The journey to discover one's purpose in life is a long adventure. As Pippin, the son of Charlemagne, tries to find his purpose through war, sex, and politics, he stumbles upon love, which ultimately fulfills his empty heart. All the elements from the music and choreography to the set design make this production a success. Pippin is a marvelous, heroic, musical drama that has elements of humor that shows disconnect between the imaginary and reality, as well as a reoccurring theme of family reunification.
The production starts out with dimmed lights and the pit orchestra playing. Hands slowly come through the fading darkness like a magic show. Eventually, Ben Vereen's face appears almost as if it is an "appearing" act of a magic show; which fits perfectly with the opener, "Magic to Do", played throughout the beginning part of the first act. As “Magic to Do” is played, the lights gradually brighten more and the characters appear fully dressed with sparkly, peach colored costumes with faces painted with heavy makeup. Vereen also is fully seen in a tux and top hat as the narrator and as the lead player. This role is an integral driving force for both the play and as Pippin’s influence to find his way in life. The background scenery and the lighting changes simultaneously as well and Pippin, played by William Katt, appears on stage dressed with a normal chain like top and tights.
Other characters are introduced throughout the play one by one; this creates a build-up of different levels of plot and character tension. The more characters the more drama and suspense as each character adds more to the storyline. For example, first the lead player, Vereen, and the other fictional players that are presumably “in” Pippin’s head are intro...
... middle of paper ...
...n maybe could be played by another person in the background, and let Vereen concentrate on his leader role. With more narration in between scenes as well as acts, this will serve as a bridge so the audience can fully understand what is happening. Another element to add is more historical background on Charlemagne. This could have been included in the narration as only a short background was presented. On a brighter note, the costumes reflected the roles of the characters and that the characters connected the story through song; music is incorporated in the performance perfectly, not to mention the humor and comedic relief to some tragic parts. The candor of Pippin’s discovery of what is truly meaningful to his heart is a great ending and gives a warm-fuzzy feeling to the audience. This musical is most worthwhile and contains all the elements of a great production.
The characters address the audience; the fast movement from scene to scene juxtaposing past and present and prevents us from identifying with particular characters, forcing us to assess their points of view; there are few characters who fail to repel us, as they display truly human complexity and fallibility. That fallibility is usually associated with greed and a ruthless disregard for the needs of others. Emotional needs are rarely acknowledged by those most concerned with taking what they maintain is theirs, and this confusion of feeling and finance contributes to the play's ultimate bleak mood.
A significant aspect of the play is the acting and wardrobe, because it helps demonstrate the personalities of the characters.
In his early existence, extraordinary young Pip lives in impoverished house in Kent, England with his sister, Mrs. Gargery and her husband, Joe Gargery, a blacksmith. Here he is constantly beaten into submission by his caring sister. When these beating fail to correct Pip he is then subjected to the atrocious tar water. Then one evening while masquerading as a pleasant hostess, Mrs. Gargery learns of a splendid opportunity for Pip, the privilege to travel to a wealthy mistress’s house, Mrs. Havisham’s house.
Music writer, Claude-Michel Schonberg, exemplifies the true meaning of Les Miserables with the words, “Look down and see the beggars at your feet. Look down and show some mercy if you can. Look down see, the sweeping of the street. Look down, look down upon your fellow man!” (Schonberg) The movie shows some of the negative influences a young boy named Pip faces: low self-esteem, fear, abuse, and lack of love from poverty describe the cruel life he endures. More examples from Pip’s life include the fact that his sister abused him by beating him till he told her what she wanted to hear, as well as his challenge with a convict. The convict threatened Pip’s life out of a need for food. Pip turned toward stealing food in order to help a convict and then became fearful that the convict would kill him. Down deep, Pip showed a desire to do the right things all along, but the cruel life he lived clouded his mind, which lead to negative behavior. Pip’s life appeared as an inevitable evil cycle: he was raised an orphan and faced with the cruel ways from man as he grew
In Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, the author begins the tale by revealing Pip's arrogance towards previous companions. By the end of the story, we learn of Pip's love and compassion for everyone.
