This past weekend the North American tour of Pippin visited Pittsburgh, showing at the Benedum Center from January 20-25th. The Tony Award-winning musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by a Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. The show was originally conceived by Stephen Schwartz as Pippin, Pippin and was first performed as a student musical at Pittsburgh’s own Carnegie Mellon University!
The show opens with an extravagant number that is filled with acrobatics, tricks, and illusions. You are immediately engulfed in a magical atmosphere, and they continue to keep you engrossed throughout the entirety of the show. One of my favorite aspects is that they regularly address the audience, making it feel as if you are truly there with Pippin during his adventures.
The show’s cast was absolutely outstanding; I was awestruck by the sheer talent of the performers. I had chills from the vocal performances, especially during the Act 1 finale “Morning Glow.” Sasha Allen gave such a powerful performance as the Leading Player, and Sam Lips portrayed Pippin perfectly. Another standout was Callan Bergmann, who plays Pippin’s self obsessed brother Lewis. Bergmann was fantastic, which doesn’t surprise me, as he is a graduate from Point Park’s musical theatre program!
This show is one of the best I have ever seen and I had such an amazing time. I still can’t stop singing the songs! I would definitely recommend catching a show in the future, it is absolutely amazing and you will not be disappointed!