Judi Parrish
The Pennington Players have “Magic to Do” as they present PIPPIN, the Tony-Award-winning musical which is the lively coming of age story of King Charlemagne’s oldest son, featuring music by Stephen Schwartz, the composer of Wicked and Godspell. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, September 7, 8, 14 and 15 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, September 10 and 16 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college’s West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on September 7th.
Loosely based on the eldest son of Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, the musical centers around a mysterious acting troupe, led by a Leading Player and tells the story of Pippin, a young prince searching for the meaning and significance of his life. Accompanying him on his journey are his doting grandmother, Berthe, devious but charming stepmother, Fastrada, and the woman he loves, Catherine.
What does it mean to live an extraordinary life? That is the question that drives Pippin through adventures of war, sex, politics — all the while guided by the conniving hand of the Leading Player. While “The Players” strive to steer Pippin towards the perfect, theatrically tragic end of his story, Pippin begins to discover what it truly means to be extraordinary in our world. Full of dance, passion, and Schwartz’s iconic music (including "Corner of the Sky," "Magic to Do," and "Extraordinary"), Pippinis the ultimate theatrical experience that will leave audiences debating what boundaries are crossed for love.
PIPPINis, by its very nature, a unique musical: one that, under a deceptive veil of incredibly pop-oriented songs, confronts some important existential questions about the human condition. Originally written without an overture and intermission, this production follows that tradition. This production will also highlight the “theatrical” elements of performance and many elements that are often hidden or disguised from the audience will be more readily visible, including being able to see many of the lighting instruments, the movement of set pieces, costume changes, etc.
The talented cast is lead by Kyrus Keenan Westcott of Hamilton as Leading Player, a role originated on Broadway by Ben Vereen; Dominick Sannelli of Levittown, PA as Pippin; Tom Bessellieu of Lawrenceville as Charlemagne; Jaimie Geddes of Marlton as Fastrada; J Scott of Allentown as Lewis; Alison McMullen of Ewing as Catherine; Dasha Eisenhauer of Ewing as Theo; Eve Connolly of Lawrenceville as Berthe; Elissa Zavodnick of Newtown, PA, and Heather Santos of East Windsor as the featured dancers; with Ellen Rothfuss of Roosevelt, Julie McNamara of Princeton, Rachel Tovar of Hamilton, Natalie Schaffer of Holland, PA, Dan Golazeski of Ewing, David Catalano of Cranbury, and DeHaven Rogers of Hamilton as the “Players.” Two of the musical numbers will feature a children’s chorus that includes: Charlotte Gougher of Newtown, PA; Elizabeth Ferrara of West Windsor; Nicky Torchia of Langhorne, PA; Dee Danis of Monroe Township; Daniel Kaplan of Robbinsville; Lara Koppel of East Windsor; and Hudson Orfe of Titusville.
The show is produced by Jenn Gregg, directed by Frank Ferrara, musical direction by Shannon Ferrara, choreography by Nicole Machin, stage management by Eliza Burwell, technical direction and lighting design by Judi Parrish, set design by Bryan Schendlinger, sound design by Wayne Irons, costume design by Jay Stevens and properties by Dottie Farina.
Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $14 for students and children. For tickets, call the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333, or click here. Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking available next to the theater.

