It's cool to see this performance without the circus theme; it shows you how two directors had two different views on the same show, and how they both succeeded in creating it their way. I don't have a favorite, personally, because I like them both.
And it also shows that the material is so thin that collaborators needed to come up with gimmicks. The first sold sex, the second sold a Cirque de Soleil type show. I hated the original, pretentious and boring. There was a reason it was not revived for so long...someone had to come up with a new gimmick.
That's what I love about live theater. It can change when they change actors. A when you have a WELL WRITTEN show with excellent music, the possibilities are endless. There are so many examples of great pieces which evolves with each new incarnation. Although I LOVED the original, when I saw the revival, I was stunned. Unfortunately, I have only seen the revival on RUclips. But I will never forget seeing the original. Ben Vereen's performance sent chills up my spine.
@@richardmayora1289 The original was fantastic, and preceded Cirque du Soleil by over a decade. They both derive from the commedia dell’arte tradition: improvised harlequins and satire that used types of people rather than individual characters in song, pantomime, physical stunts, etc., to entertain. Vereen was brilliant, and it was a terrific show. Created during the Vietnam era, it was an anti-war protest along with a Candide-like commentary on values.
9 years ago? Don't know if you're still monitoring this feed, I also love this original production! (Personally though, I wouldn't want to see the recent version as I find the acrobatics unnecessary & distracting.)
I saw Pippin in its original run as a 13 year old struck by the magic of theater. I most remember Ben Vareen's career making performance hanging from the just off stage ladder's leaning into the action. It was mesmerizing. Last night I got to watch a Bergen County Players local theater production and was so impressed how the original production's electricity is still imbued by it. It not an overstatement to say how seminal this production was.
This musical and Mr. Vereen may very well be the most important thing that helped me get through my early teens. At the time this show opened, I was a student at a "prestigious" New England prep school. I was one of a handful of black students. AND, my previous school had been in segregated Birmingham, Alabama. Although the staff and faculty were very supportive. My problem was with my fellow students. I was trying things I had never dreamed of. I had just auditioned for a Shakespeare play. I don't remember which one. I do remember what my classmates said. My "friends" advised me not to sound black. The jerks just laughed and told me that there were no blacks in England. During spring break, I saw "Pippin." And there was this black guy (the leading player no less) who owned the stage. Ben Vereen was incredible. After that, I believed (and still believe) that I can do anything!
Are you sure it was at the Kennedy Center? Ryan died during the show's original run in 1973 after collapsing on stage at the regular theatre where it was running. I didn't know Ryan had appeared at the Kennedy Center.
I just saw Pippin as it is in previews.It is SENSATIONAL!!! The best show I've seen since Lion King and that's says something as I've seen many other shows in between. The singing, the dancing,the magic and the surprises that are in the show are all stupendous. I cannot wait to see it again. It is quite simply a gorgeous show. Buy,beg,borrow or steal tickets but go. It is a great show full of joy that will transport you.
It's interesting to me that some hate this new production just as much as others (like myself) absolutely love it! I love the way they've re-imagined this production. I was like a kid in a candy store and was enthralled every minute of the performance. To borrow and alter a old adage...."one person's crap is another person's theatrical treasure!" I was high for a couple of days after seeing this new production of "Pippin" !!
I LOVE this musical. Thank you, for putting up their 1973 TONY Award performance for everyone to see. I was just a baby, when this was originally on Broadway and before the amazing new revival made it back to NYC this year, I had only seen the Montreal production on VHS.
The 70s were not prehistoric. There were plenty of big budget shows and the technology, including huge turning sets, dated many, MANY years before this. I was alive to witness this. This was a new show at the time with its own approach to the material.
I saw Pippin in NYC when I was high school. Irene Ryan already was gone but John Rubenstein was there. It was so good that i ran out and bought the album!
I also saw it when I was in high school. Dorothy Stickney had taken over for Irene Ryan. Who was Dorothy Stickney? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Stickney Priscilla Lopez had taken over for Leland Palmer.
