Buies Creek—Fairy tale, fable, recipe for happiness, the hit musical “Pippin” captivated audiences on Broadway for many years. Now, the Theatre Arts Department brings the fabled musical to the Campbell stage, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-25; Thursday and Friday, Oct. 30-31, and Saturday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. in the Ellis Theatre of the Taylor Bott Rogers Fine Arts Center. For ticket information contact the Campbell University Box Office at 910.893-1509.
Set to the score of three-time Oscar-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell,” “Children of Eden,” and the animated films “Pocahontas” and the “Hunchback of Notre Dame”), “Pippin is a hip, tongue-in-cheek fairy tale about a young prince’s quest to discover the secret of true happiness. He seeks fulfillment in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power. But in the end, Pippin discovers his true happiness lies in the simple pleasures of home and family.
Adding to the play’s excitement are show-stopping choreography and songs such as “Magic to Do,” “Glory,” “On the Right Track” and the favorite sing-a-long, “No Time at All.”
“This is truly a unique and vibrant cast, of which the players are simply one of many significant parts,” said Keith Hight, Technical Director and professor of Theatre Arts. “The cast’s dedication to this project and ability to handle any situation that was thrown at them (the first rehearsal was during a hurricane) has made it a joy to be part of the experience. This is a great family show.”
Cast in the title role of Pippin is Tom Besade, of Oakdale, Ct.. James Davis, of Fayetteville, plays the narrator of the story; Jon Fitts, of Raleigh, is Pippin’s father Charlemagne; Joanna Jones, of Kinston, is his stepmother Fastrada; and Catherine Kelly, of Dunn, plays Pippin’s love interest, Catherine. Vickie Wade, of Dunn, plays Pippin’s mother Berthe and Matthew Cameron Coleman of Cerro Gordo, plays Fastrada’s dimwitted son Lewis. Also part of the cast is Carter Godwin as Theo. Godwin, who will be sharing the role with Jaden Hight, was in the hit HBO mini series “John Adams.”