Pip in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations "Great Expectations", written by Charles Dickens and set in mid-late Victorian era; is about a boy named Philip Pirrip, better known as Pip and his "great expectations". As a child he lived with his sister and brother in-law Joe. Luck brings him to the aid of a convict, and to the house of a wealthy society lady. After many encounters with her in "Satis house", he seeks a life as a gentleman. A Victorian society gentleman is a man of high social status, and is expected to be wealthy, well educated, come from a wealthy background, and have enough money not to work.
Pip in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations After reading the compelling ‘Great Expectations’ by the famous writer Charles Dickens, I can gather that it is based upon his own psychological insight to life. He makes connections in relation to a specific character or event in the storyline, which were critical in his own expectations. Also Dickens moulds his selection of characters very well into the desired settings he’d created, that matched what he knew only too well throughout his childhood. ‘Great Expectations’ not only satires the issues of Victorian society, yet centres on the rites of passage that marks an important change in a person’s life. Dickens’ issue of contentment is something that concerns many human beings; this is what Pip wants most.
does so she can break his heart and the pain will be even worse. This
Pip, through spending time with Estella, quickly picks up the desire for social improvement through games, whether physical or emotional, and it is not until he realizes the difference between fantasy and reality that he truly understands the game of life. Just as Estella uses card games to torment Pip, telling him that he is “a common labouring boy” Pip unknowingly begins to see every human interaction as a competition (Volume I, Chapter 8). His physical fight with Herbert represents Pip’s gradual addiction to always winning, never stopping until others are defeated. Pip takes his early, innocent ambition to improve himself and, without even realizing it himself, turns it into a ruthless fight for revenge. Parkinson argues that he sees “the role of chance” influencing his life, forcing himself to submit to whatever life throws at him (Parkinson, 121). Soon, however, Pip becomes the one who forces others, including Joe and Biddy, to simply accept his desire to become an “uncommon” gentleman through his unfailing faith in the wealthy (Volume I, Chapter 8). The problem is not his “fairy-tale expectations,” but his admiration in the wrong people; though he looks up to Miss...
Like Cymbeline, this play is wrought with deception and disguises that could confuse the audience. So if I were to stage this production, I would again find a way to have a color scheme for each character so even in disguise the audience would be able to follow along.
Pip learns the way of life and the road to being a gentleman. Pip gets
At this point there seems to be one main character (setting the scene, and the past scene as this is important to the story) but she mentions others as well, which will be involved later on, the first chapter seems to represent the foundation to what is going to happen later on.
Pip is able to mend his ways of life and return to his good-natured self, more mature as result of his experience. His discovery that his wealth came from convict and not Miss Havisham dissolve in the realization that things are not as he had thought. He learns that all his aspirations have been based on false assumptions and expectations that he could rise above his past. His great expectations were derived from a criminal who wanted Pip to have a better life than himself. He was not becoming a gentleman for Estella, but rather a gentleman for his own sake. He discovers that true wealth and worth come from inside a man and turns away from his once great expectations.
he is the one who is telling the story. "I called myself Pip." It is
Pip comes from a lower class family of the Victorian era. The reader first meets Pip around the age of 6, when he explains that his parents, as well as 5 of his brothers, have all passed and he has been raised by his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, and her husband Joe Gargery. His sister continuously reminds Pip about her having brought him up “by hand” (Dickens 7) and even details her regrets about having taken him in as her own child saying “I’d never do it again!” (Dickens 8). Despite the rough upbringing, or perhaps because of the rough upbringing, Pip has high hopes of one day becoming a gentleman and continuously dreams of what his life will be like once he is part of the upper class. These aspirations indicate that Pip has great expectations for himself. He expects to become a perfect gentleman and climb the social status ladder. Soon after explaining his home situation, Pip describes to the reader of his encounter with Ms. Havisham, who he describes as “an immensely rich and grim lady who lived in a large and dismal hous...