Pippin 1972 - Articles Page 2

Ages: 9+
Opened: October 23, 1972
Closing: June 12, 1977

Pippin - 1972 - Broadway History , Info & More

Minskoff Theatre (Broadway)
200 W. 45th St. New York, NY 10036

Nominated in 1972 for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and winning five of those coveted Awards, this hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale is based upon the life of Prince Pippin the Hunchback, the firstborn son of eighth century, Frankish king Charlemagne or Charles the Great, and invites audiences to join the fantastical journey of the rosy-cheeked prince famously looking for his “corner of the sky”. But his dad is a tyrannical bore, his step-mom is a Lady Macbeth in a mini skirt, and his half-brother Lewis is a twit. Returning home from school, Prince Pippin, sure of his superior qualities but lacking a purpose to which he can apply them, becomes a soldier for his father's army, but he gets upset by the killing and murders his father to stop the war. Finding he does not want to become the "puppet king" of discontented nobles in the Carolingian Empire, Pippin longs to discover the secret of true happiness and fulfillment. He is led by a mischievous Leading Player as he tries to find his place in life in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power. The youth's violent journey to fulfillment sets Pippin's quest into a tradition of psychological darkness, bringing an unusually creepy seriousness to Pippin's temptations and sinister machinations to the Leading Player. In the end, he finds the simple pleasures and domestic contentment of love, home and family is something to be quietly achieved. A rock opera filled with sex, S&M, and amputated limbs, this perky musical is meant to be at times unnerving and dark. Pippin is full of light pop music, magic, and soft-shoe dances, but it has one of the darkest and most complex themes in musical theater history.

Directed by John Thompson, Music Direction by Jeannie Cross.


Pippin - 1972 - Broadway Cast

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Pippin - 1972 - Broadway Articles Page 2

STAGE TUBE: On This Day for 3/6/15- Stephen Schwartz
by Nicole Rosky - Mar 6, 2015


Happy Birthday, Stephen Schwartz! In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has also contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and has been nominated for six Tony Awards.

Marin Summer Theater to Present DEFYING GRAVITY: THE BEST OF STEPHEN SCHWARTZ
by Tyler Peterson - Nov 10, 2014


Marin Summer Theater has announced that the second show of the 2015 MST Season will be the world premiere of a new musical review, DEFYING GRAVITY: THE BEST OF STEPHEN SCHWARTZ.

Photo Coverage: John Kander, James Rado & More Celebrate Abe Jacob
by Genevieve Rafter Keddy - Oct 7, 2014


Long-time friends, associates and family gathered last night (October 6) to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of the theatre community's most treasured members - award-winning sound designer Abe Jacob.

STAGE TUBE: On This Day 3/6- Stephen Schwartz
by Nicole Rosky - Mar 6, 2014


Happy Birthday, Stephen Schwartz! In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has also contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and has been nominated for six Tony Awards.

STAGE TUBE: On This Day 3/6- Stephen Schwartz
by Nicole Rosky - Mar 6, 2013


Happy Birthday, Stephen Schwartz! In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has also contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and has been nominated for six Tony Awards.

STAGE TUBE: On This Day 3/6- Stephen Schwartz
by Nicole Rosky - Mar 6, 2012


Happy Birthday, Stephen Schwartz! In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972) and Wicked (2003). He has also contributed lyrics for a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998; music and lyrics) and Enchanted (2007). Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards and has been nominated for six Tony Awards.

Photo Coverage: 'WICKED' Receives RIAA Double Platinum Certification
by Walter McBride - Nov 12, 2010


With sales surpassing the two million mark, the Grammy® award-winning original cast recording of Wicked has officially been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Since its opening, the production has continued to captivate audiences and currently ranks in the top 20 of Broadway's longest running shows, having played over 2,910 performances to date.

