Pippin

Pippin is the son of Charlemagne, freshly out of school and certain that his life is meant for something greater than the ordinary paths available to him. Guided, and quietly steered, by a magnetic troupe of performers led by the Leading Player, Pippin tries on one grand pursuit after another: the glory of war, the intrigue of court politics, and the pleasures of a hedonistic escape, testing each in turn against his hope of finding something truly extraordinary.

The troupe keeps promising Pippin, and the audience, that a spectacular finale awaits once he finds his answer. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1972 in a production shaped heavily by director and choreographer Bob Fosse, whose sharp, theatrical style became inseparable from the show's identity, and it remains a favorite for its blend of vaudeville showmanship and searching, coming-of-age themes.

The score has a 1970s pop and soft-rock sound wrapped in the presentational style of a traveling troupe of performer-magicians. "Magic to Do" opens the show with the troupe drawing the audience into their story, "Corner of the Sky" gives Pippin his defining anthem about wanting more from life, and "Glory" turns his taste of battle into a driving ensemble number. "No Time at All," led by Pippin's grandmother, is a crowd-pleasing change of pace. Listen for how the troupe's presence, watching and shaping Pippin's choices, gives the show its distinctive theatrical frame. It suits teens and adults drawn to inventive staging and searching, coming-of-age stories.