BoHo Gives Us The Simple Joys Of 'Pippin'

"Think about your life, Pippin!" That is what the chorus rallies our protagonist to do after he has slain his father, King Charlemagne to become the young but unprepared ruler of his nation, only to realize that greatness and purpose can be born from the simplest things in life. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, "Pippin" is one of those musicals that manage to get away from most directors. It is one of the most difficult musicals to be staged, partly because the book by Roger O. Hirson is extremely underwritten and partly because of the insanely difficult Bob Fosse choreography which is integral to the success of any production. Originally staged in 1972, "Pippin" launched the careers of Ben Vereen, and John Rubenstein. Fosse not only choreographed but directed the entire original production, which in the vein of ‘Sweet Charity' and ‘Promises, Promises', the dancing is as much ingrained in the telling of the story and the dialogue itself. Hence, in the wrong hands, this show can be a full out disaster.

Luckily, this season opener of the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble is in the very capable hands of its artistic director Peter Marston Sullivan and choreographer Brenda Didier who breathes new life into the story of ‘Pippin' and gives the audience a production of astonishing warmth and humility. For those who have seen other productions of ‘Pippin' and scoffed at what was presented, please give this production a chance. This is a re-imagined ‘Pippin' that lets the story tell itself, without the intrusion of superfluous distractions. Sullivan has wisely decided to compromise, both on cast size and set pieces to present a semi-concert version of Pippin which fits nicely in the confines the Theatre Wit space. This is not to say that this is not a fully staged production. It is, to the nines, and the beauty lies in the performances and the physicality of the space.

"Pippin" contains one of the best scores heard on Broadway. Many of the songs have become standards, such as ‘Corner Of The Sky", "Magic To Do", "Glory", "Spread A Little Sunshine", and on and on. Schwartz' diverse and lush score is considered among many to be his best. Here, it is the centerpiece of the production and this fantastically talented cast pulls out all the stops to make it the score soar. From the get-go, Travis Porchia's Leading Player takes us under his macabre wing to journey to a spot ‘exciting and exotic'….and exotic it is. The ensemble, which in full scale productions of "Pippin" can reach upwards of twenty five is reduced to six, and each carry their own weight and brevity. Each ‘Player' is a unique personality unto themselves, thanks to Ms. Didier's re-imagined Fosse moves. They are sexy, wanton and evil all at once and the full-on ensemble numbers are a delight to hear and watch.

What this "Pippin" has going for it more than anything else is the cast, many of whom the audience is seeing for the first time. As the title character, Shaun Nathan Baer gives Pippin a grounded angst and nuanced masculinity that is exactly what the part calls for but few who have played the character seem to understand. Add to that a crisp, clear tenor voice which hugs Mr. Schwartz' notes better than any cast recording to date and you have a performance that most would be envious of. Baer brings Pippin full circle and he is truly a joy to watch.

Equally matched is Dana Tretta who's Catherine grounds the entire show with humanity. Her scenes with Mr. Baer and Gabriel Stern (Theo) come off with such a natural quality that their relationships are truly as believable as they are conflicted.

The true find in this production is the enormously talented Sawyer Smith who plays Pippin's brother Lewis. No matter when Mr. Smith is on stage, all eyes go to him. He has created a character within a character and steals every scene he is in. Mr. Smith has such great timing and chemistry with Jenny Lamb (Fastrada) that a whole show could be built around the two of them. I cannot wait to see what is next for his sure to be hot career.

The rest of the cast excels as well. Michael Kingston is a commanding Charlemagne as well as also giving us a glimpse of what would have happened if he would have been cast as Za-Za instead of George in ‘La Cage Aux Folles'. The Players, as aforementioned, Kelsey Andres, Christopher Logan, Maggie Portman, Leslie Allison Smith and Daniel Spagnuolo all work as a whole to create a fine piece of musical theatre.

Nick Sula's musical direction is some of his best work to date and Christopher Burpee's lighting design creates lovely hues on the both the cast and John Zuiker's minimal but effective scenic design.

"Pippin" runs through November 13, 2011 at Theatre Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. For tickets please call 773-975-8150 or visit www.theatrewit.org. For more information of Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's season, visit www.bohotheatre.com