This was the first Broadway play my folks took me to in 1973. I was eight years old and when that beautiful girl appeared with the cowboy hat and placed Pippin's hand on her ass I yelled, "Yowza!" My sisters were totally pissed off at me but I think a few people around us laughed.
My first Broadway show as well. I think Michael Rupert may have been in it by then and I've loved him and Pippin since. (he was Marvin in the original production of Falsettos)
just got finished watching the 2013 performance, and what a difference. I do like the revival a lot but I can't say that it's better than this one. We just have a lot more we can do with stage now, but this is a gem :)) love to see old broadway stuff
Gotta have a gimmick, if you want to get ahead! You don't need circusy stage gimmicks like hula hoops and big bouncy balls when you have the original fosse choreography
Ben Vereen & Fosse! Gold! I never knew John Rubinstein played Pippin until now. I have the DVD with William Katt in the role. This was a great find. Thanks for posting.
Oh how I wish Leland Palmer was in more things, or that there was at least more footage of her in this role (she's the creepy pink-haired woman in this song, and would portray the queen in the play-within-the-play.) I guess some are just meant to be elusive gems, but at least there's bits and pieces of her in this, and her role in All That Jazz.
I have never seen this clip. Thank you so much for putting it up. Pippin was the first Broadway Musical I saw at the age of 9. I wish so much that I could go see the revival!
Saw a local performance of Pippin recently... suddenly I'm on a huge Vereen/Fosse kick (gee, I wonder why! Hehe) ...Ben Vereen must've been a perfectionist at the same level as Fosse... completely and utterly brilliant.
And, by the way, I DID see the original production of Pippin, as well. I enjoyed it, but have to say that this new incarnation is my favorite (although I will always have a soft spot in my heart of Irene Ryan!!)
This was the first Broadway show I ever saw, when I was 11 years old, in 1974. It was all magic, lighting, and the human body. I was totally gobsmacked. Brought my 10 year old, and two 13 year old kids to it last year, and it gave me a headache, although my daughters loved it. The old Broadway actors looked like human beings and had character. The new breed all look alike to me. Musicals I mean.
+Laurel Denver Everyone thinks that everything that came out when they were kids was the best. Your kids will say the same thing in 40 years about the version of Pippin they saw, lol.
One of my favorite shows. Was the first theatre performance I was ever in back in high school in the year 2000. It was an exhilarating experience. Ben is a total LEGEND. Fosse is incredible. And I love Diane Paulus’s reimagining with powerhouses like Patina, Andrea, and MJT (who was robbed of a Tony nom 🙄)... Q: Why has Pippin been left out of Tony noms... I sort of understand Ben and John since they were 2 leads and Ben’s was the showier perf. But Patina and Matthew were leads in different categories... Pippin is a fun role with great big songs for a strong 1st tenor...
It never struck me before, and I've watched this many times, but this has the same genius as the opening of "Funny Thing....Forum". Two welcoming numbers, instructing the audience what is about to take place, but so very different. And both iconically magical.
Funny. As I watched this, I had exactly the same thought. In the case of "Comedy Tonight," that number sort of saved the show. In previews, without that number, people were confused. But adding it made clear it was a raucous comedy.
I was the Leading Player in the touring company of Pippin as well as in a Dinner Theatre Production. While I like the fact that they stayed true to Bob Fosse's style and some of the original choreography (Mason Trio) I dislike the circus concept. The players are supposed to be Pippin's inner thoughts and Leading Player his subconscious. Placing it in a circus puts too much emphasis on the tricks and circus stunts vs. the figments of Pippins imagination.
That’s so cool but to each their own... but putting the circus in it makes so much sense and even watching this gives me circus vibes and it brought something different. That’s just me but I love both adaptations
I don’t know about you, but it sometimes feels like a circus in my head 😜... and Pippin is a teenager so I’m sure it’s a total chaotic mess up in that kid’s head 😂
I feel like the circus theme and Pippin's inner thoughts aren't mutually exclusive ideas. For the majority of the show, Pippin wants this magical, circus-like spectacle. He believes that he is extraordinary and is searching for something magical to give him purpose. At the end, when he realizes that what he's looking for doesn't exist, the Leading Player dismantles the whole production. As Pippin's subconscious, this further shows how he's letting go of his longing for magic. Not that I don't like the original version, I just don't think the circus vision messes up the original concept.
