Pippin opened on Broadway in the autumn of 1972, running for almost five years before closing. With nearly 2000 performances at the Imperial Theater, Pippin definitely deserved the nominations and awards from both the Tony Awards and the Drama Desk Awards.
The Pippin Wikia page has a short introduction to the show, stating "Pippin follows the son of Charlemagne (who is leader of the Holy Roman Empire) as he struggles to find meaning in his life. The original Broadway production combined suggestions of medieval times in sets and costumes with the themes of sexual experimentation and political upheaval present in the American 1970s. The show was originally choreographed and directed by the inimitable Bob Fosse, who also heavily edited composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz's somewhat saccharine themes."
The show itself is a lively adventure, breaking the fourth wall and engaging the audience in a man's journey to power, love, and self discovery. The show is not completely family friendly, as it contains sex and murder. But just as with movies and music and books, it is a personal preference, and possibly the word of a parent or guardian.
In 1981, a televised show of Pippin was broadcast, making it the first live performance in a theater to be broadcast on TV. This version excludes multiple songs from the original musical, as well as an altered final line from the character of Pippin.
In 2013, after almost forty years, a revival of Pippin returned to Broadway, sweeping away the competition to become the Best Revival of a Musical at the Tony Awards, as well as multiple awards for their amazing cast (Did anyone else just love Patina Miller and Andrea Martin as much as I did?).The ending of the revival of Pippin has an alternate ending to the original performance. If you ever get the chance to see a performance of this iconic show, try to figure out (or Google it) which one you just saw, and hope that if you get the chance to see it again, it's a whole new experience.
If you're ever bored, Pippin has an incredible Pinterest page, full of history, memories, and fun for a fan.
'Join us' again sometime!
Kendall
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