Pippin at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre

This page combines photos from the May 2006 production of Pippin at the the 5th Avenue Theatre with excerpts from a Stephen Schwartz interview conducted as part of a special event at the theatre.

First photo: In their colorful costumes, players try to influence Prince Pippin, played by Louis Hobson.

Second photo: Pippin's grandmother Berthe entertains with "No Time At All." (Berthe is played here by Mimi Hines)

Schwartz Showcase at 5th Avenue, April 9th, 2006.

An article by Robbie Wachs

On April 9th, Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre presented an intimate evening with Stephen Schwartz. While the event served as a preview for Pippin, it was also a lovely walk down memory lane with one of musical theatre’s most popular composers. Schwartz spoke vividly of his college days, his big break, and his first days in New York City. He shared intimate stories about the creation of his diverse body of work, which was accented by impressive performances by Schwartz, some Broadway favorites, and Seattle’s most popular stars.

Schwartz talked about the genesis of Godspell, and his late involvement in a project that many define as his signature piece. He recalled his delight in finding many of his college chums involved.

Louis Hobson [who plays Pippin in the 5th Avenue cast] performed a belty “All Good Gifts” to highlight the well- known score.

The composer went into great detail about the early stages of Pippin (once called Pippin, Pippin).

From Schwartz Interview by Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong: QUESTION: The subject matter of the son of Charlemagne seems a little obscure. What made you think to write a musical about it?

ANSWER: "I didn't think it up. Ron Strauss did. The Lion In Winter was very popular at that time, and the subject of medieval intrigue was popular with the drama department at Carnegie Mellon. Ron had come across a paragraph in a textbook about Charlemagne and his son named Pippin who plotted to overthrow his father. We thought it would be like The Lion In Winter, really cool - a medieval musical with a lot of plotting and court intrigue.The whole idea of the story being a metaphor and a parable about a modern young man in search of what to do with his life came much later, in 1969 or 1970."

One story recalled Schwartz’s manager schlepping him around NYC playing the score to anyone who would listen. Schwartz addressed his much publicized feud with Bob Fosse, chalking the whole thing up to youth’s folly. He noted that he now understands and agrees with many of the changes made by Fosse.

"It wasn't easy to work with [Bob Fosse]. Bob was notoriously difficult for writers to work with. And I was very young and coming off a big hit, Godspell, and it was a very different experience. Godspell was done by a bunch of kids, including myself. To be thrust into the Broadway world with its protocol and division of labor was bewildering." -- Stephen Schwartz in Pippin Interview

Schwartz performed a touching “Corner of the Sky”, proving that he is a gifted singer/storyteller.

Schwartz spoke of the speedy writing period behind the creation of The Magic Show. He called himself insane for deciding to complete the show in such a short timeline. He told a vivid story about the flashy staging of “Lion Tamer”, which was followed by a thoughtful reading of the song by Billie Wildrick. Wildrick’s performance was a touching interpretation of one of Schwartz’s strongest numbers. Schwartz spoke of the infamous backstage drama involved behind The Baker's Wife. He confirmed David Merrick’s hatred of what has become Schwartz’s most performed song, “Meadowlark”. Merrick had such disdain for “Meadowlark” that he removed all the sheet music from the orchestra pit during a Washington DC tryout.

Kim Huber gave the most thrilling performance of the night, making this musical theatre standard sound fresh and vibrant. Huber’s thrilling vocals brought the house down. Schwartz said he was finally able to put Baker’s Wife to rest with the recent revisal at Papermill.

Schwartz touched on the process behind Working, his collaborative musical about the everyday jobs that go unnoticed. He said much of the score was taken directly from the mouths of the workers interviewed, fondly remembering their faces when they saw the actual show. Carol Swarbrick performed the comically complicated “It’s an Art”. Schwartz spoke briefly of Rags(saying he and Strouse still need to revisit this show), Children of Eden (another heavily revised work), and his success in Hollywood as a lyricist for many animated musicals. Huber returned with a magnificent "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas. Schwartz shared some of the early lyrics that were wisely rewritten at the insistence of Alan Menken.

The house exploded at the very mention of Schwartz’s mega-hit Wicked. Schwartz credited the success of the show to Winnie Holzman’s dense book. He spoke in detail about his discovery of Gregory Maguire's book, and the long workshop process involved. Schwartz noted his reluctance to write the show’s finale between Elphaba and Glinda, and how his daughter’s stories of childhood friendship inspired him to write “For Good”. Two songs from Wicked were performed, with Seattle’s Kat Ramsburg giving an audience pleasing “The Wizard and I” and Schwartz providing a brilliant “For Good” on the piano. The night closed with Hobson and the Pippin company delivering a chilling “Morning Glow”.

Pictured in photo: "Morning Glow" scene performed at 5th Avenue Pippin.

Though the evening was filled with great performances, the highlight was Schwartz candidly taking us through the successes and failures of his long career. His constant quest to perfect his work is a testament to his artistry. This was a rare night filled with delicious story and song.

Read all about Stephen Schwartz

Schwartz Interview Continued:

You wrote Pippin in college during the late '60s. Is it a political show?

Oh sure. It's the Vietnam War. Having seen some recent presentations, what was interesting was that while it seemed dated in the '90s, it suddenly feels very current again because events have caught up with it - or regressed back to it. Clearly it's a political show in some way because the nature of politics informs how the play is perceived.

PHOTO: Charlemagne (played by Jim Gall) and company sing and dance in the "War is a Science" number.

Why is Pippin as relevant today as it was three decades ago?

The political climate is one of the reasons, but Pippin has remained popular as a staple of schools and regional theaters, and I think that's because the main story is timeless -someone trying to figure out what to do with his life, the compromises he has to make, and learning what's important and when he is settling or giving up - the questions every generation has to deal with.

BACK TO THE MAIN PIPPIN PAGE

http://www.5thavenuetheatre.org/

Pippin Songs - Downloadable digital sheet music "Magic to Do," "Extraordinary," "Love Song," "No Time At All," "With You," "Morning Glow," "Corner of the Sky." See Corner of the Sky page for complete list including choral music.