Pippin

The story of Pippin

Pippin follows the son of a legendary ruler as he searches for fulfillment, trying on war, romance, revolution, and quiet domestic life in turn, all while a mysterious troupe of performers narrates and shapes his journey toward a grand, seductive finale. The show operates as a kind of theatrical fable, using a loosely medieval frame as a launching pad for questions that are really about any young person's search for meaning.

Because the story is framed as a performance within a performance, staged by a troupe of players rather than presented as straightforward history, its setting functions more as a timeless, storybook backdrop than a specific historical moment.

The music and the makers

Stephen Schwartz, who later became known for Wicked, wrote the score for Pippin early in his career, blending pop and rock sensibilities with a theatrical flair suited to the show's carnival-like presentation. The songs range from buoyant, danceable ensemble numbers to more introspective ballads reflecting Pippin's restless searching.

The original production was also famous for its inventive, magic-and-circus-infused staging, which shaped how the score is often performed and remembered as much as the songs themselves.

Pippin on Broadway

Pippin opened on Broadway in the early 1970s and found success by pairing Schwartz's accessible pop-rock sound with bold, unconventional theatrical staging that broke from more traditional musical presentation. Its blend of spectacle and searching, youthful themes appealed to audiences looking for something more adventurous than the era's more conventional fare.

The show has been revived successfully on Broadway since, notably in a production that leaned even further into circus and acrobatic performance, proof of how well its theatrical, presentational structure lends itself to fresh reinterpretation.

Frequently asked