Overview
Synopsis
As told by a traveling troupe of actors led by the cunning and charming Leading Player, Pippin is the story of a young prince, heir to the throne, who is searching for his own “corner of the sky.” Pippin returns from university certain that he will find a fulfilling purpose in life. As encouraged by the Leading Player, Pippin dabbles in bloody battle, licentious and lusty sexual entanglements, and saavy political maneuvers, only to discover that true happiness is more complicated than he thought. With infectious tunes by Stephen Schwartz and classic choreography from Bob Fosse, Pippin is both a humorous allegory about growing up and a dark tale of the danger of false appearances and empty promises.
Show Information
Context
The idea for the musical Pippin was sparked when Stephen Schwartz was in college at Carnegie Mellon. He learned the story of “Pippin the Hunchback,” a prince who launched a campaign against his father, Charlemagne, during the middle ages. Upon graduation, he pitched the show to Harold Prince, who recommended that Schwartz add a section that takes place after Charlemagne’s murder. Pippin evolved into a story about a young man trying to find himself and his purpose -- written just as Schwartz
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Act One
The curtain opens, revealing the face of the Leading Player, who welcomes the audience. One by one, players from a traveling theatre troupe join the Leading Player, breaking the fourth wall by singing directly to the crowd, and performing magic tricks, acrobatics, dance, and other spectacles. They inform the audience, “We have magic to do, just for you” (“Magic to Do”).
The Leading Player begins the story by introducing our hero, Pippin, the son of King Charles. He has just
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Interactive Character Map
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Character Portrayals
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Monologues
Songs
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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
The Search for an Extraordinary Life vs. The Beauty of the Ordinary
The central conflict driving the entire musical is Pippin’s relentless pursuit of a life that is completely "extraordinary." Driven by existential dread and the terrifying fear of being average, Pippin bounces from one extreme path to another—warfare, hedonism, political revolution, and domesticity—refusing to settle for anything less than absolute, spectacular fulfillment. This pursuit is ultimately revealed
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We've got magic to do, just for you. We've got miracle plays to play. We've got parts to perform, hearts to warm.
(Leading Player; Act 1/Scene 1)
As the very first lyric of the show, this line establishes the metatheatrical framework and sets a seductive trap for both the audience and Pippin. The Leading Player uses the word "we've," instantly drawing the audience into a collective, complicit group waiting to be entertained by a heavily scripted performance. By casually grouping "kings
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