TV: WICKED Cast Album Goes Double Platinum
by Robert Diamond - Nov 11, 2010


With sales surpassing the two million mark, the Grammy® award-winning original cast recording of Wicked has officially been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Since its opening, the production has continued to captivate audiences and currently ranks in the top 20 of Broadway's longest running shows, having played over 2,910 performances to date. BroadwayWorld.com was on hand as composer Stephen Schwartz was presented with a commemorative plaque following the matinee performance at The Gershwin Theater on November 10, 2010.

WICKED Cast Album Goes Double Platinum
by Jessica Lewis - Nov 8, 2010


With sales surpassing the two million mark, the Grammy® award-winning original cast recording of Wicked has officially been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Since its opening, the production has continued to captivate audiences and currently ranks in the top 20 of Broadway's longest running shows, having played over 2,910 performances to date.

Stephen Schwartz to be Honored with Inagural Junior Theater Festival Award, 1/15
by BWW News Desk - Jan 15, 2010


Composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Fosse, Godspell, Pippin) will be honored with the inaugural Junior Theater Festival Award for his contributions to the Advancement of Musical Theater for Young People. The two day festival event, which is produced and presented by iTheatrics and Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, will take place at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta from January 15-17.

Stephen Schwartz to be Honored with Inagural Junior Theater Festival Award, 1/15
by Jessica Lewis - Dec 17, 2009


Composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Fosse, Godspell, Pippin) will be honored with the inaugural Junior Theater Festival Award for his contributions to the Advancement of Musical Theater for Young People. The two day festival event, which is produced and presented by iTheatrics and Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, will take place at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta from January 15-17.

Northwestern's Mainstage Season Continues With Bernstein's MASS 11/12-15
by BWW News Desk - Nov 14, 2009


Leonard Bernstein's seldom-performed 'MASS' will be presented at Northwestern University's Cahn Auditorium for five public performances. Subtitled 'A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers,' the production of the controversial work fusing sacred and secular music will feature 200 performers.

Northwestern's Mainstage Season Continues With Bernstein's MASS 11/12-15
by BWW News Desk - Nov 12, 2009


Leonard Bernstein's seldom-performed 'MASS' will be presented at Northwestern University's Cahn Auditorium for five public performances. Subtitled 'A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers,' the production of the controversial work fusing sacred and secular music will feature 200 performers.

Northwestern's Mainstage Season Continues With Bernstein's MASS 11/12-15
by Gabrielle Sierra - Nov 5, 2009


Leonard Bernstein's seldom-performed 'MASS' will be presented at Northwestern University's Cahn Auditorium for five public performances. Subtitled 'A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers,' the production of the controversial work fusing sacred and secular music will feature 200 performers.

Other Productions of Pippin

1967   Reading
1972   Broadway Original Broadway Production
Broadway
1973   West End London Production
West End
1974   Australia Australian Production
Australia
2000   Milburn, NJ (Regional) Paper Mill Production
Milburn, NJ (Regional)
2005   Regional (US) Reprise! Concert
Regional (US)
2005   Bay Street Theatre Revival
2006   East Haddam, CT (Regional) Goodspeed Revival
East Haddam, CT (Regional)
2013   Broadway Broadway Revival
Broadway
2014   US Tour US National Tour
US Tour

Pippin - 1972 Broadway Awards and Nominations

Note: Award winners will appear on a background
Year Ceremony Category Nominee
1973 Theatre World Awards Performance John Rubinstein
1973 Tony Awards Best Book of a Musical Roger O. Hirson
1973 Tony Awards Best Choreography Bob Fosse
1973 Tony Awards Best Costume Design Patricia Zipprodt
1973 Tony Awards Best Direction of a Musical Bob Fosse
1973 Tony Awards Best Lighting Design Jules Fisher
1973 Tony Awards Best Musical Stuart Ostrow
1973 Tony Awards Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre Stephen Schwartz
1973 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical Ben Vereen
1973 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Irene Ryan
1973 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Leland Palmer
1973 Tony Awards Best Scenic Design Tony Walton

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