is little to fear about the Cain Park
production.  The show proves, as
the opening number states,  that
“There is Magic to Do.”  
 
Take the
intimate Alma Theatre stage, and place upon it Martin Céspedes’s brilliant
choreography, the charming and talented Cory Mach (Pippin), add Nancy Maier’s
finely honed musical direction, sprinkle in a generally talented cast, and top
it off with the deft direction of Victoria Bussert.  The results is a must see production. 
 
The show,
which was originally conceived by Schwartz when he was a student at Carnegie
Mellon, was written while he was also working on ‘GODSPELL.’  (How’s that for a duo of shows from an
unknown college student.)  
 
‘Pippin’is
the story of Prince Pippin's quest to find personal significance. The Leading
Player narrates the story.  Pippin
wanders through frustration, wars, politics, and love before he comes to a
realization. His awareness is reached when the Leading Player offers him the
perfect emotional and life satisfying high.  (You don’t think I’m going to tell you what it is, do you?)
 
The show
opened on October 23, 1972 in New York City with a cast that included Ben
Vereen, Jonathan Rubenstein, Irene Ryan, Jill Clayburgh, and the then unknown
member of the chorus, Ann Reinking.  It was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse.
 
Having seen
that production, I can tell you, that Fosse’s building the show around the
leading player, rather than Pippin, took the show off-message.  The leading player’s magic is less the
subject, than Pippin’s quest.
 
Bussert works
her own magic by placing Pippin front and center.  She even goes so far as eliminating the magic tricks
commonly included in the staging and using the leading player as an audience
guide, rather than as Pippin’s controller.  Bussert has also used the alternate ending for the script.  Her choice, wisely, plays up Pippin’s
search and the wish for future awareness.  (What is the “new” ending?  You’ll have to go and see it for yourself!)
 
Céspedes is the area’s
most creative choreographer.  He
performs his magic once again  on
the Alma Stage.  He is blessed with
a fine set of dancers, many of whom have been trained in Baldwin Wallace’s
nationally recognized musical theatre program.  
 
The cast,
headed by the multi-talented Corey Mach, who has quickly established himself as
a big time talent, was born to play Pippin.  He inhabits the role. Blue eyes twinkling and filling with
frustration and tears, he hits all the right notes.   Jessica Cope (Leading Player) has a great singing
voice and stage charisma, but  often shouts her way through songs.  The theatre is small.  She is miked.  Why all the
excessive, ear splitting volume?   Old pro, Maryann Nagel, delights with her sprightly version of ‘Simple
Joys.”  (I do wish, however, that
the oft-used device of putting the words on a screen so the audience has them
available when they are invited to sing along, had been used.  I felt a little ridiculous singing out
alone!)  Devon Yates makes for a
lovely Catherine and Joey Stefanko, a very talented “kid actor,” is
character-right as her son Theo.  
 
Some of the
casting seemed off.  Chris
McCarrell, as Lewis, Pippin’s half brother, simply doesn’t have the physicality
or personality to fit the role.  Jay Ellis did a nice job as a member of the band of players, but wasn’t
powerful enough as Charles.  I also
missed the real duck.  The puppet
didn’t do it me.  But, with all the
positives, these seem like nit-picking concerns.
 
CAPSULE
JUDGEMENT:   As the score states,  because of the “Simple Joys” of the production, which is
“Right on Track,” and “Extraordinary,” there is “Glory” at Cain Park.   Go see ‘PIPPIN.’  I repeat, GO SEE ‘PIPPIN!’
 
Tickets for
‘PIPPIN,’ which runs through August 23, can be obtained by calling 216-371-3000
or going on line to www.cainpark.com.
 
AIDS TASK FORCE FUND RAISER
 ‘GREAT
AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL,’ which is directed by Curt Arnold, and stars
Brian Bower, Eileen Burns, Aimee Collier, Dan Folino, Kevin Joseph Kelly, Nick
Koesters, Kristin Netzband and Matthew Wright, will be presented for ONE
PERFORMANCE ONLY on August 24 at 8 pm at the Cassidy Theatre.  All proceeds benefit the AIDS
Taskforce.  For tickets call
216-357-2223.  If you can’t get to
Cassidy, there will be an Akron show on September 14.  For info call 330-836-2626.

Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2009, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info

His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)