2007 "Pippin!"

6 – 16 June 2007

from the chairman

Welcome to our 2007 musical production. It’s 30 years since Pilgrim Productions started, with its first musical, Ride Ride.

They say theatre people are superstitious so I won’t say what number this show is on the list of musicals we have presented, except to say how lucky we are to have the outstanding talents of Anthony, Catherine and James as director, musical director and choreographer to bring this musical to life with a multi-talented cast of singers, actors, dancers and all-round terrific performers.

We are also fortunate that this show is ideal for Theatre Pitt with its intimate setting that works so well.

So please join our troupe of strolling players, small child, lamb and duck, and enjoy magic and miracles by the score.

synopsis

The Leading Player, as the master of ceremonies of a group of travelling players, tells the story of the son and heir of King Charlemagne. The son is Pippin and he goes out on a journey of self-enlightenment. Naturally he encounters many of the seven deadly sins on the way, and is scarred and influenced by them. They include war, sins of the flesh, revolution and insurrection and, indeed, an evil stepmother.

Incidentally, his stepmother has a narcissistic son whose cause she promotes vehemently. Through his journey, Pippin hopes to bring honour, justice and freedom to his own kingdom. Of course he fails.

Along the way he seeks advice from his grandmother about true fulfilment and, even though he gets a wife and child, Pippin feels he has painted himself into a corner. Nothing gives him any satisfaction.

In the end, like a lot of us, the question Pippin has to face is that, even though he has compromised himself by giving up on his aspirations and not becoming an extraordinary person, he can still find truth, self-fulfilment and happiness in the ordinary pursuits of life.

the writers

IS PIPPIN REALLY ABOUT STEVEN SCHWARTZ?

Pippin is the story of a young man with huge potential who finds it hard to get the right role. Well, writer Stephen Schwartz had similar potential and similar crises.

He was born in New York in 1948. In the 1960s he worked as a record producer. His first major credit was the title song for the play Butterflies Are Free.

He began writing songs for Pippin while he was in college.

In 1971 he wrote music and new lyrics for Godspell, for which he won several awards, including two Grammys.

Meanwhile, Pippin was evolving into a semi-disguised autobiographical story. But, after Schwartz met Roger Hirson in 1969, they reworked the show, keeping some of the plot, but changing all of the songs and music.

Hirson commented that the show was written without any advice or support from a producer or director, but Pippin was eventually picked up by producer Stuart Ostrow and director Broadway legend Bob Fosse. The show opened in Washington in 1972, and went to Broadway six weeks later.

But Schwartz’s golden age was already beginning to wane. He experienced major creative differences with Fosse. Schwartz described himself at the time as being on a bit of an ego trip.

Schwartz’s The Magic Show got bad reviews and The Baker’s Wife closed even before it reached Broadway, because of a disastrous out-of-town tryout tour in 1976.

Schwartz commented at the time: “My career in the theatre basically lasted seven years.” Fortunately, he was wrong.

In the 1990s he began working in film and received two Academy Awards for the Disney animated feature Pocahontas.

But in 2003 Schwartz returned to Broadway in earnest, as composer and lyricist for the musical Wicked. In 2006 Wicked celebrated its 1000th performance, making Schwartz one of only four composers to have three shows last that long on Broadway (his other two were Pippin and The Magic Show).

At present, he is writing an opera based on the film Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

the roles

Bevan Williams plays The Leading Player, a sort of narrator, commentator and Devil’s Advocate.

Jeremy Archer plays Pippin, son of Charles the Great.

Ian Carr plays Charles the Great.

Janine Huijsse plays Fastrada, Pippin’s scheming step-mother.

Ciarin Smith plays Lewis, Fastrada’s son, Pippin’s half-brother and rival to the throne.

Lynn Webster plays Berthe, Pippin’s spry, fun-loving grandmother.

Danielle White plays Catherine, a wealthy widow, who befriends Pippin when he is in despair.

Aidan plays Theo, Catherine’s son, who has a pet duck.