No one can ever imitate Bob Fosse. He was a true original and a true master. The singing in the original version of Pippin was poor by today's standards, but they got his choreography and movement style down cold.
How was it poor? Today's performers are all on mics. These performers were singing without any help and hitting the back wall. Two total different ways of singing. Today's performers would never be cast because no one would be able to hear them past the 3rd row.
Did you not see the number 1973? This kind of performance in the Tonies was the norm back then; of course you wouldn't expect the high-quality, eye-popping superstuff Broadway has today.
you guys have to remember that this was the 70's they didn't have the technology or budget to make this such a big production all they basically had were the stage an te actors not moving mechanical objects or huge set designs
There were big sets and big budgets in the 70s. Chicago, The Wiz, Follies, On the 2oth Century, Sugar, Mack and Mabel were just some of the big flashy shows from that era.
@@phillgreenland2390 The 1973 Tony Awards were actually performed at the Imperial Theater, where Pippin was performed. While this show featured rather minimalistic backdrops (with this number containing no backdrop, giving them less of a problem in that regard had they held the Tonys in a different theater) they likely had to accommodate the setup of the light curtain and the shape of the stage.
That’s because it’s flashier utilizes Cirque du Soliel’s style of circus acrobatics that amazes tourists in Las Vegas and casinos worldwide. Bob Fosse’s tone was much different and his staging and choreography had more subtext than just wowing people.
I don't know how anyone can put on a Fosse show and not use his choreography. Using gymnastics as a substitute for learning Fosse's moves, is just cheap.
This is too late but if you saw the clips to the revival, they use Fosse's style quite a bit and integrate it with the circus acrobats. They even recreated the Manson Trio.
I actually really really love this performance. Im in this show rn and its so fun and unique, its cool to see it be done for so long. But WTF WAS 2:33 through 2:52
Great show. My high school was going to do this in '81, but a conservative christian school board member got his hands on it and forced its cancellation. Interestingly enough, the store made the cover of Weekly Variety.
34thstreetman My father met Ann Reinking once at a cocktail party. Said she was very nice, and dazzlingly smart. She was, at the time, playing a role that required her to act the airhead, though I don't know what show. My father asked her how she could come off so dumb when she obviously wasn't. Her reply? "Because I'm a f*cking great actress." :-D
Isaiah Williams No - The Canadian version with Vereeniging and Chita Rivera was taped and released on VHS. I think it’s available for streaming somewhere or other. It’s a duplicate of the Broadway production, even the same scenery. If I remember correctly, Kathy Doby supervised it for Fosse.
Isaiah Williams unfortunately there isn’t much footage of the original broadway show. While there is the 1981 version made for film, many fans of the show don’t consider that to be the definitive version. As far as footage of the original show, there’s this, two commercials, and bootleg audio footage of Corner of the Sky (Michael Rupert) and No Time at All (Irene Ryan).
I love this, and maybe I’m just used to the 2013 one, but this one seems so low energy and lacks vibrant color. I know they didn’t have as many effects as they do now, but I guess the 2013 one actually made me feel like I was in a circus and commanded my attention. The costumes in this one just don’t stand out at all to me and I found myself zoning out a bit instead of being captivated. Again, it may just be due to my generation.
You probably have to watch the full production in person rather than filtered through 1970s television taping techniques to get the full effect of the Bob Fosse staging. One can appreciate new productions while understanding why original stagings were revolutionary and fit the tone they were going for.
Tim,Id youd ever done Pippin on Broadway youd understand out horror at the current diectors need to imprint her crap on an already brilliant show®ardless of the Tonys,direcction&leading player are no way up to standards,scary the director will get to spoil the musical version of finding neverland the way she spoiled this&prgy&bess,think the director of the current pippin got fired as director of the public theatre post Papp for her bad taste
The show was not revived for years because it is a piece of crap and someone finally came up with a gimmick to cover it's lack of substance. Take Fosse out of the original show and there was nothing there.
