Pippin is a 1972 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto. The musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by the Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. The fourth wall is broken numerous times during most traditional productions.
The protagonist, Pippin, and his father, Charlemagne, are characters derived from two historical figures of the early Middle Ages, though the plot is fictional and presents no historical accuracy regarding either. Much of the plot is an allegory for the Vietnam War and the counterculture that defined American society at the time of the show's development. The show was partially financed by Motown Records. As of December 2025, the original run of Pippin is the 40th longest-running Broadway show.
Ben Vereen and Patina Miller won Tony Awards for their portrayals of the Leading Player in the original Broadway production and the 2013 revival, respectively, making them the first actors to win Tonys for Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress in a Musical, for the same role.
Background Pippin was originally conceived as a student musical, Pippin, Pippin, performed by Carnegie Mellon University's Scotch'n'Soda theatre troupe. Stephen Schwartz collaborated with Ron Strauss, but when Schwartz decided to develop the show further, Strauss left the project. Schwartz has said that not a single line or note from Carnegie Mellon's Pippin made it into the final version.
Synopsis Act 1 A traveling performance troupe of Players led by a Leading Player invites the audience to witness their show, promising a spectacular experience ("Magic to Do"). They begin telling the story of Pippin (his actor is described as a new Player making his stage debut), the first son of Frankish King Charlemagne. After a brief overview of his life from birth to young adulthood, Pippin, a recent university graduate, sings of his search for his purpose in life ("Corner of the Sky"). Pippin returns home to his father's castle and estate, where Charlemagne and Pippin's reunion is constantly interrupted by nobles, soldiers, and courtiers vying for Charlemagne's attention ("Welcome Home"). Pippin also meets with his ambitious stepmother Fastrada, and her strong but dim-witted son Lewis. Charlemagne and Lewis are going to battle against the Visigoths soon, and Pippin begs his father to take him along as a soldier to prove himself. Charlemagne reluctantly agrees and explains the battle plan to his men ("War is a Science"), interrupted repeatedly by an over-enthusiastic Pippin.
The Players express the battle through song and dance, with the Leading Player and two lead dancers in the middle (performing Bob Fosse's famous "Manson Trio") and the actual violence in the background ("Glory"). Charlemagne declares victory and leads his army off to the next battle. A disillusioned Pippin has a cynical discussion with an enemy soldier's severed head, recognizing the futility of war. He flees to the countryside as the Leading Player sings of the pleasures of a free and easy life ("Simple Joys"), then meets with Berthe, his paternal grandmother, exiled by Fastrada. She tells Pippin to stop worrying about his future and enjoy the pleasures and comforts of the present ("No Time at All"). Pippin takes this advice to heart and searches for more lighthearted pastimes. He enjoys many sexual encounters but soon becomes overwhelmed by their meaninglessness and forces all the women away ("With You").
The Leading Player suggests to Pippin that fulfillment can be found in fighting against Charlemagne's tyrannical ways, and Pippin plots a revolution against his father. Fastrada learns of Pippin's plan and devises one of her own: if Pippin either successfully kills Charlemagne, or fails and is arrested for treason, Lewis will be next in line for the throne either way. She manipulates Charlemagne into going to his annual prayer early, and she tells Pippin that he will be at the chapel unarmed ("Spread a Little Sunshine"). At the royal chapel at Arles, Pippin confronts his father, who justifies his cruelty and tyranny as necessary to achieve peace and prosperity for the realm. He then resigns to his fate, and after Pippin assassinates him, the people rejoice and bow to their new king ("Morning Glow"). The Leading Player informs the audience that the actors will break for now, but assures them they will enjoy the finale.The original Broadway production was performed in one act, without an intermission. Subsequent productions ended the first act after Charlemagne came back to life before "On the Right Track" until the Broadway revival. The original ending showed the Players attempting to perform the finale before Pippin unexpectedly exits the stage. The Leading Player then angrily reassures the audience that the performance will continue.
Act 2 As king, Pippin brings peace to the land by giving to the poor, eradicating taxes, ending the military, and peacefully settling foreign disputes. However, this soon falls apart, as Pippin is forced to go back on many of his promises, reverting to Charlemagne's ways. At Pippin's request, the Leading Player revives Charlemagne, who takes the throne back, and Pippin is left discouraged, as his life is still unfulfilled. The Leading Player counsels him to keep going down his life's path ("On the Right Track"), but after experimenting with art and religion, Pippin falls into monumental despair and collapses on the floor.
Widowed farm-owner Catherine finds him on the street, and is genuinely attracted to him ("And There He Was"), to the Leading Player's concern. Introducing herself ("Kind of Woman"), she has Pippin help as a farmhand on her estate. Pippin thinks himself above such things ("Extraordinary"), but after comforting her son, Theo, on the sickness and eventual death of his pet duck ("Prayer for a Duck"), he falls in love with Catherine ("Love Song"). As time goes by, Pippin grows too comfortable in monotony and leaves the estate to continue searching for his true purpose. Catherine is heartbroken and reflects on him, spontaneously beginning a song that was not initially in the script, to the Leading Player's anger and surprise ("I Guess I'll Miss the Man").
