… which ought to be the winner if there would be a “most brilliantly pliable musical ever” award.
Pippin was written by Stephen Schwartz, the famed broadway composer that is very, very famous nowadays because of the recent success of Wicked. Pippin is one of his earlier works. Nothing short of brilliant, he started working on the Pippin concept in his college years. It tells of a young ambitious fellow that ultimately chooses between reality and non-reality, happiness and glory, emptiness and light.
Pliable? It is because the story and message is so deep, the production team and the director have to use whats in their vision and budget to present the message spot on, as they understand it. The very first showing if Pippin was a college project by the Scotch n’ Soda group with minimal effects and people and space. Yet they pulled it off. When Pippin went on broadway, it evolved beautifully. According to the Schwartz website forum, the Harvey Weinstein Company has acquired the rights to Pippin so if Wicked would ever see silverscreen, Pippin may very well be the next one to follow.
Several songs in Pippin have been remade and have become very popular, with very curious stories and plots behind them.
“Morning Glow” was remade by a young Michael Jackson : in the musical, Pippin sings this just after murdering his father for the throne. Sort of a post-homicide song number, if you look at it.
“With You” is inarguably one of the most sincerely romantic songs that has ever graced a stage. Yet in the story of the theatre, it serves as a background music for sex, orgies and seduction. (At least in most interpretations of some productions). The intro: “Sex…presented pastorally.”
However it can be done in different presentations, the one i like best is this : With You from PIPPIN at U of M: Benj Pasek, Allison Buchwach
I’v been itching to ask Mr. Schwartz in his website forum about his writing thoughts when he made “With You”. But as of now he’s incredibly busy with an upcoming musical so my question might be buried. Another time perhaps.
1 Comment
September 4, 2009 at 9:42 am
Great article. Thanks! I’m not a big show tunes man, but the music in Pippin is absolutely brilliant. Schwartz is a phenomenal composer and Ben Vareen, John Rubinstein, and Jill Clayburgh all do a great job of singing on the soundtrack. You know a musical is great when Irene “Granny Ryan” has a show-stopping tune!