Gee. All of the main characters in the play were written to be pretentious, including the naïve Pippin. None of them proved as important as they made themselves out to be. Pretentiousness is a main pillar of comedy. I assume you meant to say dated - which it is. Like "South Pacific," and "Showboat," and "Oklahoma," and "Damn Yankees," and "Raisin in the Sun," etc., etc., etc. ("The King and I}.
This is boring no wonder it closed so early on Broadway. The current revival is better they actually do acreobats and all sorts of.fun stuff makes you feel like your in the circus not a show that was reheraed 10 minutes before curtain
edgar carrera LOL This original production ran MUCH longer than the revival. The revival ran 709 performances. This original ran 1944 performances - almost three times the amount of performances.
I LOVE Ben Vereen! He's magical inside and out. He' s a one-of-a-kind master actor/singer/dancer! Triple threat, indeed.
I agree! But for some reason I prefer the revival’s orchestrations so much more.
Oddly enough Ben was our entertainment on a Royal Caribbean cruise back in the late 90’s. Man I was lucky, it was incredible!
It's cool to see this performance without the circus theme; it shows you how two directors had two different views on the same show, and how they both succeeded in creating it their way. I don't have a favorite, personally, because I like them both.
And it also shows that the material is so thin that collaborators needed to come up with gimmicks. The first sold sex, the second sold a Cirque de Soleil type show. I hated the original, pretentious and boring. There was a reason it was not revived for so long...someone had to come up with a new gimmick.
That's what I love about live theater. It can change when they change actors. A when you have a WELL WRITTEN show with excellent music, the possibilities are endless.
There are so many examples of great pieces which evolves with each new incarnation.
Although I LOVED the original, when I saw the revival, I was stunned. Unfortunately, I have only seen the revival on RUclips. But I will never forget seeing the original.
Ben Vereen's performance sent chills up my spine.
@@richardmayora1289 The original was fantastic, and preceded Cirque du Soleil by over a decade. They both derive from the commedia dell’arte tradition: improvised harlequins and satire that used types of people rather than individual characters in song, pantomime, physical stunts, etc., to entertain. Vereen was brilliant, and it was a terrific show. Created during the Vietnam era, it was an anti-war protest along with a Candide-like commentary on values.
9 years ago? Don't know if you're still monitoring this feed, I also love this original production! (Personally though, I wouldn't want to see the recent version as I find the acrobatics unnecessary & distracting.)
I’m in the show on Broadway in 1975- an amazing cast!!- Sandahl
You rock! I've seen your brilliance!
LOVE U!!!
Ben Vereen is Magic on stage,,,, A true Showman and kind as well!
No words. He gives me chills❤
I saw Pippin in its original run as a 13 year old struck by the magic of theater. I most remember Ben Vareen's career making performance hanging from the just off stage ladder's leaning into the action. It was mesmerizing. Last night I got to watch a Bergen County Players local theater production and was so impressed how the original production's electricity is still imbued by it. It not an overstatement to say how seminal this production was.
This musical and Mr. Vereen may very well be the most important thing that helped me get through my early teens. At the time this show opened, I was a student at a "prestigious" New England prep school. I was one of a handful of black students. AND, my previous school had been in segregated Birmingham, Alabama.
Although the staff and faculty were very supportive. My problem was with my fellow students. I was trying things I had never dreamed of. I had just auditioned for a Shakespeare play.
I don't remember which one. I do remember what my classmates said. My "friends" advised me not to sound black. The jerks just laughed and told me that there were no blacks in England. During spring break, I saw "Pippin." And there was this black guy (the leading player no less) who owned the stage. Ben Vereen was incredible.
After that, I believed (and still believe) that I can do anything!
me as well.... age 11 w/Ben V.... wow!!!
Love the image of all those hands in the dark
I saw this on Broadway. Even more magical and mysterious in person. Brilliant opening.
