Pippin | 1973 Tony Awards

Ben Vereen and the company of PIPPIN perform "Magic to Do" at the 1973 Tony Awards.

[@NancyVanSoest]

As a Broadway theatre-goer of over 60 years, I consider Pippin to be the most perfect musical. It doesn''t have one song that you would want to turn off and the staging is maghnificent. The recent revival was over the top! My all time favorite show!

[@maddiedoesntkno]

I grew up hearing the album on record over the speakers in my family home. Just saw the most phenomenal staging at a local theatre. It was so beautifully conceived and just stole my heart.

[@DarleneBattle-n8w]

@@NancyVanSoest I have to totally and fully agree-- it is by far the most perfect play out there. The others cannot compare. And I like nearly every song in it.

[@briankillgore9260]

There is something magical about Ben Vereen's voice. I saw the original stage production with Irene Ryan. It's still my all time favorite musical. I don't dislike the newer version, they are just very different experiences.

[@dstewart1747]

Yes!!!

[@musiclover-cn7tb]

That's why he won a Tony....

[@Nacho-Mamma]

So heartbreaking how Irene Ryan suffered a stroke while performing "No Time At All". I've never heard anything but wonderful reviews of her performance as Berthe. I heard she stopped the show with a standing ovation nearly every show.

[@mlbrooks4066]

I was passing by Carnegie Hall one night and heard his voice there on the street. I looked. He was talking to someone. I didn't linger or interfere, but it was so cool just to hear that voice out of nowhere and think "That's Ben Vereen!" and it was.

[@NancyVanSoest]

To me, who has been a Broadway theatre goer for over 60 years, Pippin is the most perfect musical I have ever seen. All the songs are fantastics, the staging is incredible, everything works. Of all the musicals I have seen, it is number one.

[@Melissa-tw2gp]

The makeup and costuming of the OG version is so cool!

[@boudiccam4417]

I have seen those costumes. Some are available for rent from the Costume Collection in Chelsea, Manhattan NY. I have seen Ben Vereen’s costume from Jelly’s Last Jam as well. They were all still labeled with his last name. I have been very fortunate to have worked in costumes Off-Broadway and spent time in the Costume Collection.

[@arkady714]

I had the privilege of seeing this (the last original musical) in its first run. Instead of Ben Vereen, the lead player was Northern J Calloway and Pippin was played by Barry Williams (yes, Greg Brady). He was brilliant.

[@Munchausen45]

Schmigadoon season 2 brought me here!

[@UranusHz420]

Schmicago!

[@sophiehanssel2017]

LOL same

[@cheyg06]

ME TOO

[@beverlydeutschman5627]

I saw pippin with Ben Vereen and Barry Williams as Pippin. It was great.

[@RobertPagano226]

I saw Pippin with Ben and John Rubenstein the first weekend it opened and granny Irene Ryan

[@aidanbyrnes9513]

I absolutely love the angelic singing & floating hands at the beginning

[@NancyVanSoest]

As a Boiadway viewer of over 60 years, to me Pippin is the most perfect musical. There is it not one song that could be considered superfurious in the show and it is the most gatifivying show ever.

[@thomascox4014]

The revival in I think 2014 was great. I saw it twice but there will never be a voice like Ben Vereens's. I am 80 now and I still hear it in my head. Little known fact. The late great Jill Clayburgh made her Broadway debut in the original production of Pippin in 1973.

[@dianacraig323]

Saw Ben Between in NYC 1972 or 73 in Pippen...have been a fan ever since, and played my Pippin album zillions of times. Going to see the show with my Women's Club...exciting and exotic!!! His voice is MAGICAL!!

[@debbieivanov2790]

me, too! great high school date (back in the day!)

