Pippin

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Starring: Ben Vereen
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: David Sheehan
Studio: Vci Video
Release Date: 2000-10-31
Running Time: 112 minutes
Pippin is a pip of a Broadway musical that is not only a contemporary classic but also the play that made director choreographer Bob Fosse a famous name long before "Cabaret" and "All That Jazz". Using the medieval legend of Charlemagne's son, Pippin, heir apparent to the Holy roman Empire, the musical pageant called "Pippin" is a parable about a young man's search for meaning and truth. With the show's masterful master of ceremonies, Ben Vereen, jumping the time barrier from the 1980's to the Middle Ages and back again, while the music and costumes go through similar time and space warps, young "Pippin" embarks on an odyssey to discovery whether there really is "something worthwhile I can do with my life." William Katt plays-sings-and-dances the title role with a freshness and exuberance rarely seen in today's entertainment on stage or screen. Broadway's virtuoso baritone, Ben Rayson, is as regal as they come as Charlemagne. The sheer intensity of Vereen's many-faceted talents steals the show again and again, but he never upstages his co-stars. Martha Raye brings her boisterous energy to the role of Berthe, Pippin's 67 year old grandmother, while Chita Rivera ignites sparks every time she prances into a scene as Pippin's stepmother. The success of "Pippin," wining five Tony Awards and playing to sellout houses for six years is also what brought recognition to its star, Ben Vereen, long before his acclaimed portrayal of "Chicken George" in "Roots". With all of its distinctions, "Pippin" has never existed anywhere but Live, on stage, until this videotape production, supervised by Mr. Fosse, and produced and directed for television by David Sheehan. It's the one video experience you'll always treasure! Bonus Features: Bonus Interview with Bob Fosse| Actor Bios| Scene Selection. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Stereo; 112 minutes; Color; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1981; SRP - $19.99.

The Magic is Gone
Background: I've seen Pippin 3 times on B'way, worked as make-up artist for over a dozen regional productions, and taught the play for years as the culmination of a course on poetry. In its original incarnation, Pippin is a production rich in allegory and metaphor, both visual and verbal, which becomes more meaningful with each viewing.

That said, executive producer David Sheehan's truncated televersion of the play cuts--no, slashes--so much of the production that it becomes devoid of both continuity and logic. First, the music: almost every number has a verse deleted, and one complete song (Catherine's "I Guess I'll Miss the Man") has been excised. As this song immediately foreshadows the events of the finale, its elimination is unforgivable.

As for the book, various exchanges among characters are missing. Some of the gaps are relatively minor, others glaring. After the battle sequence, Pippin's poignant discussion with the head of one of the enemy is missing. After his ascension to the throne, Pippin's sequential proclamations that lead to the realization of the flaw in his idealism have also been struck, which makes his final declaration of a "limited police action" too sudden and illogical. Catherine's lament for her late husband is missing. The most startling omission, though, is the death scene of her son's pet and its aftermath, during which Pippin gains an inkling of his epiphany in the finale and honestly earns Catherine's love. With this sequence removed, Catherine has no reason for loving him. Nor does the audience have reason to identify.

The play's cut-and-paste editing was no doubt done to conform to television time limits. Was it not possible, then, to restore the complete version for DVD? Or was it simply not worth the time and effort? Other reviewers have commented on the grainy quality of the image and poor sound reproduction, another pair of minuses. All in all, the magic is simply gone.

Postscript: Some 25 years after the show closed, Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson re-staged Pippin at NJ's Paper Mill Playhouse. The characters were dressed in 1970s attire, the choreography was disco, and Pippin himself was pulled from the audience and handed a script. It was a dark and joyless production, made more so by the fact that it was the very authors themselves who transformed a Broadway icon into a travesty of a high school musical.

Pippin Live Performance Review
PippinThis was not a very good performance compared to the original live on stage performance. While Ben Vereen was excellent, William Katt did not seem right for the role. He was unsure and a bit stiff. There were several ommissions from the original production. It was not at all exciting.

Don't care for the play
Bought the DVD to see the play before an audition. Didn't really care for it.

PURE MAGIC
One minor grumble- the recording was obviously done on video tape,so the picture quality is not so good.Having said that, this is a magical recording of a magical show.Brilliant sets and costumes,wonderful music,funny,sometimes touching,sometimes a little dark,but always fascinating.Superb direction,no matter how many times I watch it I always see something new.Ben Vereen in paricular works his talented butt off but it is unfair to pick one name out of a brilliant ensemble.Such a shame that it had to be shortened to fit TV schedules,nevertheless I love it! As a theatre buff I just wish we could have more permanent records of great shows like this.

Admittedly, there are issues... BUT
Could the editing have been better? Definitely. Is the soundtrack a little muddy? For sure. Was there a lot of film left on the cutting room floor that should have been restored for the DVD release? Undoubtedly.

HOWEVER, and this is a really big however, do NOT let any of these petty concerns and considerations prevent you from adding this DVD to your library. This show is wonderful and it is worth the price if only for the performance of Ben Vereen. There may never be another performer like him and this show captures him at his finest. I saw the original production 11 times on Broadway - yes, I said eleven times. Hey, I made a lot of money babysitting. This version does not have the original cast I saw and loved: no John Rubinstein, Jill Clayburgh or Irene Ryan, which is a damn shame. However, the re-casting is still good and you have Ben which makes up for pretty much any other shortcomings.

See this and reminisce with me.