Pippin!

Last night I saw Pippin at the Music Box Theater. This show is pure entertainment. A little thin on plot, and not a a lot of narrative complexity. But it is fun, fun, fun.

The costumes, dancing, and acrobatics were all amazing, enthralling.

The songs, all of which I remembered from my youth, were wonderful.

Some standout moments include the 66 year old Andrea Martin as Pippin's grandmother. She sang a wonderful "No Time At All", inviting the audience to sing the chorus with her. But most astounding: she performed an elegant trapeze act! It was wonderful to see and she got a standing ovation.

The actor playing Pippin, Matthew James Thomas, was terrific, as was the dynamic and sexy "Leading Player" Patina Miller. I also very much enjoyed Pippin's father, and Catherine.

Really a wonderfully entertaining evening.

Side Show

I have mixed feelings about Side Show, the Broadway musical about lives of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet during the 1930s.

On one hand, I found it artistically underwhelming and banal. There were no thrilling musical numbers that transported me. All the songs sounded the same, as seems to be true of much of contemporary musical theater. (I saw a revival of Pippin last year, and though silly as hell, all the songs were very different and yet each very catchy).

On the other hand, I was moved by the central conflict of the narrative. From Wikipedia I have learned that the story of the Hilton Twins is more complex and grim than portrayed in Side Show. What this production did convey was a core conflict between being "connected" to someone and being "alone". I place both words in quotes because these words and concepts were repeated puns and underlying themes. Both Daisy and Violet lacked privacy and autonomy, because they were conjoined. Yet each felt alone and longed for connection with another (romantic sexual connection with the opposite sex). Another theme is the desire to escape exploitation as "freaks" and live "normal" lives (another two words and concepts the show plays on). That Daisy and Violet's story is not wrapped neatly with an inspiring pink bow is a strength of this unique piece of theater, which instead ends on a rather sarcastic note of grim triumph.