Meet the Full Star-Studded Cast of PIPPIN
Including Four Boys Playing Theo
PLUS WIN! … Win a double pass worth $218 to see PIPPIN on Thursday 26th November at 7:30pm. To enter send in your Name, Postal Address & Phone Number to win@dancelife.com.au by Sunday 1 November 2020. Use subject title of ‘Pippin Tickets’. The winner will be chosen at random on November 2 and contacted directly.
A stellar cast has been announced for the high-flying, death-defying hit Broadway musical PIPPIN which opens at the Sydney Lyric Theatre for an exclusive season from 24 November 2020, including the four young boys who will share the role of Theo. PIPPIN will be one of the first large scale productions to return to theatres since the pandemic halted all shows this year.
The exhilarating Tony Award winning hit musical PIPPIN is full of extraordinary acrobatics, wondrous magical feats and soaring songs from the composer of Wicked, Stephen Schwartz. PIPPIN is a magical, unforgettable production!
The role of the young and confused protagonist Pippin will be played by Ainsley Melham, who performed the title role in Aladdin on Broadway and across Australia. The charming and manipulative Leading Player, the ultimate ring master of the show, will be Gabrielle McClinton, who played the role on Broadway and beyond. Returning to the stage after an extraordinary award-winning career on television is Kerri-Anne Kennerley who will play Berthe, Pippin’s saucy grandmother.
Simon Burke (Les Misérables, La Cage Aux Folles in London’s West End) will play Charles, Pippin’s demanding father, while Lucy Maunder (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Beautiful) will be playing Catherine, a widow and mother who falls in love with Pippin. In the role of Pippin’s conniving stepmother Fastrada will be Leslie Bell (Broadway’s Chicago and Ragtime), with Euan Doidge (Les Misérables, Kinky Boots) playing the role of her son Lewis, Pippin’s half-brother.
The young actors playing Theo are Andy Alexander (11 years old, from Lilyfield), George Halahan-Cantwell (12, Erskineville), William Wheeler (12, Rodd Point) and Ryan Yeates (15, Canada Bay).
Also joining the cast as Players and Swings are Danik Abishev, Olivia Carniato, Angelique Cassimatis, Bayley Edmends, Joel Granger, Chaska Halliday, Matt Jenson, Zoe Marshall, Harley McLeish, William Meager, Joe Meldrum, Amy Nightingale-Olsen, Thomas Remalli, Gretel Scarlett, Suzanne Steele, Andrew Sumner and Jessica Ward.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the sensational cast who will bring this exhilarating musical to life and open up Sydney musical theatre again. The Gordon Frost Organisation has always had the capacity to assemble high calibre casts during its 40 year history of productions, and PIPPIN is no different” said producer John Frost. “This astonishing new production of PIPPIN was the most nominated Broadway show of the year, and has gone on to thrill audiences across the globe. Now it’s Australia’s turn to enjoy the magic of PIPPIN with this incredible cast led by Ainsley Melham, Gabrielle McClinton, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Simon Burke and Leslie Bell who are all making their GFO debut. It’s wonderful also to welcome back Lucy Maunder and Euan Doidge to the GFO family.”
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, said, “The staging of PIPPIN marks a major turning point as we re-open our beautiful Harbour City. Our lives have been on hold for the past six months – this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a COVID-safe night out at the theatre, dine at a favourite restaurant and even treat yourself to a hotel stay. You’re guaranteed to have a fantastic time, while doing your bit to reinvigorate the NSW visitor economy.”
Matt Bekier, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Star, said, “We’re thrilled to be involved with bringing PIPPIN to The Star and welcoming theatre audiences back to our complex. An extraordinary cast has been assembled and this production provides Sydneysiders an opportunity to once again support live entertainment, and enjoy the world-class amenities on offer at The Star.”
This unforgettable new production is the winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Hailed by the New York Times as “Astonishing. A PIPPIN for the 21st century. Dazzling and awe-inspiring”, it’s unlike anything you have ever seen before!
With a beloved score by Oscar and Grammy winner Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell), PIPPIN tells the story of a young man at a crossroads in his life. Does he follow in the footsteps of his father, one of the most powerful men in the land? Or does he strike out on his own, to find his own ‘corner of the sky’? PIPPIN is a play within a play. The story is told by a travelling troupe of actors and acrobats (called ‘Players’), directed by the mysterious Leading Player. Like a vaudeville act, the Players both act out the roles of the story and speak directly to the audience.
The captivating new production is directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus (Hair, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess). It features sizzling choreography by Tony Award nominee Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse and circus creation of breathtaking acrobatics by Gypsy Snider of the Montreal-based circus company Les 7 doigts de la main (also known as 7 Fingers). PIPPIN features many Broadway standards including Corner of the Sky, Magic To Do, Glory, No Time at All, Morning Glow and Love Song.
