Uninspired musical comedy falls short

Musical: ‘Pippin’ marred by lack of energy, miscalculated lead performance

By M. FLEISHMAN
Contributing Writer

"Pippin," the School of Theatre's spring musical, deserves praise for the hard work and efforts of the cast and crew. Theatrically speaking, however, it lacks luster.
The musical chronicles the life of Prince Pippin, the son of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, and his pursuit of absolute happiness.
The comedy is intended to be over-the-top, but this is not the case in the School of Theatre show. Pippin is usually played as a nerdy Jerry Lewis type; this version portrays Pippin as a young Hercules-esque rebel without a cause. Stark Sands' portrayal of Pippin is too melancholy to bring any contrast or real understanding for Pippin's quest, and does not give any reason for the audience to sympathize with him.
Elizabeth Brackenbury, however, plays her character as was intended in the script, thus giving perfect authenticity to the role of Charlemagne's wife. Her portrayal of a conceited stepmother trying to achieve her personal goals at Pippin's expense is wicked. As Charlemagne, a father too busy with himself to pay any attention to the needs of his son, Mark McKinney is phenomenally convincing.
The Leading Player, an entertainer and essentially the emcee of the story, guides Pippin along his quest for happiness. Charl E. Brown's portrayal of the character has the potential to be great, although he is a bit too animated during certain numbers. Brown seems to always be in a hurry to use the restroom, and this detracts from his performance. It is unnecessarynot to mention very annoyingfor him to be wiggling his legs at every possible moment.
"Pippin" also seems to be lacking in energy. It's slow to start, and although the action picks up a bit during the confrontation between Pippin and Charlemagne, there is no other excitement during the show once that moment passes. The only parts of "Pippin" that the cast seems to be especially connected with involve sexnot that there is anything wrong with sex; however, it is hardly the essence of the show.
The production is also marred by technical problems. At one point, during a key conversation between Charlemagne and Pippin, the audience could hear the rustling sounds of the cast moving around backstage, because their microphones were not turned off. Sound is key to any musical, and with a musical already lacking in overall zest, sound problems are a final blow.
Despite its shortcomings, "Pippin" has its shining moments. The musical numbers "Art of War," "No Time at All" and "Spread a Little Sunshine" are well sung and choreographed. They are also energetica quality that the rest of the musical lacksand they draw the audience into the story.
The magic tricks, choreographed with the help of former World Amateur Champion Magician Thomas Meier, a senior majoring in philosophy, are amazing.
"Pippin" is playing at the Bing Theatre until April 8. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday. Matinees are 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 senior citizens and staff and $6 for students. For more information, call (213) 740-2167.

Copyright 2001 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 142, No. 52 (Thursday, April 5, 2001), beginning on page 7 and ending on page 11.