Pippin as a boy is played by Jonathan Smith and Sammy Glover.

the cast

Bevan Williams

Bevan is a regular on stage around Auckland, and is a pupil of the inimitable Janice Webb

Always at home playing larger than life characters, Bevan was thrilled to be cast as the Leading Player.

Bevan holds (usually with his left hand) a diploma from the Trinity conservatorium, and has been the winner of the North Shore Performing Arts singing competitions for musical theatre

Jeremy Archer

Jeremy is pleased to be returning to the stage after having a few years off from musical theatre.

He has had the opportunity to perform and direct children’s musical theatre both in New Zealand and overseas.

He is currently completing an English literature degree.

At the end of the Pippin season Jeremy is heading over to Australia to further his career.

Lastly, Jeremy would like to thank Catherine and Ian Carr, Anthony and the rest of the cast for all of their support.

Ian Carr

Ian’s last outing was as Jean Valjean in Playhouse Theatre’s Les Miserables in Glen Innes.

Originating from England, Ian has performed in many professional and amateur theatre productions as well as many guest appearances throughout New Zealand

Janine Huijsse

Janine has been involved in amateur theatre for the past 15 years, performing mainly at the Playhouse Theatre and Auckland Music Theatre.

Her most recent show was Les Miserables at the Playhouse Theatre last year where she was a company member and understudy for Madame Thenadier.

As well as being in amateur theatre she has been a lead singer in a 1950s to 1990s covers band but is now working towards her dream of singing traditional jazz.

Danielle White

Danielle is no stranger to the theatre scene. She performed in her first show at the age of six and has continued from then on.

She performed for three years as a troupe member on TV2’s McDonalds Young Entertainers, and went on to graduate in 2005 from Otago University with a music degree majoring in Classical Voice.

Since moving to Auckland last year she has played Serena in Fame, Cosette in Les Miserables and Sandy in Grease. She learns from the renowned Janice Webb and is looking forward to her first show with Pilgrim.

PIPPIN THE MUSICAL

scenes and musical numbers

Scene 1: THE OPENING

Magic to do    Leading Player and Company

Corner of the sky    Pippin

Scene 2: HOME

Welcome home    Charles and Pippin

Scene 3: WAR

War is a science    Charles, Pippin and Company

Glory     Leading Player and Company

Scene 4: THE FLESH

Corner of the sky (reprise)    Pippin

Simple joys    Leading Player

No time at all    Berthe and Company

Scene 5: REVOLUTION

Spread a little sunshine    Fastrada

Morning glow    Pippin and Company

Scene 5 continues

Scene 6: ENCOURAGEMENT

The right track    Leading Player and Pippin

Scene 7: HEARTH

There he was    Catherine

Kind of woman    Catherine

Everyday life section

Extraordinary    Pippin

Back at the hearth

Love song    Pippin and Catherine

Corner of the sky (reprise)    Pippin

I guess I’ll miss the man    Catherine

Scene 8: FINALE

Finale    Leading Player, Pippin, Fastrada and Company

the cast continued

Lynn Webster

This is Lynn’s third visit to Pilgrim; she was in Steel Magnolias in ’06 and The Whales of August in ’05.

Last year she was nominated for a NAPTA for her performance as Mrs Clackett in Noises Off at the Playhouse, Glen Eden, and she played the infuriating Vera in Stepping Out at the Harlequin in Howick.

Lynn is from the US. She has worked professionally in Chicago, Toronto, London, and New York but has loved living in Zealand for the past 10 years.

Ciarin Smith

Pippin is very much a challenge for Ciarin and he is really enjoying it. He has done a lot of singing, dancing and acting at school, and last year he played Ethan in The Full Monty.

That was directed by Anthony Carroll, and that was one of the reasons Ciarin decided to audition for Pippin.

He is working at National Bank this year to save up for his study. He plans to start a BA in psychology next year, and then wants to study performing arts.

