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Literary Arts - Articles |
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By
Che’Rae Adams
Blog Entry #4-We've Got Magic To Do!
Hello. My name is Che’Rae. And… I am a
Pippa-holic….Hi Che’Rae!
I recently realized that I’m addicted to Pippin
by Stephen Schwartz. I see every single
production that I come across, in Los Angeles
and otherwise. I don’t care if it is part of
UCLA’s Reprise series, The Mark Taper Forum’s
season or at a local high school. I can’t help
it! After all, they’ve got magic to do! Just for
you!
I have asked myself the question many times-Why
must I see this show no matter who produces it
or how poor the quality may be? Basically they
could throw poo on the show and I would still
give it a standing ovation. I realize now that I
must seek help with this addiction or it could
effect me for the rest of my life!
It turns out that the first step in my recovery
is admitting that I have a problem. That is the
easy part-I admit it! The next 12 steps were a
lot harder. I even got a sponsor. It turns out
that one of the steps is reaching into my past
and discovering the deep rooted reasons that I
have to see Pippin. As I reached back, a
suppressed memory was revealed. When I was in
Jr. High School, I was invited to see a
production of Pippin by one of my best friends,
Zirka Keske, who was an inspiring dancer. In the
dark recesses of my mind, I could barely make
out flashes of the brightly colored costumes,
sexy dancers, and fabulous music. There was
slight of hand, a duck puppet, and people of all
ages in the show! There were even half naked
cute boys, especially the one who played Pippin!
In fact, I think I might have kissed him after
the show at the cast and crew party as I hung
out with Zirka who was just fabulous in the
chorus!
This early memory of Pippin, might explain where
the roots of my addiction lie. Afterall, Pippin
is not only for all ages, but it has characters
of all ages, ranging from 10 years old to 60.
Everyone can relate to the story, because it has
a fairytale structure and it has a sense of
humor about itself. The music is unforgettable
and timeless, a true masterpiece by the author
of Godspell and Wicked. The title song “We’ve
Got Magic to Do” symbolizes what I think the
theatre is all about-the ability to transport
the audience to magical places just for them.
We’ve got magic to you, just for you
We’ve got miracle plays to play
We’ve got parts to perform, hears to warm
Kings and things to take by storm
As we go along our way
Pippin’s solo “Corner of the Sky” has been done
to death at every musical theater audition in
the country, but it has a special place in my
heart as an anthem to self awareness, prosperity
and growth.
Rivers belong where they can ramble
Eagles belong where they can fly
I’ve got to be where my spirit can run free
Got to find my corner of the sky
The entire concept of the show hinges on the
actors as “players” which is a nice echo to
Shakespeare’s famous idea that “All the world is
a stage and we are merely players”. But by far
the most poignant part of the script is when
Pippin decides that he wants his life to be
“something more than long” and is offered the
chance to make a real difference in the world if
he sacrifices himself by jumping into a pit of
fire. Pippin discovers in that moment that life
is to be shared with someone you love and who
loves you, and does not necessarily need to be
“extraordinary” to be fulfilling.
Last week I had the pleasure of seeing Deaf
West’s version of Pippin at the Mark Taper
Forum. Who would have thought that the added
layer of ASL would resonate with me so much? It
makes perfect sense actually-what better thing
to take away from Pippin in the end but his
voice? The concept of two Pippins, one deaf and
one hearing, allowed for Pippin to have moments
where his inner conflict was literalized. In the
end, this production of Pippin fed my addiction
because it is everything that I feel theatre
should be-magical, sexy, wildly entertaining,
and in the end, it gives us something to think
about.
(Che’Rae Adams is a freelance director and the
Producing Artistic Director of the Los Angeles
Writers Center. Log onto
www.lawriterscenter.com for more information
or you can contact her at
info@lawriterscenter.com. She dedicates this
blog entry to her friend William Katt.
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