By Nate Brown
I have seen advertisements for several shows at the Draper Historic Theatre in Draper, Utah, but attending Lamplight Theater Company’s production of Pippin was my first chance to go inside. I love this theater! Fashioned inside a movie house built by Annie Pearl and John A. Howell in 1938, this theater has the feel of history inside.
Upon entering, the first thing you notice is the masks. Yes, everyone has them, and we all have to talk a little louder and annunciate a little more diligently to be heard. In these unique times, there is no longer popcorn, but you can still get packaged candy, soda in cans, and bottled water at the concessions desk. Social distancing is required in the lobby.
Seating is also unique. Draper Historic Theatre does not reserve seats, so patrons are seated as they arrive. Every other row is taped off, and two chairs are taped off between groups. Once seated, you may feel as I did – this is a theater lover’s dream! No one sitting in front of me, no stranger sitting beside me and no wrangling over the armrest. I know that we want to be shoulder-to-shoulder again soon, but I could get used to this.
The evening begins with director Casey Dean introducing us to the theater and the show, and going over some of the finer points of social distancing required for the production. The ozone-cleaned theater feels crisp and clean as Dean speaks of the measures taken to ensure our safety.
The house goes dark, and a shadow appears on the backlit curtain before us. The shape of Leading Player (Macy Rhees) stalks sultrily toward us until the music climaxes and she breaks through the curtain. Rhees is intense and smooth in her portrayal of Leading Player. Her emotional arch begins as a sophisticated and subtle temptress, leading Pippin to the various enjoyments of the world, with only a hint of her bloodlust coming to the surface. Every time Rhees is on stage, her character drips with the beckoning call of temptation, and the audience never once questions why Pippin would follow her promptings.
Pippin (Jake Erickson) appears soon after. Erickson’s voice carries him in this part, emitting the tone that the music was meant to inspire. The calm, good-natured, and selfish attitude Erickson brings to Pippin works well for the show, though occasionally it is lower in energy than the audience desires.
Charlemagne (Benjamin Nordby), Fastrada (Emily Jameson), and Lewis (Taylor Brooks) support Erickson well as his severely dysfunctional family. As Pippin’s father, Nordby is appropriately harsh and distant, pushing his son toward his many failed attempts at being fulfilled. Jameson is catty as Pippen’s conniving and faux-self-deprecating step-mother. Brooks’s portrayal of Pippin’s dimwitted-but-strong half-brother is enough to convince the audience that we never want to see him as king.
Emily Simmons plays Pippen’s Grandmother Berthe with poise and the hunger of a matron not ready to hand over the world to her progeny. Simmons owns the stage when she performs as Berthe and is a pleasure to watch.
Kate Lyn Whitaker is both desperate and desirable as Catherine, the player who portrays the widow and defies Rhees’s Leading Player. Her chemistry with Erickson comes across best in several stage kisses, which are perhaps among the most passionate I’ve seen without coming across as lewd or gaudy. The son of Catherine, Theo (Owen Smith), is brooding and keeps his distance, with just a touch of innocence thrown in. Smith interacts admirably on stage as the youngest member of the cast.
The ensemble for this production of Pippen is eye-catching and energetic, bringing vitality and life into numbers that help the show move forward. Of particular note are the aerialists on the silks, Becca Skeen and Stephanie Benson. Their skill in the air takes the sensual scene described as “sex, presented pastorally,” away from the lewd possibilities it suggests, and moves it to be a beautiful and tasteful portrayal of human intimacy and affection.
The production staff provides a strong backbone for this show. Music, directed by Mikayla Batschi, is well-rehearsed and without an accidental sour note. Choreography by DaMelly Alderete is energetic and flowing, and aerial choreography by Heather Haycock soars, defying gravity right before our eyes. Stage management and lights by Lexie Macedo and sound and mics by Parker Rawlins were all but flawless for the evening and enhanced the production.
Lamplight Theater Company’s production of Pippen contains a smattering of strong language and suggestive themes, and the theater does not encourage children under eight years old to attend. Scenes and musical numbers are entertaining but require attention to the narrative, so children (and novice audience members) should be prepared to follow the storyline to enjoy the show.
Lamplight Theater Company’s presentation of Pippin will be a highlight of your socially distanced summer!
Lamplight Theater Company Presents Pippen, Book by Roger O. Hirson, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
Draper Historic Theatre, 12366 900 E, Draper, UT 84020
July 10-11, 13, 17-18, 20, 24-25, 27, 2020 7:00 PM, 2 PM Matinee July 18
Tickets: $15 Adults, $12 Seniors/Military/Disabled (with ID), $10 Children 8-12
Contact: 801-572-4144
Draper Historic Theatre Facebook Page
Pippin Facebook Event
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