'Pippin' hot
By Sally Carpenter sallyc@theacorn.com

YOUNG MAN'S JOURNEY- The cast of Camarillo Community Theatre's production of "Pippin" brings the Tony Award-winning musical to the local stage. Performances run through July 27. For information, call (805) 388-5716.

For your summertime enjoyment, Camarillo Community Theatre amazes with the rarely produced musical "Pippin," which deserves attention.

The title character is the eldest son of King Charlemagne, empire builder of the first century A.D. Any resemblance between the historical Pippin and the stage character ends there. What transpires in the show has no basis in fact, and why this obscure person was selected to anchor a Broadway musical is a mystery.

But what an engaging show. On one hand, it's a meaningoflife morality play. It's also a satire on the follies of war and the ineffectiveness of government. In a nod to the current presidential campaign, Pippin dons a straw hat decorated with a red, white and blue ribbon, and pledges to bring "change" to the people.

The play's a drama about family relationships and a lesson on bad parenting: Pippin's father can't get beyond pleasantries to hold an intimate conversation with his son. It's a love story. It has sex and hedonism, laughs and tender moments.

The show begins on an empty stage with the cast dressed in black except for luminous white gloves that glow in the dark. There's very little set or furniture, but the bright costumes and flashy dancing provide eye appeal.

Gabriel Corbin portrays The Leading Player, a narrator who guides the audience through the story, admonishes and encourages the actors, and performs magical sleightofhand. Corbin is a fireball of a dancer and a dynamo of a singer. He reminded me of Ben Vereen, who, interestingly enough, originated the role on Broadway.

Pippin (Adam DeWinter), heir to Charlemagne's (Jeff Wallach, this weekend; Paul Babb, thereafter) throne, returns home after completing his education- appropriate for this season when college graduates find themselves adrift in the world.

The play's theme is Pippin's search for fulfillment. He experiments with a variety of occupations and recreation, but none is satisfying. He serves as a professional soldier, like his dumb but strong stepbrother Lewis (Bryan Seabert). When that fails, he turns to politics, but finds that fair governing is harder in practice than in theory.

Pippin's grandmother Bertha (Juanita Seavey) tells Pippin to relax and enjoy life, and indeed he does by exploring the pleasures of the flesh- but even that leaves him empty.

His stepmother, Fastrada (Candace Gray; Wendy Babb, July 4 weekend), schemes to put her son Lewis on the throne. This interesting subplot is abruptly abandoned in Act Two. It's disconcerting that the play's creators (book by Roger O. Hirson, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) chose to ignore this story line rather than resolve it.

Act Two centers around Catherine (Stine Odegard), a wealthy widow who finds the despairing Pippin. She needs a man to help work her estate and as Pippen does this, he finds himself drawn to her and her little boy, Theo (Elijah Holmes). But is love enough to fulfill Pippin's longings?

The acting is fine all around. DeWinter is an appealing Pippin, although one might get impatient with his relentless soul-searching. Seabert tackles his role with gusto. Holmes is cute as Theo, and Odegard is charming as the love interest.

The choreography by Jeff Wallach is lively and shows the strong influence of Bob Fosse (who choreographed the original Broadway show). The chorus of singers/dancers- Emalie Ferguson, Chris Mahr, Megan Rayzor and Jenna Wedemeyer- add zing to the production.

Seavey is in good voice as Bertha, but she could push the envelope a bit and have more fun with her character.

Audio-visual projections are used to good effect. During Bertha's song "No Time At All," the chorus lyrics are projected for a singalong. Unfortunately, the actors stand in front of the screen and the words aren't visible.

The songs, while not as well known as the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein, are just as melodic and strong.

Due to strong language, adult themes and a choreographed orgy scene, the show is not recommended for young children.

In the end, Pippin completes his quest, but not the way we might expect. Even the Leading Player is surprised and angered by the conclusion. Perhaps the point of the show is not what happens to Pippin, but how each of us in the audience find purpose and meaning in our own lives.

The show runs two and a half hours and continues weekends through July 27. The theater is at 330 Skyway Drive, inside the Camarillo Airport. For information or tickets, call (805) 388-5716.