Weston’s ‘Pippin’ a thrilling production with a delightful audience

By Lorien Strange
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Unlike many in the audience at Walker Farm last Saturday, I had no idea what to expect from Pippin. As my friend and I tried to puzzle it out between ourselves based on what we’d read about the show, conversations erupted around us about previous productions and hopes that our next two hours with the Weston Theater Company would meet the high standards that Broadway had set for the show.

By the end of the first song, the entire audience was thrilled. And surprises throughout the production kept even the show’s biggest fans on their toes. Weston’s Pippin is a heartrending survey through human emotion, deeply personal but highly entertaining.

Played by a glitter-adorned Rixey Terry, Pippin, son of Charlemagne, is bored. Fresh out of university, he vows to do something extraordinary with his life, but the more he takes, the less fulfilled he feels. Cheered and goaded on by the Leading Player of the theater troupe performing the story of his life, Pippin discovers that in searching for himself, he’s lost the plot.

If you’ve never seen the show, don’t expect a lighthearted romp through a whiny 20-something’s identity crisis. Set designer Frank J. Oliva’s stage, which looks as though a disco ball has been turned into an amphitheater, hints at two hours of nonstop fun. But among the ribbons hanging from the ceiling are dismembered neon mannequin legs in beaded fishnet, and wait: Are those hands encircling the Leading Player’s collar?

This tension grows and crescendos into outright horror in the perverted battle hymn of “Glory,” rendered in chill-inducing backlit red by lighting designer Scott Zielinski with Lead Player Tomias Robinson’s soaring vocals. Choreographer Felicity Stiverson has taken care to include nods to the iconic Bob Fosse choreography in her fresh visions for the show’s essential dance scenes. She maintains the eeriness of “The Manson Trio”  accompanied by guitarist Daniel Gaviria on the ukulele in music director Larry Pressgrove’s twist on this classic music. The mood continues with Courtney Arango’s cheerful insinuations as Fastrada in “Spread a Little Sunshine,” offering no mercy in their complicity with the nastier sides of human nature.

That doesn’t mean we’re not having fun, though. For many, 80-year-old 90-year-old veteran stage actor Barbara Lloyd stole the show as the indomitable Berthe. Dedicated fans of the musical don’t wait for her invitation to sing and clap along to “No Time At All.” But even they were surprised by director Susanna Gellert’s new takes on other important scenes.

Terry’s soft-rock-wannabe Pippin lives comfortably in the patchwork inside-out jeans and rag shirt that costume designer Jessica Crawford gives him — we could easily see Pippin making his clothes himself in an attempt to find his purpose in life. In fact, most of the costumes look as though a group of talented upcyclers went foraging through a thrift store and unearthed a treasure trove.

From Mayumi Rhone’s Goth princess leathers, Spencer Dean’s see-through tank top, and especially the denim evening dress that Alia Munsch wears as the loveably dorky Catherine, the costumes allude to the show’s medieval setting while embracing the spirit of ‘60s and ‘70s, when the show was written. The two notable exceptions are King Charles, who is dressed like an archetypal king, and the Leading Player, whose spiffy showman’s blazers hint at the fictional troupe’s budget priorities when it comes to adorning the cast members.

Speaking of whom, having previously seen Junie B. Jones, I had been looking forward to seeing this year’s Weston Young Company again in the ensemble. They did not disappoint, bringing just as much energy to the more mature production as they had for the kids’ show. Evan Gibley was particularly fantastic as the slain Visigoth soldier. I was also delighted to see David Bonanno, a Weston veteran whom I saw in Season 86’s Marry Me a Little, rule Act 1 as the charmingly egotistical King Charlemagne. But Tomias Robinson as the Leading Player owned the show with confidence, equally comfortable drumming up drama, exalting violence and playing the part of Pippin’s fairy godmother.

Once again, the cast and creative team have taken full advantage of the intimacy of the Walker Farm space to draw the audience in, both during and after the show. As I left the theater, it took every ounce of self-control I had to stop myself from running my hands through the tantalizingly close tinsel curtain. I wasn’t the only one—the sound of rustling streamers followed me out of the theater, ringing in my ears with the Leading Player’s chilling last promise: The final act is yet to come.

Pippin, with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, is being performed at Walker Farm through Saturday, Aug. 17. The production runs for two hours, not including a 15-minute intermission. Tickets are $25 to $69 and can be purchased by clicking here.  It contains strobing lights, adult themes and enthusiastic audience members who will sing along. You might find that you become one of them.