Sets. Costumes. Lights. Magic. They’ve actually got all of those things. Which is pretty dang impressive all things considered. Artistic Synergy of Baltimore is razzle-dazzling with their current production of Pippin, directed by Broadus Nesbitt with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans and Choreography by Samantha Reynolds. Lending itself to the cobbled-together nature that church-basement-community theatre is often expected to present, this production of Pippin sets the bar high with its full and resonant ensemble, chock-a-block with talent, and its simple yet entertaining concept-of-placement— right in the grooving throng of the 70’s.
Sets— okay so that may be a stretch to say that there is one. But there is scenery! (credited to no one in particular so we’ll go with The Director in this case.) There’s a distressed wooden chair with an orange lounge-chair-pillow brass-studded onto its back to create a throne. And some colorful wooden benches. It’s all smoke and mirages and mirages you can touch but the simplicity and gentle, hokey nature of it really lends itself to the essence that is Pippin.
Lights— Broadus Nesbitt, who serves not only as the show’s director but lighting designer and costumer (assisted by the cast and Melissa Fortson), has got that covered. Lots of pinks, blues, purples, and other glowing colors to illuminate the emotions of the musical numbers and scenes, all of which glow against the curtain draped across the back of the stage (which conveniently also hides the orchestra, at least from view. They were so amped up for their press-night-preview performance that individuals living on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge could hear their volume!)
Costumes— that’s Nesbitt (with assists from the cast and Melissa Fortson) as well. And you get an undeniable 70’s flavor. Flare-legged palazzo pants, lots of burnt orange and crispy yellow color palettes; midriff-halter-tie tops, and a metric butt-ton of paisley and floral patterns. It lends itself to settling into the 70’s and away from the circus. Even Pippin gets to look like a slick-rick 70’s figure with his pastel floral long-sleeve shirt and too-cool-for-school denims.
Magic— Nesbitt has got that covered too. Though that’s 210% a trio of combined effort from Broadus Nesbitt, Musical Director Charlotte Evans, and Choreographer Samantha Reynolds. Worry not, circus enthusiasts, while Nesbit places the show in a cloud of 70’s magic, there are still plenty of nods to Pippin’s more circus-origins, with some acrobatics happening from various and sundry members of the ensemble. Reynolds infuses the choreography with Vaudeville-inspired moves, a great deal of jazz hands and some more ‘70’s style steps’ that are lightly reminiscent of Fosse-choreography without being too intense or beyond the capability of the cast. With 17 players in the performance in total, both Reynolds and Nesbitt do an excellent job of keeping the stage from appearing too crowded. They utilize the outward aisles of the house as well as the space immediately on the floor at the front of the stage’s apron.
There’s also a truly striking “full-circle” moment at the end of the show, where Nesbitt echoes back and repeats the opening blocking/entrance choreography, as if to further the implication that “the show must go on…no matter what…” and given the way Pippin ends (sorry, no spoilers, if you somehow haven’t ever seen it before) it sends a little shiver up the spine. Nesbitt encourages the ensemble to play and have fun, as if they really are a troupe of traveling performers, rolling through this haunted life trying to collect new ‘star-features’ at every stop on their tour.
Charlotte Evans— astonishingly conducting the pit (with an assist from Patty DeLisle) whilst also playing a supporting role in the show (and being choreographed into a group ensemble or number or two…and I’ve heard of multitasking but this just about takes the cake!)— has got magic to do, in spades might I add, just for you! And magic she does. Evans ensemble comes together sublimely (when they can be heard be heard over the somewhat overly zealous and enthusiastic pit musicians! Hey, it’s not their fault that they’ve got two talented pit conductors that they’re trying to impressive with their volume that could wake up the eastern shore!) with gorgeous harmonious blends, balanced tone, and excellent emotional control in the musical numbers. Working with Nesbitt’s concept and the original Stephen Schwartz music and lyrics, Evans gets this vocal river rambling with a righteous sound. And her pit plays in tempo, in time, and in tune. Loudly. The pit (featuring Patty DeLisle on keys, Kyle Bittle on percussion, Andrew Baker on bass, Peter Weitzmann on guitar, David Booth Jr. on reed1, Jamie Kim on reed2, Wesley Freeman on trumpet, Harry Swartz on trombone, Rachel Daudelin on violin) is a crucial component of the show’s success, giving the ensemble that added boost of liveliness with each musical number.
The show’s ensemble— Sophia Basso, Kayla Byrd, Shayla Greenblatt, Kara Kaskel, James D. Lefkowitz, Aaron Partin, Eli Petersen, Samantha Reynolds, Theo Scully— gel extremely well together; they have these little moments in various music numbers and scenes where they just feel as if they are authentically engaging in ‘good times’ with one another. Keep your eye out for the “split-pop” twins, Kara Kaskel and choreographer Samantha Reynolds, who do the duet-triet-quartet dance during “With You” (that number also features Pippin and Aaron Partin.) Partin can also be spotted as the sassy, mouthy “Visigoth-Head-in-a-Box” after Pippin’s first battle. His facial reactions and comic timing are priceless. And you won’t be able to take your eyes off of Sophia Basso either. She finds hilarious ways to chew scenery and has the audience’s eyes wandering to her to see what she’s up to in all of the ensemble moments; she’s a very engaging performer.
