BEST BE SKIPPIN’ PIPPIN

I need to stop reading press releases and just go to review a show. A recent Â production of Oklahoma! announced a darker, grittier version which intrigued me enough to see it for the umpteenth time. The corn-fed musical turned out to be as dark as Deanna Durbin. Now comes the 1972 musical Pippin with a version by DOMA Theater Company which promises a “surreal and disturbing†version, “sinister & modern at the same time, and invites you to take part in a voyage that is the dark side of your mind and self-awareness.â€

Again, I was intrigued. Roger O. Hirson’s libretto about a prince searching for fulfillment in the kingdom of his father, Charlemagne, is a mite trite and constructed like Children’s Theatre (although clearly for adults, dealing with themes of regicide, war, and lust, to name a few). The songs by Wicked’s Stephen Schwartz are charming and the lyrics engaging. Without style, though, without a director who plays up the darker themes of depression and angst (such as Bob Fosse’s original production, which ran for almost 2000 performances), Pippin becomes the weakling musical that can be beat up by Annie.

A Leading Player (a role which brought stardom and a Tony to Ben Vereen) devilishly urges Pippin to explore facets of life that, once discovered to be meaningless, may lead the youth to despair and suicide. A chorus made up like street performers ably assists the cast of characters by executing a dance step or, you know, urging Pippin to kill himself. But the ending, like the happy smiling face of the 70’s, can come off awfully hokey.

A “surreal and disturbing†version, you say? Hmmmm. Maybe some kind of gruesome touch to the proceedings could make this an interesting night.

The only thing that turned out to be disturbing at the Hudson Backstage was that this visionless, vacuous version veered into the realm of a Fall Festival competition, where high-schools are allowed 10 minutes to show us their best. I understand that those of us who adjudicate Fall Festivals are reminded to “encourage†not “discourage†the starry-eyed, young souls; so I will say this: I was very happy when the show stuck to simplicity in numbers like, “Love Song,†“Spread a Little Sunshine,†and “No Time At All,†(in which Pippin’s jaunty grandmother advises him to just live it up a little).

But 10 minutes is all you’ll want from this Pippin.

The press release also vowed that “this is not your 1970s tongue-in-cheek musical.†Well, the troupe of Pippin at the Hudson Backstage, without changing a stitch of clothing, could easily have done a production of Godspell, the musical that Pippin’s Schwartz wrote in 1970. In fact, this version felt so 70s in nature that I’m surprised that there wasn’t someone wearing a Qiana shirt, bell-bottoms, and an afro comb.

Would that director Hallie Baran had read the press release prior to staging this ambivalent, amateur, ambiguous, disorderly, disparate, dissatisfying disgrace. Naming your chorus members after the elements and the seven deadly sins (such as “Water†and “Gluttonyâ€) does not constitute vision. If sweet, adorable producer Vincent Perez wants to showcase himself in the title role (the actor bills himself as Vince Perez), he should have hired a competent director instead of his “close friend†(per the program). There certainly is talent on the stage (yes, most are neophytes), but these eager, excited, enthusiastic, energetic players simply needed an auteur’¦and a choreographer’¦and a sound designer’¦and comic timing’¦and costumes without piping’¦.

Jenna Townsend, who plays Pippin’s love interest Catherine, stood alone as magnificent; she is a lovely actress with a glowing, legit voice. It was splendidly delightful watching her. She, too, made me happy. Also quite commendable is the musical direction by Dolf Ramos; the cast sounded fantastic in “Morning Glow.â€

A note to the cast and the parents of the cast (and the parents in the cast with bios about their own children): I’m not a mean guy, really. But when I was 19, I myself produced and directed an equity-waiver show that was trounced by critics as a shameless showcase; those hurtful reviews not only thickened my skin and strengthened my resolve, but acted as a wake-up call if I was to take my art seriously. In this insta-fame, media-obsessed culture, what is more important: saying something new or just being seen? Friends and family abound that helped to support this production, as was noted in the program, but they are not your core audience in a semi-legit theatre. The public is. And without vision, you risk alienating audiences that are not comprised of friends and family.

There was a moment early on in Pippin Â when I set down my notes and imagined myself at a Fall Festival simply so I could feel some degree of happiness, and some of the players Â did make me happy – but I really wanted to bolt at intermission. This isn’t the Fall Festival.

At one point Catherine asks Pippin, “How do you feel?†He smiles: “Trapped. But happy.†Yeah, I know how you feel.

photos by Ryland Dodge

Pippin
DOMA Theater Co.
Hudson Backstage in Hollywood
scheduled to close November 21, 2010
for tickets, visit www.domatheater.com