Opening Night

The opening night of "Pippin" proved to be a night of surprises with cannons of confetti, the threat of testicles being lit on fire, a nine-year-old yelling, "That's not a duck, dumbass!", and a program warning "some material may be inappropriate for young children-please use discretion."

Entering the Alexander Twilight Theatre, the audience was greeted by tunes from the 1970's and a slideshow of memorabilia from the 1978 cast of "Pippin". By 7 p.m., nearly the entire front section of the theater was filled with the parents of cast members, students, alumni, and community members.

The actors and actresses played out the story of Pippin who is lost in life and desperately seeking a place where he belongs. He is misunderstood by many a person, including his own father. At times, it seems as though the lead player, played by Dave Daley, doesn't even know what to make of Pippin, himself.

The characters were garbed in 70's style clothing, complete with bell-bottom jeans and loud colors. Pippin, played by Daniel Haycook, was dressed in pants resembling a patchwork quilt, while Fastrada, played by Sarah Warren, was clad in a leopard leotard and a tasseled skirt.  While singing the musical number "Glory", the lead player was dressed almost entirely in black, right down to a black fedora and black nail polish. As a clever way of setting this musical in the time period of the Vietnam War, army jackets and rifles were added, along with red lighting and a movie projection of the war behind the dancers.

The choreography was well planned and rehearsed, with only a few lagging moments. Despite a few instance of repetitive dance moves, there were two memorable dances that come to mind. When the troops are preparing for battle, the choreography really depicts just how out of the loop Pippin really is. While Pippin is kicking right, the rest of the army is kicking left. Next, when things get hot and heavy between Pippin and Catherine, played by Jacqueline Laviolette, two dancers are depicting the "big moment", in the background behind the bed. And, if that's not enough, two cannons of confetti should cast away any remaining doubt as to what is really happening in that bed on stage.

The music performed by the orchestra was especially commendable, as they were able to capture and convey the emotions of the scenes: in battles and in the bedroom. While there are songs that will remain in my head for the next few days, some I found myself yawning through and others, I just plain couldn't hear the words from the front row.

Right from the very first lines spoken, as members of the cast moved through the audience determining if this was a good venue for their theater troupe, the cast desperately worked to promote audience involvement. Their first attempt was a slight failure when trying to get the audience to join in singing "No Time at All". Nevertheless, the characters constantly spoke directly to the crowd, never forgetting that we were there.

The finale was equally as surprising as the rest of the play prior: with a shocking decision on Pippin's part and final song that may blow your mind. It was after this finale that the Twilight Players earned a standing ovation from the audience at the conclusion of their opening night.