‘Pippin’ a dazzling spectacle in Seattle
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, May 4, 2006
Prince Pippin, son of Charlemagne, embarks upon a quest for true fulfillment, seeking his own corner of the sky, in the Broadway musical “Pippin” at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle.
The play runs through May 21.
Pippin relishes the glories of the battlefield, savors the temptations of the flesh and embroils himself in political intrigues. But neither war, sex, revolution nor domesticity can satisfy him … or so he thinks.
Featuring such songs as “Magic to Do,” “Morning Glow” and “Corner of the Sky,” the vibrant, pop-rock score by Oscar-winner Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Godspell,” Disney’s “Pocahontas”) bursts with show-stopping spectacles and soaring ballads. Winner of five Tony Awards, this electrifying, tongue-in-cheek fairy tale will dazzle you with a dynamic kaleidoscope of sights and sounds.
“King Henry”: As the poor, rag-tag English soldiers face the rich, well-armed French, Henry faces his role in history with reluctance.
Director Monty Taylor incorporates scenes from other plays about Henry V and focuses on Henry’s struggle between his real and legendary self in Ghost Light Theatricals’ production of “King Henry” by William Shakespeare.
This adaptation of “Henry V” uses collage and repetition to explore Henry’s celebrity and destiny.
“King Henry” wraps up Ghost Light’s third season. Founded in 2003 by artistic director Beth Raas and managing director Aaron Wagner, Ghost Light Theatricals is a Seattle-based nonprofit theater company devoted to the artful production of relevant and important plays.
Mae West Fest: Actress Mae West was known for her beauty, her comic delivery and her sexual innuendo delivered in zinger one-liners:
“I wrote the story myself. It’s all about a girl who lost her reputation but never missed it.”
“His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.”
“I used to be Snow White – but I drifted.”
In May, female directors pay tribute to the funny bombshell with Mae West Fest, an annual theater festival in Seattle dedicated to promoting plays written, produced and directed by women.
The festival is May 18 through 21, packed with a variety of 27 plays. Each play is performed three times during the four-day event.
Many of the female directors have been directing for more than a decade, though there are newcomers as well.
To find out more about seeing Mae in May, visit the Web site at www.maewestfest.org.
