PIPPIN at BERKELEY PLAYHOUSE

Dates: (4/5/2019 - 5/19/2019 )

Theatre:

BERKELEY PLAYHOUSE

2640 College Avenue
BERKELEY,CA 94704

SUBMIT UPDATES

Nominated in 1972 for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and winning five of those coveted Awards, this hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale is based upon the life of Prince Pippin the Hunchback, the firstborn son of eighth century, Frankish king Charlemagne or Charles the Great, and invites audiences to join the fantastical journey of the rosy-cheeked prince famously looking for his “corner of the sky”. But his dad is a tyrannical bore, his step-mom is a Lady Macbeth in a mini skirt, and his half-brother Lewis is a twit. Returning home from school, Prince Pippin, sure of his superior qualities but lacking a purpose to which he can apply them, becomes a soldier for his father's army, but he gets upset by the killing and murders his father to stop the war. Finding he does not want to become the "puppet king" of discontented nobles in the Carolingian Empire, Pippin longs to discover the secret of true happiness and fulfillment. He is led by a mischievous Leading Player as he tries to find his place in life in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power. The youth's violent journey to fulfillment sets Pippin's quest into a tradition of psychological darkness, bringing an unusually creepy seriousness to Pippin's temptations and sinister machinations to the Leading Player. In the end, he finds the simple pleasures and domestic contentment of love, home and family is something to be quietly achieved. A rock opera filled with sex, S&M, and amputated limbs, this perky musical is meant to be at times unnerving and dark. Pippin is full of light pop music, magic, and soft-shoe dances, but it has one of the darkest and most complex themes in musical theater history.
Directed by John Thompson, Music Direction by Jeannie Cross.

Authors

News About PIPPIN at BERKELEY PLAYHOUSE

Complete Cast & Creative Announced for World Premiere of GODDESS, Starring Amber Iman & More at Berkeley Rep

July 21, 2022

Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced the full cast and creative team for the world premiere musical, Goddess. The musical stage production is conceived and directed by Saheem Ali, music and lyrics by Michael Thurber, and written by Jocelyn Bioh. Previews begin Saturday, August 13, and the show runs through Sunday, September 25.

PARADISE SQUARE Earns More TBA Award Nominations Than Any New Musical; Full List!

September 21, 2019

Theatre Bay Area, one of the largest regional performing arts service organizations in North America, has announced the finalists of the 2019 TBA Awards. The sixth-annual TBA Awards Celebration will take place on Monday, Nov. 4 at the Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco).

Berkeley Playhouse To Present The Dazzling Musical Tale PIPPIN

March 11, 2019

Berkeley Playhouse continues their eleventh season of soul-stirring professional theater with the charming, enchanting, and dazzling Pippin. From the composer of Wicked comes this musical parable about the cyclical paths one can take to find what is right in front of them. Prince Pippin, son of King Charlemagne the Great, is on a quest for the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. Unable to gain insight from his father, Pippin decides that experience and adventure is the path to enlightenment. He heads into war as a soldier, explores relationships without love, tries his hand at artistry-he even becomes the king of the land! And yet happiness eludes Pippin. As narrated by a troupe of magical performers, this exuberant journey of existential fulfillment is one of Broadway's enduring classics-and a true musical masterpiece from one of our most celebrated composers.

More Local Shows

Add a San Francisco Show Listing

Videos

View all Videos

SAN FRANCISCO / BAY AREA SHOWS


		Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Ray of Light Theatre (6/1 - 6/23) LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN NEW MUSICAL
		A Strange Loop American Conservatory Theater (4/18 - 5/12) PHOTOS
		San Francisco Playhouse 4-Ticket FlexPass San Francisco Playhouse (11/16 - 9/7)
		Chicago Plethos Productions (5/30 - 6/2)
		The Cher Show Curran Theatre (6/17 - 6/23)
		Emigres & Exiles in Hollywood: The Album Berkeley Piano Club (6/15 - 6/15)
		Back to the Future: The Musical Orpheum Theatre (2/12 - 3/9)
		Soul Mates Phoenix Theater (5/26 - 5/26)
		TheBoxSF TheBoxSF (11/11 - 11/11)
VIEW SHOWS ADD A SHOW FIND A JOB


News on your favorite shows, specials & more!