I was extremely lucky to have seen the original cast back in 1973 on a school trip.
Our choir teacher took us to see the original cast with Irene Ryan at the Kennedy. Center. It was life changing.
Are you sure it was at the Kennedy Center? Ryan died during the show's original run in 1973 after collapsing on stage at the regular theatre where it was running. I didn't know Ryan had appeared at the Kennedy Center.
@@robsieger1886 I would imagine it was during the pre-Broadway tryouts in late 1972.
@@Texaslawhorn Thanks.
@@robsieger1886 You're welcome!
I was so lucky to see the original cast on Broadway.
This show was was original and the score delightful.
Ben is the best!He IS magical!
I just saw Pippin as it is in previews.It is SENSATIONAL!!! The best show I've seen since Lion King and that's says something as I've seen many other shows in between. The singing, the dancing,the magic and the surprises that are in the show are all stupendous. I cannot wait to see it again. It is quite simply a gorgeous show. Buy,beg,borrow or steal tickets but go. It is a great show full of joy that will transport you.
I saw this production with Ben Vereen on B'way! Unforgettable!!!
It's interesting to me that some hate this new production just as much as others (like myself) absolutely love it! I love the way they've re-imagined this production. I was like a kid in a candy store and was enthralled every minute of the performance. To borrow and alter a old adage...."one person's crap is another person's theatrical treasure!"
I was high for a couple of days after seeing this new production of "Pippin" !!
Simply perfect, from beginning to end.
I LOVE this musical. Thank you, for putting up their 1973 TONY Award performance for everyone to see. I was just a baby, when this was originally on Broadway and before the amazing new revival made it back to NYC this year, I had only seen the Montreal production on VHS.
The 70s were not prehistoric. There were plenty of big budget shows and the technology, including huge turning sets, dated many, MANY years before this. I was alive to witness this. This was a new show at the time with its own approach to the material.
Claudio de Rochefoucault And they’re not even performing on their own set here.
I saw Pippin in NYC when I was high school. Irene Ryan already was gone but John Rubenstein was there. It was so good that i ran out and bought the album!
I also saw it when I was in high school. Dorothy Stickney had taken over for Irene Ryan. Who was Dorothy Stickney? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Stickney Priscilla Lopez had taken over for Leland Palmer.
This was the first Broadway play my folks took me to in 1973. I was eight years old and when that beautiful girl appeared with the cowboy hat and placed Pippin's hand on her ass I yelled, "Yowza!" My sisters were totally pissed off at me but I think a few people around us laughed.
My first Broadway show as well. I think Michael Rupert may have been in it by then and I've loved him and Pippin since. (he was Marvin in the original production of Falsettos)
This is one of the funniest comments Ive read
just got finished watching the 2013 performance, and what a difference. I do like the revival a lot but I can't say that it's better than this one. We just have a lot more we can do with stage now, but this is a gem :)) love to see old broadway stuff
Gotta have a gimmick, if you want to get ahead!
You don't need circusy stage gimmicks like hula hoops and big bouncy balls when you have the original fosse choreography
Did I really see this FORTY years ago? Amazing ....
Ben Vereen & Fosse! Gold! I never knew John Rubinstein played Pippin until now. I have the DVD with William Katt in the role. This was a great find. Thanks for posting.
Yes John was the original Pippin......
Jill Clayburgh played the female lead and love interest.
Not to meniton that it's done in a midieval style, like a troving band of performers. The concept just is different - and I prefer this one.
40 years ago that was filmed...
40 years later, Pippin returns to Broadway.
40 years later, let's hope it wins many Tony Awards
Amazing what you can do with a dark scenery and people in dark bodysuits.
More than one can possibly imagine!! Lol. Just joking!
It's something to see. Brings back memories. Broadway's growth has been tremendous!
Oh how I wish Leland Palmer was in more things, or that there was at least more footage of her in this role (she's the creepy pink-haired woman in this song, and would portray the queen in the play-within-the-play.) I guess some are just meant to be elusive gems, but at least there's bits and pieces of her in this, and her role in All That Jazz.
