Pippin 2015

While Pippin’s kinda a poor man’s version of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide (built on Voltaire's classic coming of age story), opening night brought acrobatic and visual enchantment galore in the colorful and gracefully athletic production playing at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace through February 15.

The magic (this production won four 2013 Tony Awards) comes from the energetic cast directed by Diane Paulus plus acrobatics courtesy of the impressive, physically adept Montreal company Les 7 Doigts de la Main

The uniformly good ensemble cast laughs, marches, dances, and glides onstage as needed to tell the story of young Prince Pippin (Sam Lips), who learns that being a king isn’t all the fun he thought it would be. Set in a fantasy mash up of the Middle Ages plus Circus Pop, here’s little reality here, which is a good thing, since shortly after Pippin kills his father, his wish to have him back is granted. Who arranges this miracle? Leading Player (glamorous Sasha Allen) who can do anything. Lips and Allen play off each other well: he’s a convincing bumpkin; she’s a dancing cynic (tho Allen sometimes seems too sweet to be that mean).