Mom got Berta and me tickets to see Pippin at the Forrest Theater over the weekend, which we did. The production was excellent.
The story is about a guy, Pippin, who is the son of Charlemagne, and his struggle to discover his purpose in life. Throughout the show, he finds new things that he feels he is destined to be, but it turns out that none of them are.
This particular show was selected by my mom because it ws produced by the same people who made Wicked, which we also enjoyed. But as it turns out, this is the second show (the first being Chicago) that my mom has sent us to that the actors were wearing little more than a thread here or there. This one, unlike Chicago, had actual “sex” scenes, too. There was even one where Pippin is raised and lowered on top of a number of different lovers, or various genders. Not that I’m prudish, but is this the kind of thing you think your mom would be likely to promote?
(Still, Mom, I appreciate that you’re so progressive. ;) )
Anyway, the show was a bit offbeat, funny, and had a good sampling of musical styles compared to what musicals typically offer, though no single song stood out particularly like in Wicked.
One thing that the show did frequently is break out of scene. The characters would frequently talk to the audience and call them “audience”. This is partly because the idea was that the show was a show, the players (one of the major characters in the story is named “Leading Player”) putting on a performance of a story. So it was a kind of act within an act. Sometimes it was funny, like during the scene changes. Sometimes it seemed a little forced, like the entire second half of the play, whenever the Leading Player was correcting Catherine’s lines. Sometimes it was a bit disturbing.
There was a very short part of the musical, after Pippin decides what he’s going to do with his life, where the Leading Player (who Berta and I are both convinced is supposed to be the devil) is talking to the audience. See, the whole show, the Leading Player is trying to convince Pippin to perform in the Grande Finale, which conists of Pippin setting himself on fire - giving up on the quest for purpose and ending it all. When Pippin finally eschews that notion, the Leading Player and his cast look to the audience for another volunteer to participate. The cast whispers calls to the audience to come on stage and join them. For about 30 seconds, that was about the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen on stage.
What I did not like about the musical - the resolution. Pippin makes a big deal in the beginning about how everything has a purpose and that he should have a purpose, too. That he has some destiny. Though the whole musical, he looks for this destiny. Near the end, he is in utter despair from his search when he finds the widow Catherine and her son, who rouse him from his despair and give him something to do. After a year with her, sowing fields and caring for her son, he finds himself taking her old husband’s place, forgetting about his pursuit of purpose. He gets upset and leaves.
Now at that point, I’m happy. Because it seems to me that if you have to search for meaning, then you have to search for meaning. But then, after a scene where the Leading Player finally tries to convince him to set himself on fire, Pippin decides that a life with Catherine is good enough. Wait. Good enough? What a letdown.
Maybe I missed the point of the story. And maybe I misunderstood his relationship to Catherine, which seemed more to me like she needed him to fill her dead husband’s shoes than he needed her to find fulfillment. That being the case in my mind, by choosing that life instead of continuing to search for his true purpose, he might as well have set himself on fire. As the devil/Leading Player says, at least people would wonder what would cause a boy with so much promise to do that.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we apologize for our inability to bring you the finale that we promised. It seems our extraordinary young man has elected to compromise his aspirations. But I know there are many of you out there - extraordinary people, exceptional people -who would gladly trade your ordinary lives for the opportunity to do one perfect act - our grand finale.
Now, if you should decide to do so, we’ll be there for you, waiting, anytime you want us. Why we’re right inside your heads, and we promise you sets, costumes, lights, magic, and a short - but - spectacular career!
