playbill vip

As some of you may know, I joined the Pippin team a bit later than most Masterman directors. Not only was I late to the process, I barely remembered the one time I had seen Pippin. Despite these seeming limitations, When Mrs. Neu asked me to take this on, I was more excited than I have been in a very long time. 

Masterman holds some of my dearest memories, and the bulk of these are taken up by the musical, choir, and Sweet 16. Performing in these shows shaped my life in ways I can’t fully explain. It has meant the world to me to be able to facilitate that experience for a new generation of actors, singers, and dancers. My goal was of course to put on an amazing show (and amazing it is!), but more importantly to help these students cultivate their relationships with each other, with their own artistic talents, and with Pippin. 

It turned out better than I possibly could have imagined. In working with a text that is difficult to understand at first, and in coming back to live theater after prolonged quarantine, the students have become close faster than any group of people I’ve ever worked with. Challenges bring us together, and they stepped up to this one like champions, quickly trusting each other, supporting each other to no end, and working together to produce magic. 

They took the time to understand the script and score, and my own interpretation of it, which starts in COVID quarantine. By grounding the show in today’s world, we’re showing the contrasting joy and darkness that can be spurred by prolonged isolation. People are not meant to be alone for too long, or stuck at home for extended periods of time. We have seen over the past years how it can affect us, and how it can cause mania and decisions that seem insane like you are about to see. I’ll leave it at that, I don’t want to give too much away! 

Thank you to everyone involved in this show for their unending support and tireless efforts. The actors have been working nonstop to perfect this production, stage crew has created an amazing set and the orchestra sounds incredible. The parents behind the scenes have done so much for us, with everything from costuming to communication through all of the quarantine and COVID challenges. Thank you to you all. 

But enough from me, we’ve got magic to do.