Pipin Musical History

Seeing Pippin at the Academy of Music was a fascinating experience, especially to someone who has never seen the musical before. Although I can understand the criticism that is was better on Broadway, it was entertaining and thought provoking for me. However it posed some important departures from the original version, at an important time in circus history. The most important difference between the original Pippin from Broadway in the 1970’s and today is the ideological change in which the players have become circus performers’. While this doesn’t require substantial changes in the script it upsets the old order and brings a fresh spectacle into the revival. Interestingly the logo for the revival is significantly less circus inspired than

As a student when looking a program I always read the performer biographies to see which programs they recognize for their successes. The program for pippin was the first that that did not feature the regular roundup of top dramatic programs; instead it gave a chance to many unlikely Broadway careers. National Circus schools across the world were featured prominently alongside the conservatories and even a magna cum laude Harvard graduate. The circus true to tradition has once again given those people who have talents aside from the mainstream an opportunity to display and capitalize on them. While not a sideshow, it has made the revival of Pippin advertised for its quirkiness rather than its

The lead player acted as a ringmaster to the whole show, calling out the acts and generally running the show. Most of the players specialized in a particular circus act, be it Silks and Corde Lisse, Contortion, Acrobatics, Lyra, Juggling, Hand Balancing, Dancing, Chinese Pole, Hooping, Balancing, Fire Poi or Ball Balance. Yet something that distinguishes this show as a theatrical performance versus a full out circus is the absence of the clown act. Clowns have been long hailed as the most distinguishing feature of the circus, next to elephants. Although no elephants were present onstage in Philadelphia, there was a trained dog act, which wasn’t used explicitly as a circus trope but fits in the same