About the work
Pippin is a musical by Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) with a book by Roger O. Hirson, premiered on Broadway in 1972. The groundbreaking original production was staged by Bob Fosse, whose choreography and dark theatricality decisively shaped the work and won him a Tony Award. It is loosely based on the historical figure of Pepin, a son of Charlemagne.
Plot
A mysterious troupe of players led by a charismatic "Leading Player" performs the story of the young prince Pippin, who searches for an extraordinary, meaningful life. He tries glory in war, politics (even murdering his father Charlemagne to seize the throne), carnal pleasures, and art—but nothing fulfils him. Finally the troupe pushes him toward a spectacular grand finale: a suicidal leap into flames as the ultimate "act." Pippin refuses the seductive illusion, choosing instead the simple, genuine happiness of an ordinary life beside the widow Catherine and her son.
Cultural significance
Pippin combined catchy pop-rock melody with Bob Fosse's unmistakable, sensual-cynical stage style and became a landmark of the concept musical. Schwartz's opening number Magic to Do and the ballad Corner of the Sky became classics, the latter a popular audition standard. Its layered play with illusion, theatre, and the search for meaning made the work an enduring favourite; a circus-styled Broadway revival won four Tony Awards in 2013, including Best Revival of a Musical.