She really played a stand-in for Gwen Verdon in that movie.
I have never seen this clip. Thank you so much for putting it up. Pippin was the first Broadway Musical I saw at the age of 9. I wish so much that I could go see the revival!
Saw this original with Ben Vereen. Simply sensational.
It's amazing to see how different the current one is to the original...
I saw it today and I totally agree. It's absolutely FANTASTIC! worth seeing 10 times!
Agreed. The best musical I have ever seen, and I've seen a few.
This and Lion King are the two best openings of any Broadway show.
This is very wonderful.:-)
Saw a local performance of Pippin recently... suddenly I'm on a huge Vereen/Fosse kick (gee, I wonder why! Hehe) ...Ben Vereen must've been a perfectionist at the same level as Fosse... completely and utterly brilliant.
I think Vereen is the best interpreter of the Fosse style. His precision is extraordinary.
Love this show. Can't wait till it returns to Broadway
And, by the way, I DID see the original production of Pippin, as well. I enjoyed it, but have to say that this new incarnation is my favorite (although I will always have a soft spot in my heart of Irene Ryan!!)
This was the first Broadway show I ever saw, when I was 11 years old, in 1974. It was all magic, lighting, and the human body. I was totally gobsmacked. Brought my 10 year old, and two 13 year old kids to it last year, and it gave me a headache, although my daughters loved it.
The old Broadway actors looked like human beings and had character. The new breed all look alike to me. Musicals I mean.
+Laurel Denver Everyone thinks that everything that came out when they were kids was the best. Your kids will say the same thing in 40 years about the version of Pippin they saw, lol.
nope, they wont remember it.
One of my favorite shows. Was the first theatre performance I was ever in back in high school in the year 2000. It was an exhilarating experience.
Ben is a total LEGEND. Fosse is incredible. And I love Diane Paulus’s reimagining with powerhouses like Patina, Andrea, and MJT (who was robbed of a Tony nom 🙄)...
Q: Why has Pippin been left out of Tony noms... I sort of understand Ben and John since they were 2 leads and Ben’s was the showier perf. But Patina and Matthew were leads in different categories... Pippin is a fun role with great big songs for a strong 1st tenor...
Saw Pippen 2 days ago. OMG. This older video only shows me how AMAZING the new show it. See it!!!!
Originality of this caliber is rare.
It never struck me before, and I've watched this many times, but this has the same genius as the opening of "Funny Thing....Forum". Two welcoming numbers, instructing the audience what is about to take place, but so very different. And both iconically magical.
Funny. As I watched this, I had exactly the same thought. In the case of "Comedy Tonight," that number sort of saved the show. In previews, without that number, people were confused. But adding it made clear it was a raucous comedy.
I so agree 👍
I just noticed a young Ann Reinking! This is where she first met Fosse!
In its way, Pippin was a precursor of Game of Thrones.
Nah
Can't believe this was FORTY YEARS AGO! Looking forward to seeing the revival.
Great show very acrobatic fabulous songs dynamic dancers shame Kerri Anne slipped of trapeze broke her shoulder
Yep, Fosse was the total inventor of Jazz hands; he was using them in the 50s starting with Pajama Game. Didn't you know?
Ben will always be the best leading player. Love that he sings this live, unlike the "Evita" clip which has terrible lip syncing.
Ann looks amazing 💛
is she the woman next to Candy Brown during the "Romance, sex presented pastorally" part?
Simeon Witten ive heard of Candy Brown for sure, but i don’t know which one she is ..
1:36 if u mean this, she’s on the left :))
@@anastasiabananastasia yep. Also love the username.
Simeon Witten thank you! ☺️
I was the Leading Player in the touring company of Pippin as well as in a Dinner Theatre Production. While I like the fact that they stayed true to Bob Fosse's style and some of the original choreography (Mason Trio) I dislike the circus concept. The players are supposed to be Pippin's inner thoughts and Leading Player his subconscious. Placing it in a circus puts too much emphasis on the tricks and circus stunts vs. the figments of Pippins imagination.
