Pippin - Director’s Note

Discovering the work of Bob Fosse as a young person was a landmark in the course of my artistic journey. His fearless authenticity, brazen individuality and revolutionary approach to the power of art in society awarded me the freedom to trust my own artistic instincts and continually push the limits and boundaries of my own creativity. It has been my overwhelming honor and privilege to hopefully pass that same spirit onto this group of fearless artistic warriors.

Tonight you will see pieces of his original work which were passed down to me from the artists who worked with Mr. Fosse and now set upon the next generation of powerful and charged young artists. Choreography is a living, breathing piece of history. It is a direct lifeline to Mr. Fosse himself and all those who gave their artistry to Pippin over the years. Tonight that very energy is alive in these incredible, gifted and inspirational young artists.

When I first saw Pippin in my formative years I was far too young to grasp the power, poignancy and depth of the piece. It has been a tremendous adventure now, with “a few” years behind me, to revisit Pippin and discover not only its vast examination of the human condition but its timeless shelf life in relation to the world around us. Just as Pippin did when it opened on Broadway in 1972, now almost 50 years later, its unique depictions of war, violence, corruption, media and abuse of power are staggeringly relevant in the world we now live.

At the heart of Pippin is the profound examination of the human spirit and it’s constant quest for fulfillment, acceptance and validation and at what length and cost we will go to find it. These personal battles and struggles to live our best life’s present different for each us all whether it be in regards to representation, race, gender, sexual orientation, mental illness, success, love and manifest in both our public and private arenas.

These answers are not always easy to find or struggles quick to resolve. What Pippin does remind us that sometimes the things that bring us the most strength and happiness are much closer than we often see.

Enjoy the show and I hope Pippin’s journey encourages you to celebrate, big and small, that which is extraordinary in yourself and all those around you. In the end we all deserve our Corner Of The Sky.