Ah, ‘70s theater.
So weird. So wacky. And yet, even when dealing with serious or even dark subjects, so celebratory.
freeFall Theatre’s production of the 1972 musical Pippin checks off all of those adjectives, and even manages to update some aesthetic elements of the tale to create a unique balance of that ‘70s feel and something more modern and minimalist. It might not be for everyone, but this show is definitely going to elicit a response.
freeFall’s Pippin sticks close to the plot of the original — originally directed by none other than Bob Fosse on Broadway — in its tale of the son of Charlemagne’s quest to find his place in life. It’s a long and arduous journey, to be sure, including warfare, palace intrigue, patricide, misdirection and even a lovely young widow and her equally lovely son. Will Pippin follow in the footsteps of his father to become a conqueror? Will he choose the life of the mind? Will he opt for a simpler existence, knowing what could have been, given the advantages of his lineage?
Plenty of plays have been written about finding one’s place in the world. What makes Pippin so different — and perhaps so challenging for some theatergoers — is the story’s inclusion of a Leading Player character, and her retinue. A sort of Me Generation take on the classic Greek chorus, the Leading Player immediately breaks the fourth wall, addressing the audience with tantalizing hints of what’s to come. The Leading Player manipulates not only the patrons, but also Pippin himself, offering “advice” that includes fomenting revolution and maybe even something darker, setting the protagonist on his way through various chapters of his journey toward a singularly original — and for those that aren’t familiar with the play, even jarring — conclusion for a Broadway production.
All of freeFall’s actors are in excellent form and voice for this one. Matthew McGee is appropriately larger than life as the tyrant ruler Charlemagne, a man of action who has no idea how to relate to his depthy, conflicted son. (And does McGee also appear in scene-stealing drag for a bit as another character? What do you think?) Daniel J. Maldonado evokes Pippin’s existential dissatisfaction with touching humanity; Allison Burns is sexy and devious as Charlemagne’s plotting wife Fastrada; Hannah Benitez is all heart, help and hope as the widowed Catherine.
The real standout here, though, is Kellie Rhianne in the role of the Leading Player. In her first freeFall Theatre show, the obviously experienced Rhianne imbues this enigmatic, perhaps unreliable narrator with power, wit and an entirely convincing sensuality. She plays the character so confidently that even though her tone and attitude make us believe very early on that she is maybe not to be completely trusted, we are captivated, and will follow where she, er, leads.
A live band provides organic, emotionally compelling tunes, and Tom Hansen’s ever-changing set design cleverly uses scrims on cables to provide kinetic action and an otherworldly feel while also distracting from the changes taking place onstage between scenes. The energetic set is matched by Eric Davis’ equally lively direction, which slows things down in all the right places while keeping the highs high.
Is Pippin really about finding one’s place in the world? Or is it about innocence lost, or the price of personal freedom, or about the eternal possibility of redemption? It’s probably at least a little about all of these things. More importantly, it tells its story in an utterly individual way, and largely without sacrificing too much of that good ol’ Broadway razzle-dazzle. And the way it tells that story may not be for those who are only looking for that good ol’ Broadway razzle-dazzle, but the play is definitely worthy of every theater fan’s consideration of its own unique merits.
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This article appears in Aug 1-8, 2019.