[@littlesongbird1]

My high school did Pippen my senior year and as luck would have it, our chorus trip that year was going to see the review Fossee which had Ben Vereen in it. We waited by the back stage door in hopes to meet him but the stage manager came out and said Ben was stay in his room but would sign any playbills we gave to the manager. One of us explained we had just done Pippin at our school and would really love to meet him. The manager gave a polite smile and took the playbills and said to wait a moment. He then came back and explained Ben would come out for a few minutes to do a quick meet and greet but would not be signing any autographs (he would only sign the playbills that stage manager had given him and signing them at this moment). He explained that the meet and greet was just for the high school that had just Pippin. The manager than went backstage and came out with the playbills and handed them back to people and told me and my classmates to just wait a moment he then went backstage and came back to the door with Ben Vereen. The man was grinning and said he was thrilled to know a high school cast of Pippin was there and asked which one of us had played the leading player. We all politely pushed my classmate Crystal (who after college did perform on Broadway) towards him and he shook her hand and said it was an honor to meet her. We chatted for a few minutes and he let us take a group photo together and then he said he had to get back and rest for the evening show (this was after he had a stroke after all) but that he was so happy to know we had done Pippin and enjoyed his performance that day.

[@sarahcressy4242]

Love Schwartz. Although different, all of his musicals resonate with me.

[@houdannycomedymagic8642]

Well, there's introducer Celeste Holme, looking very High Society!

[@michaelhartharthart]

Thanks for this Matt!

[@amfm889]

Excellent sound!

[@pr00de]

Awesome

[@musictheatersix244]

Who is introducing them!? I know her from somewhere but I can’t place it lol

[@riverebec1]

Celeste Holm.

[@dougronald561]

@@riverebec1thank you. Yes she was in All About Eve.

[@Alipchitz]

You might know her as The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella starring Leslie Anne Warren.

[@hermanmunster714]

If Broadway producers were smart they'd tour the classic 70s Broadway musicals. Because the old folks would pay $$$ to see.

[@sonicmuse]

This is assuming that B-way producers aren’t smart… which is an astute observation! 😂

[@carolynzaremba5469]

When there were positive tales to tell.

[@radicalbacon]

Have... You seen Pippin?

[@broadblox9915]

Pippin is like, really dark

[@Pww642]

This is a story about disillusion that almost ends in the main character’s suicide!

[@Promqueen23]

@@Pww642 Almost? In the production I saw today, it was left in question.

[@AutismThespian1993]

Originally Pippin was a somewhat positive tale but Bob Fosse made it dark than it was supposed to be. It actually turned out for the best bc musicals like Godspell were considered frothy.

[@aidanbyrnes9513]

All the other singers sound tired while Ben sounds great!

[@benjaminbackbite]

Why hate?

[@music4thesoul80]

You must have earwax buildup or something cause the chorus sounds fantastic. Bob Fosse would've *never* hired "tired" singers & dancers to be front and center in one of his productions. The man was far too big of a perfectionist to ever allow a travesty like that to occur.

[@gregorykeithmorris3970]

@@benjaminbackbite They sound offbeat, theatrical and ethereal to me personally.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

looks like a high school production compared to the 2013 revival

[@highoctaneadventure]

Not sure how a high school production could master Bob Fosse’s direction and choreography. If you watch a better recording, the dance and movements fill the stage in certain parts of show before the sets are brought on stage and is really all that was needed. The revival was like, oh great, another theme park/cruise ship cirque du soliel rip off when it had amazing actors to focus on instead.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

@@highoctaneadventure you _do_ seem like someone who would know all about theme park and cruise ship productions!

[@thetreasurehouse1742]

@@highoctaneadventure Exactly; I agree with you. I feel the same way. A 1973 performance could never be recaptured in magnificence and splendor, freshness and excitement. Now, everything is overblown. I'm perhaps, not fully expressing myself, but I look at this video and longing for the energy.

[@GalaxyNexus1]

@@Marcel_Audubon you are a theatre illiterate.

[@GalaxyNexus1]

you know very little about theatre.