Ben Vereen and Patina Miller made history: both actors received a Tony Award for their portrayal of "The Leading Player" in Pippin. This is the only time a male and female have won a Tony Award for the same role. Vereen stole the show in the 1972 production that received 5 Tony Awards (Leading Actor, Direction, Choreography, Scenic Design, and Lighting Design). It was another success for Bob Fosse, who both directed and choreographed. His distinctive style was preserved in the 2013 Revival, particularly with the choreography in "Glory."
The revival played at The Music Box Theatre and the stage transformed into a circus tent of sorts. Diane Paulus re-envisioned the traveling acting troupe as a traveling circus; she wound up receiving a Tony for Best Direction of a Musical. The show won Best Revival and famed comedian, Andrea Martin, captured the Tony, not for her comedic hijinks, but for her highly dangerous act as Berthe.
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Berthe's song near the start of Act One, "No Time at All," is the song I always skip when listening to the Stephen Schwartz album. I cannot exactly put my finger on the reason why, but there is something off-putting to me about the pedantic, dogmatic message. I had purchased the album prior to seeing the show and had listened to the soundtrack numerous times. To be honest, I was wondering if the song would slow down the show and drag things out.
In short, I was wrong. Dead wrong. The song I doubted to be entertaining was one of the biggest showstoppers.
Priscilla Lopez had just replaced Andrea Martin, and I believe I saw her first or second show. In the middle of the song, Lopez sat on a trapeze swing and it lifted. My body tensed up from nerves. Then, a man climbed on to the swing. She hung upside down with her knees locking the bar. Finally, the man joined her and Lopez unlocked her knees from the bar. She slid down and the man held her by her ankles. They were slowly rotating and she was belting the end of the song. Her face was probably five feet from the ground. It was simultaneously exhilarating and mortifying. One misstep and the show would certainly halt, as might Lopez's life. She defied the audience's expectations, not vocally but physically. It was marvelous to witness an actress defy expectations and inspire all ages. The stunt was fitting, for the purpose of the song was to inspire the young grandson.
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Rachel Bay Jones, who is a developing national treasure, played the role of Catherine in this revival. Seth Rudetsky has a wonderful video series called "Obsessed" in which he fawns over idiosyncratic musical moments. He has an episode with Jones wherein he analyzes her ability to elevate songs from being snoozers to showstoppers. She elevated the song "Kind Woman" vocally (not physically, like Martin). The cast album recording ends with Jones sustaining a belted note for 10 seconds. Yes, I counted. I knew the song was intended to end with a bang, but I was uncertain whether or not Jones would be able to accomplish the task without making any modifications: her voice was clearly worn out by the time we were seeing the show -- it was well over a year into her run. When she neared the end, I grew antsy in my seat. I honestly braced myself for the ending. She started the note . . . she kept hitting the note . . . she actually got louder . . . and ended with perfectly controlled vibrato. I was beside myself! I could not believe she just nailed the ending of the song given how strained her voice had seemed. If anything, this moment reminded me that technique pays off. Of course, vocal rest is critical (and she modeled this as she silently signed autographs at the stage door).
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The storytelling throughout the show was clear and punctuated nicely by signs and dances. As Pippin faces his final decision, the Leading Player threatens to end the entire production. Ciara Renee, who played this role when I saw it, became irate. The anger demonstrated through her physicality and voice was terrifying. The Leading Player had commanded the entire show, so when she ordered for everything to stop, there was a certain sense of wide-eyed confusion imposed upon the audience. The circus tent was dismantled and the stage was stripped clean. It felt so strange to see the actual theatre's backstage skeleton. Yet, that was the point. Paulus was expertly directing the audience to consider eliminating facades and to practice introspection. While some shows close out with glitzy numbers, this production went the opposite route and took a chance on replacing glamour with a philosophical challenge. It left the audience speechless, yet grateful. Time and again, Paulus helped guide the audience to acknowledge that there are real dangers in the world, however enticing the temptations are; ultimately, it is up to the individual to respond soberly.
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The next show I would see would be an unpopular, yet "timely" musical with an all-star cast: It Shoulda Been You!
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