Aidian Locke

Aidian is eight years old and is a complete newcomer to theatre, but he’s loving it. Pippin’s director Anthony Carroll is Aidian’s mother’s uncle and he thought Aidian might be just right for the role of Theo.

Has he done acting before? No.

Dancing?

Singing? Just at school assembly.

What sort of career does he think he might do?

Acting!

the company

our creative team

Director

Anthony Carroll

Anthony was delighted to head Pippin for Pilgrim as he has always had a soft spot for our society.

He first appeared for us in a church touring play, Christ in the Concrete City, in 1985, then in Florence, a musical based on the life of Florence Nightingale, Mass Appeal, Twelve Angry Men and Jeannie Once, about Irish immigrants in Dunedin in the 1800s.

His most recent appearance was as Parchester the family solicitor in Me and My Girl for Harlequin and Ben the gardener in Secret Garden for AMT.

Directing credits include Ladies Night, Big River and The Full Monty, all for AMT.

Anthony leaves us to appear in Red Hot & Cole, a review about the life and music of Cole Porter at Harlequin and will direct South Pacific for Playhouse at the end of the year. A very busy man.

Music director

Catherine Carr

Catherine has worked as a repetiteur, vocal coach and musical director around Auckland and Manawatu, in professional and community theatre for 20 years.

Her favourites include Fame, Les Miserables, Dames at Sea, King and I, Tilly, Cabaret, Stretch and most recently Grease. She has taught piano and music theory since 1992.

As a dance accompanist, she plays regularly for studios, including L’Academie de Danse and Auckland Academy of Dance, and she accompanies ballet classes at Unitec’s Bachelor of Performing Arts, Contemporary Dance degree.

Catherine is also is the vocal tutor for the Apollo Theatre School, devising the curriculum for the vocal component of the two-year Diploma in Musical Theatre.

Choreographer

James Davies

James is a big find for Pippin. This is his first time as choreographer for a full-blown musical and he says it’s a really good experience, a new challenge and a bit of fun.

Before that he had done some jazz choreography, some random small shows and some dance school products at Apollo Theatre School.

He has just finished his diploma at Apollo. He came along to the Pippin auditions “just for a look”. His singing teacher at Apollo, Catherine Carr, was musical director for Pippin and he says: “I got talked into it. I’m glad I did.”

He started dancing at about eight; he’s now 18. He started with jazz, branched into ballet, tap, break dancing, ballroom, “pretty much the whole shebang”.

He also started musical theatre school when he was about eight.

Is he going to make a career of choreography?

“It’s going to be part of it. I want to make a career out of everything: drama, singing, dancing, on stage as well as TV and movies.”

in appreciation

We would also like to express our appreciation for help given by:

Auckland Music Theatre

Manukau Performing Arts Theatre

Centrestage Theatre Co

Rev Stan Goudge

Harlequin Theatre

the production team

Director    Anthony Carroll

Musical director    Catherine Carr

Choreographer    James Davies

Production manager    Bruce Weston

Stage manager    Mary Boyd

Assistant stage manager    Glenda Matchett

Set design    Peter Carr

Set builders    Peter Carr, Neil Lobb, Chris Webb, Glen Wallace

Wardrobe design    Gwyneth Glover

Wardrobe assistants    Ilene Bone, Marion Neller and Richard Glover

Lighting design    David Powell

Lighting operators    David Powell, Des Hudson, Peter Carr and Lisa Inman-Emery

Properties    Peter Carr, Bruce Weston

Stage crew    Ryan Stevens

Graphics    Russell and Judi McKenzie

Photography    David Hines

Publicity    The committee

Bookings    Elsie Neller

Front of house    Kathy and Neil Lobb

Programme    David Hines

the band

Conductor    Andrew Christie

Keyboard    Catherine Carr

Percussion, keyboard & reed    Ashley Kingham

Drums    Phil Wiley

Trombone    Roy Wiley

Trumpet    Kristy Brook

Guitar    Richard Mahoney, Dan Sharkley