Pippin

"Pippin," which opened in Detroit at the Fisher Theatre on June 9, certainly has some magic to do for the metro Detroit area.

The radiant circus-inspired story of "Pippin" follows Pippin, Charlemagne's son, as he tries to find his corner of the sky and make his life extraordinary. To prove his devotion and loyalty to his father, Pippin joins the army and goes to war.

However, the Leading Player persuades him to instead fight tyranny, kill his father, and usurp the throne. This does not sit well with Pippin and he pleads for the Leading Player to bring his father back to life. As the Leading Player obliges, Pippin falls in love with a widow, Catherine, with a young son.

It is at this point that Pippin grapples with the choice to live a calm, peaceful life with Catherine and her son and become extraordinary through the ordinary, or whether to carry on with the circus troupe and perform stunning magic for the rest of his life.

The show is visually stunning with bright set and costume colors, jaw-dropping acrobatics, and even classic magic tricks (think floating bodies, legs without a body, and a dismembered head). When the curtain rose, there was an audible gasp from the crowd as the Leading Player, played by Lisa Karlin, introduces the sensory overload extravaganza.

Karlin's performance was strong, expressive, and, let's be honest, made me want to go to the gym and then take voice lessons. She commanded the stage and each scene she was in as her unyielding and cold character.

Speaking of scene stealing, Adrienne Barbeau, who played Berthe, Pippin's grandmother, was an incredible powerhouse of physical and vocal talent and energy, and comedic timing. Barbeau genuinely outshines anyone else who has the honor of sharing the stage with her, even the muscularly ripped acrobat she dangles from on the trapeze during her awe-inspiring performance of "No Time at All."

Though she is known for her past roles on Broadway, television, concert performances, and as a best-selling author, her shining performance as Berthe gives us all something to aspire to at the age of 70.

Pippin, played by Sam Lips, a graduate of University of Michigan with a BFA in Musical Theater, was affable and relatable as a young man trying to figure out who to be and where he fits in in the world. Initially, his na�vet� gets the better of him, because what do any of us want when we're young and trying to figure out what we want and what will make us happy? Glory, sex, money, and power. His earnest portrayal of these notions elicited quite a few swooning sighs from the audience. This reaction was fitting, considering the theme of sexual experimentation threaded throughout the show.

The brilliant acrobats and trapeze artists performed flawlessly from flying through the air with the greatest of ease to knife throwing and even throwing a member of their troupe across the stage.

Even the leading actors participated in the spectacular gymnastic feats and looked like they'd been doing this all along. The sheer talent of the troupe was incredibly inspiring as a high-energy extravaganza that makes for a positively electrifying night in Detroit theater.

"Pippin" premiered on stage over 40 years ago and won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and rightfully so. In 2013, "Pippin" also took home Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

"Pippin" runs through June 21 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, MI. For information or tickets, call 1-800-982-2787 or visit www.broadwayindetroit.com or www.ticketmaster.com.