Living up to the epitome of machismo flamboyance bedecked in 70’s slime, Arthur Green is reveling in that role of Lewis like a magical disco ball. The dance moves that he gets up to with Fastrada (Angela Cava) are hilarious bordering on ‘the ick’ (which feels right at home for the Fastrada-Lewis dynamic.) Cava, who gets to put her vocal prowess on display during “Spread a Little Sunshine” plays up the caricature notions of the ‘wife-of-Charlemagne’ with ease, making the bit part pop and sparkle with charm.
As for the aforementioned king Charlemagne, Eliyahu Kheel is vibing with the ‘power verve’ of the character and proving he’s got vocal panache for miles. Though Charlemagne only gets the one number, “War Is Science”, you get to hear Kheel’s lovely vocals there. His character work is wildly entertaining, particularly when he’s trying to shut Pippin down from accompanying him and brawns-for-brains Lewis off to war with the Visigoths. Both the crown-sunglasses combo that Kheel wears as Charlemagne and that hideodeous hand-bedecked breast-plate armor that Green wears as Lewis really sets the humorous tone for this production.
Arriving in the second act with a lackluster (though totally intentionally scripted) entrance, Elizabeth Ryan makes for a delightful and delicate Catherine. It’s the interactions with Leading Player that can make or break a Catherine character and while Ryan’s Catherine is clearly intimidated by Leading Player, she holds her own and it makes the audience cheer for her. There’s a gentle grace which Ryan exudes in this role and her singing voice is dulcet and sweet both for her very sincere acapella-come-acoustic solo “Guess I’ll Miss the Man” and “Kind of Woman.” She shows just enough maternal instincts toward Theo (Kristen Sauder, who spends the first half of the show blended away in the ensemble) that the character pairing is believable even though both actors appear to be similar in age. Sauder, who plays the mouthy and spunky Theo, is a diamond in the rough who you really get to see sparkle in the very final moments of the show and not just because of her glittery fairy-hair.
Stealing the show with her cameo number, Charlotte Evans slides into the scene work as Berthe, doting grandmother with that New York-by-way-of-Jersey sound and sensibility. She’s cheeky, edgy, and her comic timing zings with a little punch. Vocally, she’s radiant for “No Time at All”, a far more boisterous and lively sound from a ’66 year old character’ but hey, age is just a number, isn’t it? The facial expressions she pulls when encouraging the audience to sing along with this number— and promptly shutting them up when she decides she’s had enough— are hilarious and overall her performance is as sparkly as that hidden sequin jumpsuit that she bursts out wearing during her big-break-scene.
With a butter voice, Asa Kienitz-Kincade makes for a perfect Pippin. He looks just the right age, looks and acts a little confused, but has this really lovely sound that just burbles through “Corner of the Sky”, soars through “Extraordinary”, and drifts through “With You.” Even the ooey-gooey love song, literally called “Love Song” that Kienitz-Kincade shares with Elizabeth Ryan’s Catherine sounds sweet and lands sincerely on the ear. There’s a really beautiful moment in Kienitz-Kincade’s performance— when the ‘finale’ is finally approached. The ensemble swirls around him and you can watch this complexly nuanced struggle play out in his eyes and on his facial features. It looks like he’s actually considering it, despite knowing everything about it feels wrong; it’s a fascinating moment to engage with. Kienitz-Kincade finds levels for Pippin and keeps him grounded and balanced despite the tendency for the character to drift off into ‘rock-star-arrogance’ territory.
Brittany Trexler is Leading Player. Brittany Trexler is not amazing. (Told her that to her face.) She’s phenomenal, largely because you have absolutely no idea what delightfully animated expression is going to cross her face, carry through her body, and burst out into her voice. She keeps you charmingly disarmed so that you don’t quite know what to expect from her— yet you know 100% not to trust her. Like a true smoke-n-mirrors-carnie-barker, you feel drawn to give her your money but know you’re going to end up with half your soul trapped in some little potion bottle she’s going to carry around for all eternity. When she flings herself casually over King Charlemagne’s throne, as if she’s the cat of the castle and owns the place, it’s wild to observe. When she’s trying to put the hellfire fear into Catherine for daring to sing where there “isn’t a song” it’s scary. And when she’s flipping, popping, wheeling, and split-dropping during multiple different numbers throughout the performance, it’s both remarkable and astonishing. There is a confidence in Trexler that is viral; the rest of the ensemble feeds on her energy and that translates into their movements and their choreographic execution. Did I mention she’s got a striking and powerful voice? (Even the overly loud band can’t shut her out!) And she develops a unique playfulness with each of the characters with which she interacts; it’s a very impressive approach to the character.
Tomorrow may be for you but it’s still today. Yes, but for how long? Well for six performances, give or take; and if you put off for tomorrow what you could be seeing today, this production of Pippin may run where it can ramble right on out of town. Get your tickets to see this impressive production before it closes on March 9th.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission
Pippin plays through March 9th 2025 with Artistic Synergy of Baltimore at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church— 8212 Philadelphia Road in Rosedale, MD. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.