That’s so cool but to each their own... but putting the circus in it makes so much sense and even watching this gives me circus vibes and it brought something different. That’s just me but I love both adaptations
I don’t know about you, but it sometimes feels like a circus in my head 😜... and Pippin is a teenager so I’m sure it’s a total chaotic mess up in that kid’s head 😂
I feel like the circus theme and Pippin's inner thoughts aren't mutually exclusive ideas. For the majority of the show, Pippin wants this magical, circus-like spectacle. He believes that he is extraordinary and is searching for something magical to give him purpose. At the end, when he realizes that what he's looking for doesn't exist, the Leading Player dismantles the whole production. As Pippin's subconscious, this further shows how he's letting go of his longing for magic. Not that I don't like the original version, I just don't think the circus vision messes up the original concept.
I kinda agree. I miss minimalist theater like this, where raw talent of the performers did more of the heavy lifting instead of busy stage designing.
No one can ever imitate Bob Fosse. He was a true original and a true master. The singing in the original version of Pippin was poor by today's standards, but they got his choreography and movement style down cold.
How was it poor? Today's performers are all on mics. These performers were singing without any help and hitting the back wall. Two total different ways of singing. Today's performers would never be cast because no one would be able to hear them past the 3rd row.
Are you talking about the sound quality of the video or the singing in general?
Did you not see the number 1973? This kind of performance in the Tonies was the norm back then; of course you wouldn't expect the high-quality, eye-popping superstuff Broadway has today.
you guys have to remember that this was the 70's they didn't have the technology or budget to make this such a big production all they basically had were the stage an te actors not moving mechanical objects or huge set designs
There were big sets and big budgets in the 70s. Chicago, The Wiz, Follies, On the 2oth Century, Sugar, Mack and Mabel were just some of the big flashy shows from that era.
@@phillgreenland2390 The 1973 Tony Awards were actually performed at the Imperial Theater, where Pippin was performed. While this show featured rather minimalistic backdrops (with this number containing no backdrop, giving them less of a problem in that regard had they held the Tonys in a different theater) they likely had to accommodate the setup of the light curtain and the shape of the stage.
I saw this the night before the Tonys...
It's an interesting part of history, but I like the 2013 Tony version so much better! Check it out! Much more dynamic and magical!
That’s because it’s flashier utilizes Cirque du Soliel’s style of circus acrobatics that amazes tourists in Las Vegas and casinos worldwide. Bob Fosse’s tone was much different and his staging and choreography had more subtext than just wowing people.
love!
omgosh this was 40 years ago....
I don't know how anyone can put on a Fosse show and not use his choreography. Using gymnastics as a substitute for learning Fosse's moves, is just cheap.
Yes!! I thought I was the only one who felt that way!!
This is too late but if you saw the clips to the revival, they use Fosse's style quite a bit and integrate it with the circus acrobats. They even recreated the Manson Trio.
Which one is your choice for having the best written songs, both written by Stephen Schwartz? Pippin or Wicked?
Oh I think it will!
Ben Vareen...that's all I need to say.
My next dog will be named Pippin.
I actually really really love this performance. Im in this show rn and its so fun and unique, its cool to see it be done for so long. But WTF WAS 2:33 through 2:52
Besides,Schwartz's circus show was Godspell
Great show. My high school was going to do this in '81, but a conservative christian school board member got his hands on it and forced its cancellation. Interestingly enough, the store made the cover of Weekly Variety.
I get it, sort of. It's about, in the end, a cult who wanders around the countryside luring and killing young men.
I think I saw Ann Reinking in that clip.
I saw Ann Reinking in Sweet Charity back in the 80s and she was spectacular. She was so nice outside giving autographs.
34thstreetman My father met Ann Reinking once at a cocktail party. Said she was very nice, and dazzlingly smart. She was, at the time, playing a role that required her to act the airhead, though I don't know what show. My father asked her how she could come off so dumb when she obviously wasn't. Her reply? "Because I'm a f*cking great actress." :-D
Yes do did, but just for a bit.
