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Pippin at the Thomaston Opera House
There have been a number of misconceptions about the life of Pippin, son of 8th century King Charlemagne—one that he was completely bald at the age of 17, another that he held the world record for the highest number of consecutive cartwheels (3,758 in 12 hours, 46 minutes), and still another that he only wore clothing made of kelp.
Please, cast these and other strange ideas aside and let the Thomaston Opera House point you in the right direction. Pippin, the musical by Steven Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson, will be presented at the Thomaston Opera House on Fridays and Saturdays, September 21, September 27-28 and October 4-5 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, September 22, September 29 and October 6 at 2 p.m. Featuring such notable musical numbers as "Magic To Do," "Corner of the Sky" and "War Is a Science," Pippin is an unusual, tongue-in-cheek musical comedy that follows the everyman character, Pippin, as he encounters bump after bump in the road on his quest for true happiness and fulfillment.
Prince Pippin longs to discover the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. He fights on a bloody battlefield, explores the temptations of the flesh, engages in the realm of politics, yet all his pursuits leave him dissatisfied and empty. Pippin's exploits ultimately remind us that joy is found as we travel the road of life. The search for personal satisfaction is not necessarily a reality at which we arrive, but rather a process that carries us along a path filled with unexpected surprises.
Biting humor, slick choreography and soaring musical numbers distinguish Pippin as a staple of American musical theatre, a show that has, unfortunately, been largely overlooked by today's theatrical community. The original production, which debuted in 1972 and ran for over 2,000 performances, won Bob Fosse a Tony for directing and wrote Ben Vereen, Jill Clayburgh and Anne Reinking into the annals of Broadway legend.
The Thomaston Opera House production features Troy Talamelli of West Haven as the Leading Player, William Brown of Monroe as Pippin and Brian Pierce of Terryville as Charlemagne, while Amy Wolk of Torrington plays the devious and cunning Fastrada. Other cast members include Cathy Wilcox of Milford as Catherine, Jack Crocicchia of Litchfield as Theo, Kathy Cook of Middletown as Berthe, and Keith Winegar as the Head. The production is directed and choreographed by Sharon A. Wilcox with musical direction by David Irvine.
Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 on the day of the performance, and can be reserved by calling the box office at 860-283-6250.
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