{"id":245400,"date":"2012-09-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-28T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/diversionary-opens-new-clever-pippin\/"},"modified":"2012-09-28T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-09-28T07:00:00","slug":"diversionary-opens-new-clever-pippin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/diversionary-opens-new-clever-pippin\/","title":{"rendered":"Diversionary opens new, clever \u2018Pippin\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cPippin\u201d<\/strong>
\nWhere: Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd. (University Heights)<\/strong>
\nWhen: Thurs. \u2013 Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. through Oct. 14<\/strong>
\nInfo: 619-220-0097<\/strong>
\nWeb: diversionary.org<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marvelous cast supports the adorable Louis Pardo as lead<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Diversionary
(l to r) Wendy Maples, Megan Carmitchel, Luke H. Jacobs, Louis Pardo, Courtney Corey, Hunter Schwarz and Tony Houck in \u2018Pippin\u2019 (Photo by Ken Jacques)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Por Charlene Baldridge | Cr\u00edtico de Teatro SDUN<\/strong><\/p>\n

The approach to Diversionary\u2019s \u201cPippin\u201d was made with fear and trembling. The opinionated queens with whom I frequently have coffee, had told me how awful they thought the show was and how much they abhorred the casting of Louis Pardo in the title role. Au contraire, mon ch\u00e8res amis.<\/p>\n

Excuse me, lovely ones, some of whom saw the original with John Rubinstein as Pippin \u2013 I saw the tour in the cavernous, then-California Theatre with Ben Vereen as the Leading Player \u2013 Pardo is adorable as the insecure youth who hits the road seeking his purpose. I adore his tight dark curls and his sharp features.<\/p>\n

Granted, to be truly beautiful his voice might have a little less edge and nasality, but his diction is impeccable, his pianissimo is gorgeous, and the character he creates is fascinating and deeply seated in age-old literary traditions of coming-of-age angst.<\/p>\n

Diversionary\u2019s production of the classic 1972 Broadway \u201cPippin\u201d (music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson) is director James Vasquez’s contemporary take on the piece. It has the current Schwartz-sanctioned ending.<\/p>\n

Except for the Leading Player, Vasquez\u2019s seven \u201cplayers\u201d \u2013 like a pickup game of hoops on a playground \u2013 are ragtag, interchangeably playing guard, center and forward. The visual effect, supported by meticulous choreography of every moment, is rife with gay undertones, cross-gender attire and overt S&M, as the innocent Pippin experiences war, the counsel of a jaded grandmother (Wendy Maples, whose \u201dNo Time at All\u201d is a highlight of the show), and joys of carnal love with a young widow named Catherine (attractive, vocally gifted Megan Carmitchel).<\/p>\n

Handsome and appealing, the youthful Hunter Schwartz is darling as Catherine\u2019s son, Theo. Theo and Pippin\u2019s \u201cPrayer for a Duck\u201d scene, performed with utter sincerity, is a winner.<\/p>\n

\"Diversionary
(l to r) Courtney Corey and Louis Pardo in \u2018Pippin\u2019 (Photo by Ken Jacques)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The action is controlled by a dominatrix Leading Player (the original was Ben Vereen) portrayed by the relaxed, utterly in-control Courtney Corey, a seasoned performer of indefatigable vocal steel and fabulous body moves. Andy Collins ranges from imperiously cold to surprisingly touching as King Charlemagne, father of Prince Pippin. As Pippin learns, it\u2019s not easy being wise, generous and judicious simultaneously.<\/p>\n

Luke Jacobs is fetching and bitchy as Queen Fastrada, her eyes glittering with lust for her son, Lewis (fabulous Tony Houck, hilarious in Lewis\u2019s idiotic machismo), whom she is hell bent upon installing as king.<\/p>\n

Musically, the show is in great hands with musical director Charlie Reuter, who plays piano (alternately, Lyndon Pugeda at some performances), with an assist from Andrew Michel on guitar (Adam Michel at some performances) and Charlie Weller on drums. If microphones are used in Kevin Anthenill\u2019s sound design, they are undetectable. The balance is good.<\/p>\n

Sean Fanning\u2019s set, composed of life\u2019s electronic detritus, is fascinating, as are Shirley Pierson\u2019s costumes. Annette Ye deserves credit as co-choreographer with Vasquez. It\u2019s an entirely new, clever and recognizable movement vocabulary they\u2019ve wrought, as Bob Fosse directed the original production.<\/p>\n

By now, you\u2019ve guessed that I had a marvelous time at \u201cPippin.\u201d Don\u2019t let the old queens put you off. Decide for yourselves.<\/p>\n

My favorite interval moment: sweet young thing asks her date what the set could possibly have to do with the story. \u201cAsk the woman next to you,\u201d her escort advised.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you come here often?\u201d she asked. \u201cDoes it always look this way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s all electronic junk,\u201d I said, suggesting she read the program note. As the note suggests, the production is performed amid what amounts to an art installation. And as wrongly suggested by her attendant, it is not historical. But it won\u2019t hurt to read up on Charlemagne.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cPippin\u201d Where: Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd. (University Heights) When: Thurs. \u2013 Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. through Oct. 14 Info: 619-220-0097 Web: diversionary.org Marvelous cast supports the adorable Louis Pardo as lead By Charlene Baldridge | SDUN Theater Critic The approach to Diversionary\u2019s \u201cPippin\u201d was made with fear and trembling. The […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":245401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"Diversionary opens new, clever \u2018Pippin\u2019","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11549,11547,11551,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-features","category-news","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}