Broadway hit and Tony Award-winning musical “Pippin” had the Wharton Center roaring with laughter Tuesday night.
In 2013 “Pippin” won four Tony Awards, including best musical revival. The show has returned to Broadway a full 40 years after it first hit the stage.
With music scored by Stephen Schwartz, the composer of “Wicked,” and breathtaking acrobatics performed by Les 7 Doigts De La Main, “Pippin” is a popular show.
Bob Hoffman, Wharton Center public relations manager, said “Pippin” is filled with wonderful music and amazing choreography.
“Entertaining characters are going to make you laugh out loud, the awe-inspiring acrobatics and show-stopping numbers are going to keep you on the edge of your seat,” Hoffman said.
He said it also tells a story everyone can relate to. “Pippin” tells the tale of a young prince who searches everywhere to find meaning in his existence. The prince looks for meaning in glory, lust, power and finally, in the mundane.
“I think at one point in our lives we have all said, ‘What am I doing with my life?’” Hoffman said.
Hoffman said a lot of students are still trying to figure out what they are trying to be when they grow up, just as Pippin is doing.
Journalism senior Miguel Martinez said he enjoyed the circus and acrobatic aspects of the show, which made the show extremely entertaining.
“I like how sexy it is, and it’s young and really energetic,” Martinez said.
He said the song “Corner of the Sky” resonated with him because after graduating, a student truly does have to find their corner of the sky and figure out the path that’s right for them.
“I’m a senior here at MSU and I’m about to graduate. It’s one of those things where we spent so much of our lives in school, working toward the goal of graduation, that when you graduate you do kind of have to find yourself,” Martinez said.
Communication junior Tess Russo said she appreciated the “live in the moment theme of ‘Pippin.’”
“You only go through college once and it’s easy to get so focused, but you have to have some fun too,” Russo said.
She said she loves to live in the moment despite the stress of the oncoming future.
“I don’t really know what I want to do yet ... I want to find something that I’m passionate about,” Russo said.
Kinesiology junior Claire Paxton said she felt a connection to Pippin because like him, she is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and it’s not always easy.
“That’s definitely something that we’re all going through,” Paxton said.
