Charlemagne’s first son’s search for a meaningful life, leaving a legacy of glory, propels the drama of Pippin. As a musical, it’s a child of the 1970s trying for a modern spin on the medieval morality play, specifically Everyman though actually it’s more like Mankind in freeFall Theatre’s production. It uses only seven actors (and a dog), makes some direct appeals to the audience, and contains pop musical and farcical diversions. The story has Pippin trying various ways to “find himself”—from soldiering to leading a peasants’ revolt to meeting a boy’s need for a father. He’s torn—not between body and soul as in moralities—but between searching and settling down. Though Daniel J. Maldonado is handsome, always active, and sings well, he doesn’t really seem to find any significant dilemmas of principle in his script. Eric Davis’s usually praiseworthy direction is hampered by a decision to have almost everyone doubling and tripling in a circusy milieu full of videos, curtains to be moved, lighting effects, and use of rolling canvas trunks usually containing props and costume bits. All activity takes place in the center stage from an entrance-exit on each end, with the audience sitting in rows on both sides, each sometimes having its own curtain that actors weave in and out of. There’s just too much scene shifting for them to do using all these things and special effects, though they work as smoothly as possible. Kellie Rhainne, designated as Leading Player in the program, actually basically supplies narration. That signifies a lot is not clear in Pippin’s story. Kellie tries to exert authority despite not really being given any in the book’s hodgepodge of a glimmer into history and its characters’ place in it. Matt McGee clearly has his job cut out for him as Charlemagne but hardly manages to convincingly come back from the dead. He’s a stitch, though, as a monstrously wigged Berthe, one of the queens (in every sense), and fills in chorus-like when needed. Beautiful Alison Burns makes Queen Catherine a real villain and brings the same tone to various walk-ons. As her son, Emmanuel Carrero becomes Pippin’s innocuous royal rival. Hannah Benitez is a widow and mother with good sense and with difficulty becomes doubly lovable. As her son Theo, Will Garrabrant has a winning way with Pippin as well as his Dog Brian, though less with a duck. Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics serve the show well enough, though I found only “Corner of the Sky” and “Take Time to Take Time” really memorable. Most songs appeared to me, no matter how well played, as if they belonged in a revue. That may be because some need more characters to dance to and chorus members to sing them.