The Leading Player and the troupe find Pippin alone and tell him that the only fulfilling thing is their planned finale, in which Pippin will commit suicide by lighting himself on fire for one burst of glory. At the last moment, he realizes that there must be something more to life and chooses not to follow through. Catherine and Theo enter, defying the script, and stand beside Pippin. He realizes that his purpose was never to achieve greatness or glory, but rather to live an ordinary life ("Finale"/"Magic Shows and Miracles"). The furious Leading Player calls off the show and tells the rest of the Players and the orchestra to pack up, abandoning Pippin, Catherine, and Theo on a truly empty stage. Pippin is left devoid of anything extraordinary but finally feels fulfilled.
Extended ending The "Theo ending" was originally conceived in 1998 by Mitch Sebastian, and is included in all newer productions of Pippin, including the 2013 Broadway revival. After the Players shun Pippin for not performing the grand finale, and he avers his contentment with a simple life with Catherine, Theo remains alone on stage and sings a verse of "Corner of the Sky", after which the Leading Player and the Players return, backed by the "Magic to Do" melody, implying that the existential crisis at the heart of the play is part of a cycle and will now continue, but with Theo as the Players' replacement for Pippin. Current productions vary between the two possible endings, though Schwartz himself has expressed his preference for the newer ending. This is also the ending used in most licensed versions of the musical.
Notes
Musical numbers Though Pippin is written to be performed in one act and its single-arc structure does not easily accommodate an intermission, many performances are broken into two acts. In the two-act version currently licensed by Musical Theatre International, the intermission comes after "Morning Glow", with an Act I finale – an abridged version of "Magic to Do" – inserted after Charles' murder. As with the new ending, the intermission can be added at the director's discretion without additional permission required. The 2013 Broadway revival is performed with an intermission.
Original Broadway production
2013 Broadway revival
Act I
"Magic to Do" – Leading Player, Players "Corner of the Sky" – Pippin "War Is a Science" – Charlemagne, Pippin, Soldiers "Glory" – Leading Player, Soldiers "Simple Joys" – Leading Player "No Time at All" – Berthe, Players "With You" – Pippin "Spread a Little Sunshine" – Fastrada "Morning Glow" – Pippin, Leading Player, Players
Act II
"Entr'acte" – Players "On the Right Track" – Leading Player, Pippin "And There He Was" – Catherine "Kind of Woman" – Catherine, Ensemble "Extraordinary" – Pippin "Prayer for a Duck" – Pippin, Theo † "Love Song" – Pippin, Catherine "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" – Catherine "Finale/Magic Shows and Miracles" – Leading Player, Lewis, Pippin, and Ensemble "Corner of the Sky (Reprise)" – Theo €
Notes
€ - Included as part of the "Finale" track on the Cast Recording † - Not included in the Cast Recording
Licensed version
Act I
"Magic to Do" – Leading Player, Fastrada, Berthe, Lewis, Charlemagne, and Ensemble "Corner of the Sky" – Pippin "War Is a Science" – Charlemagne, Pippin, and Soldiers "Glory" – Leading Player and Soldiers "Simple Joys" – Leading Player "No Time at All" – Berthe and Ensemble "With You" – Pippin "Spread a Little Sunshine" – Fastrada, Lewis, Ensemble "Morning Glow" – Pippin, Leading Player and Ensemble
Act II
"Entr'acte" – Ensemble "On the Right Track" – Leading Player and Pippin "There He Was" – Catherine "Kind of Woman" – Catherine and Ensemble "Extraordinary" – Pippin "Prayer for a Duck" – Pippin, Theo, and Catherine "Love Song" – Pippin and Catherine "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" – Catherine "Finale" – Leading Player, Lewis, Pippin, and Ensemble "Theo's Corner"§ – Theo and Ensemble
In the original 1972 production, Fosse planned to use Stephen Schwartz's songs "Marking Time" and "Just Between the Two of Us", but before the show opened on Broadway the songs were replaced with "Extraordinary" and "Love Song" respectively. The songs "Spread a Little Sunshine" and "On the Right Track" were added to the show during its rehearsal period at the request of Bob Fosse. "And There He Was" was cut from the show before it made it to Broadway, but was incorporated into all future revisions.
Notable casts CharacterBroadwayWest EndUS National TourBroadway RevivalUS National Tour 2017 National Tour19721973197720132014PippinJohn RubinsteinPaul JonesMichael RupertMatthew James ThomasLeading PlayerBen VereenNorthern CallowayLarry RileyPatina MillerSasha AllenBertheIrene RyanElisabeth WelchThelma CarpenterAndrea MartinLucie ArnazCatherineJill ClayburghPatricia HodgeAlexandra BorrieRachel Bay JonesKristine ReeseCharlemagneEric BerryJohn TurnerEric BerryTerrence MannJohn RubinsteinFastradaLeland PalmerDiane LangtonAntonia EllisCharlotte d'AmboiseSabrina HarperTheoShane NickersonNicky CheesmanPeter HallShamus BarnesAndrew CekalaLewisChristopher ChadmanBobby BannermanJerry ColkerErik Altemus Original Broadway Replacements:
Pippin: Walter Willison, Michael Rupert, Dean Pitchford Leading Player: Samuel E. Wright, Northern J. Calloway, Ben Harney, Larry Riley Berthe: Dorothy Stickney Catherine: Betty Buckley, Joy Franz Fastrada: Priscilla Lopez, Patti Karr
Broadway Revival:
Pippin: Kyle Dean Massey, Josh Kaufman Leading Player: Ciara Renée, Carly Hughes, Ariana DeBose