MARK AUERBACH
Magic to Do! “Pippin” Plays The Bushnell
Broadway’s 2013 hit revival of “Pippin”, which ends its current New York run this weekend, plays Hartford’s Bushnell next week (Jannuary 6-11), as part of its national tour. Kyle Dean Massey, who played the title role on Broadway, John Rubenstein, who originated the role of “Pippin” in 1972, Sasha Allen from “The Voice”, and Lucie Arnaz from the current Broadway revival as well, head the cast.
“Pippin”, with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (of “Wicked”), was a Broadway mega-hit of 1972, partly because of Bob Fosse’s inventive staging, and partly because it was one of the first Broadway shows to use television for advertising. “Pippin” made Ben Vereen a major Broadway presence, and provided Irene Ryan (“Granny” on “The Beverly Hillbillies” ) with her final Broadway appearance.
Kate Baldwin, “A Little Night Music”, Berkshire Theatre Group
“Pippin” tells the story of the real life son of Charlemagne…sort of. Both characters exist in history, but the musical traces the steps “Pippin” might have taken as he morphs from school graduate to adult. He tries a variety of trades and avocations, only to ask “is that all there is?”.
Diane Paulus of Cambridge’s American Repertory Theatre (which had sent “Hair” and “Porgy and Bess” revivals to Broadway) teamed up with the legendary choreographer Chet Walker, and acrobat/circus choreographer Gypsy Snider of Montreal’s Les 7 doigts de la main to fashion a production which won 4 Tony Awards in 2013. The production s known for its fusion of Fosse-style jazz dance, gymnastics, and a circus motif to bring a story to vibrant life.
For tickets: 860-987-5900 or www.bushnell.org
The Best Performances of 2014
There were a slew of great performances on area stages in 2014, but a half-dozen stood out in my mind, after a season of satisfying theatre-going. So, alphabetically…
Zach Appleman as “Hamlet” in “Hamlet” ar Hartford Stage. Youthful eye candy with a resonant voice who could make a LinkedIn feed sizzle, Appleman, Yale School of Drama trained, brought a sense of humor and torment to the role. Appleman exudes talent, and with his looks and voice, I hope he returns to the stage regularly, although I suspect Hollywood and TV beckon.
Zach Appleman, “Hamlet”, Hartford Stage
Kate Baldwin, already a known talent on Broadway, was touching as “Charlotte” in “A Little Night Music” at The Berkshire Theatre Group. A great stage presence and a powerful singer, she had the grand and glorious style to make this production memorable. Too bad she wasn’t cast as Desiree Armfeldt, the show’s leading lady. That would have made this production a real event.
Adam Heller as “Tevye” in “Fiddler on the Roof” at Goodspeed. Every “Tevye” I’ve seen in “Fiddler” tends to be over the top, like the role’s originator, Zero Mostel. Heller underplayed the role, which brought out the textures of a brilliantly written and composed musical.
Leslie Hendrix in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at Hartford Stage. Hendrix, best known for her no nonsense role on TV’s “Law & Order”, turned the role of the overly self-absorbed drama queen, Masha”, into a truly hilarious tour-de-force performance.
James Naughton in “Cedars” at Berkshire Theatre Group. In a solo performance about a 50ish man with a midlife crisis, this Tony Award winning actor, best known for his musical performances in “City of Angels” and “Chicago”, took an uneven script and made an evening of theatre vibrant.
Daniel Riordan as “Ulysses” in “Annapurna”, Chester Theatre Company. “Annapurna” is a recent two-character play by the up-and-coming playwright Sharr White. Riordan played a dying poet, who gets a visit from his ex-partner, played by the Westfield actress Michelle Joyner. Riordan was the emotional center in this play, and his performance carried the play..
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