Also Chita Rivera is the lady on the chair that gets pulled out from under her ☺
@@macjam138 Chita Rivera was only in the 1981 version, playing Fastrada. The woman in the sitting trick is actually Pam Sousa.
Thanks. But does anyone know if Jill Clayburgh is in this ensemble.
No. Katherine is specifically not supposed to be in the opening number.
1:30 is that Ann Reinking on the left?
Yup.
Oh..gawd. :/
The 2013 cast has and will always have nothing on this.
This is the only existing footage of the original Bob Fosse production in any way, is that correct?
I hope not.
Isaiah Williams No - The Canadian version with Vereeniging and Chita Rivera was taped and released on VHS. I think it’s available for streaming somewhere or other. It’s a duplicate of the Broadway production, even the same scenery. If I remember correctly, Kathy Doby supervised it for Fosse.
@@phillgreenland2390 thank you. I have seen it, I wasn't sure how similar it was. Thank you for telling me.
Isaiah Williams unfortunately there isn’t much footage of the original broadway show. While there is the 1981 version made for film, many fans of the show don’t consider that to be the definitive version. As far as footage of the original show, there’s this, two commercials, and bootleg audio footage of Corner of the Sky (Michael Rupert) and No Time at All (Irene Ryan).
Donovan,the show you saw is apale reflection of the original.this Magic to Do is the real one,dancers not acrobats,real FOSSE dancers,build your taste
I love this, and maybe I’m just used to the 2013 one, but this one seems so low energy and lacks vibrant color. I know they didn’t have as many effects as they do now, but I guess the 2013 one actually made me feel like I was in a circus and commanded my attention. The costumes in this one just don’t stand out at all to me and I found myself zoning out a bit instead of being captivated. Again, it may just be due to my generation.
The thing with the hands and the lights at the beginning was pretty revolutionary at the time.
The revival was all glitz. No substance.
You probably have to watch the full production in person rather than filtered through 1970s television taping techniques to get the full effect of the Bob Fosse staging. One can appreciate new productions while understanding why original stagings were revolutionary and fit the tone they were going for.
Them being out of sync near the end is driving me crazy.
this show confussed me..i saw a high school production of this and i didnt understand it at all...it was very strange
レザーディスクが田舎にあります。
almost disturbing
Exactly.... Thats the point.....
This looks like the 1981 version.
ㅡㅜㅐㅒㅕㅏㄴ
Tim,Id youd ever done Pippin on Broadway youd understand out horror at the current diectors need to imprint her crap on an already brilliant show®ardless of the Tonys,direcction&leading player are no way up to standards,scary the director will get to spoil the musical version of finding neverland the way she spoiled this&prgy&bess,think the director of the current pippin got fired as director of the public theatre post Papp for her bad taste
The show was not revived for years because it is a piece of crap and someone finally came up with a gimmick to cover it's lack of substance. Take Fosse out of the original show and there was nothing there.
The song is boring, I don't see how acrobats are going to make it less boring.
Much ado about. Nothing. ?
We thought was so cutting edge - now it just seems pretentious
Gee. All of the main characters in the play were written to be pretentious, including the naïve Pippin. None of them proved as important as they made themselves out to be. Pretentiousness is a main pillar of comedy. I assume you meant to say dated - which it is. Like "South Pacific," and "Showboat," and "Oklahoma," and "Damn Yankees," and "Raisin in the Sun," etc., etc., etc. ("The King and I}.
This is just disapointing compared to what I saw on the tonies
This is ORIGINAL fosse choreo. Flips and tricks dont automatically make anything better
This is boring no wonder it closed so early on Broadway. The current revival is better they actually do acreobats and all sorts of.fun stuff makes you feel like your in the circus not a show that was reheraed 10 minutes before curtain
edgar carrera LOL This original production ran MUCH longer than the revival. The revival ran 709 performances. This original ran 1944 performances - almost three times the amount of performances.
@@phillgreenland2390 And the original was at a much larger theater.
Hated Pippen back then. Hate it more now.
Oh. You went to the wrong play. You should have gone to "Pippin." That one with the "e" was just awful.