Dos Pueblos Theatre Company will present the musical “Pippin,” by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson, at 8 p.m. May 21-22 in both live and live streaming formats.
Although “Pippin” is loosely based on Pepin the Hunchback, son of Charlemagne, Schwartz, O. Hirson, original Broadway director Bob Fosse, and most recently Diana Paulus, have strayed far from the historical Pepin and crafted the story in bold conceptual strokes.
“As I grew and changed, so did the content of the show, which was sort of metaphorically semi-autobiographical,” Schwartz said of the material.
“Thematically, it was my first time dealing with the content that has appeared again and again in my work: the tension between reality and romanticism, the need to accept life as it is and not as we would wish it, father/son issues, and the necessity of taking personal responsibility for one’s own life. The songs are a reflection of those themes,” he said.
Taking his cue from these bold conceptions, Dos Pueblos director Clark Sayre and his artistic team have re-envisioned the musical once again; in this case, born of the necessity to follow strict COVID-19 guidelines, and the ongoing uncertainty of direct audience interaction.
Dos Pueblos’ production will feature a mix of live, pre-recorded and environmental theater. The audience will be seated either in the comfort of their cars (as they watch the mostly live performance projected, drive-in-movie style, on the side of the theater), or from their home via live streaming.
The live performance will feature lots of surprises, utilizing a parking lot stage, an outdoor TV studio-like stage, and the theater’s unique architecture. The show will switch between these “live” venues and prerecorded music video-like songs.
“It is completely unlike anything I’ve ever done or seen in my 40-plus years of directing and theater-going. It’s both exhilarating and terrifying,” Sayre said. “It is theater completely reimagined for COVID times.”
Instead of a more traditional stage experience, which the students also lost last spring with the cancelation of “Shrek,” they are learning the techniques of TV/film including pre-recording vocal tracks in a sound studio of sorts (individual practice rooms,) filming, lip dubbing, editing, and collaborating.
Sayre is enthusiastic about his newly assembled production team. His long-term choreographer (and ex-student) Gioia Marchese serves as advisor to student choreographer Viviana Cruz. Marian Azdril of San Marcos High School and Showstopper fame serves as costume designer/prop mistress.
Noel Greer returns from Houston’s Alley Theater to design and technical direct; and Sayre’s son Blaine Sayre, a recent graduate of UCI’s Jazz Music Department and current music teacher at the Santa Barbara Community Academy, serves as musical director, sound engineer and musical editor.
Rounding out the artistic team are student video editors Marissa English, Alison Togami, Ben King and Tara Woodard. John Dent serves as technical advisor.
So far the rehearsal process has included three completely different conceptions, a 10-day COVID quarantine, canceled outdoor rehearsals due to rain and hail, and inconvenient COVID-safe rehearsal practices.
“But unlike last year, this year, the show will go on, in whatever format and state we are in,” Sayre said. “This year, like everything else throughout the world, our spring show necessitates a Plan A, B, C and probably D. Whichever plan audiences end up seeing, it will certainly be something that Pippin himself longs for — an extraordinary experience.”
Tickets are $10 per person for either the drive-in or live stream options, and may be purchased at https://www.dptheatrecompany.org. For more information, contact Sayre at csayre@sbunified.org.
Dos Pueblos Theatre Company acknowledges its 2020-21 donors including Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara Education Foundation, and Boone Graphics.