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“Pippin,” the dazzling, multi-Tony award-winning, fourth wall breaking extravaganza is coming to the Dover-Sherborn High School stage from March 16-18.
“Pippin” is not your average every day musical theatre experience, especially for a high school production.
In fact, you won’t find the show’s pit orchestra in the pit - you’ll see the musicians on stage throughout the performance.
Says Ardys Flavelle, the show’s musical director: “The band is an integral part of the show, and we interact with a few of the characters here and there. The orchestra is being situated on… a ‘bandstand’ a la so many variety shows.”
Student Brett Melican, who plays trumpet in the production, says, “Setting the show as a 70s variety show is a spin I’ve never heard of for this show, and I think it will definitely be unlike any performance that any audience member would have seen before.”
Credit goes to Director Scott Walker for this unique approach to telling the timeless story. It’s certainly got people talking – and everyone involved working harder than ever for this production.
According to Flavelle, there is a “new level of complexity” to the sound engineering, which requires instruments to be miked and the incorporation of electronic drums, “both of which are a first at DS.”
“Therefore,” she says, “we will have a person running sound for the vocals, and a separate board and operator just for the band mix. We are having a special ‘audio tech’ rehearsal just to deal with the many aspects of this artistic choice, including miking and monitoring orchestra and singers, and conducting from the back of the stage.”
And, of course, there’s the costumes – a first for many of the musicians.
The orchestra is a mix of DS students, Berklee students, and professionals from the surrounding areas. Dean Scarlett, Berklee student and trombonist, remarked that “being on stage … gives the pit musicians a chance to shine and make their presence known at least a little, when the pit is so often overlooked and treated as an afterthought by the general audience.”
He also added: “As for wearing costumes, I am super excited! I love getting to put on a costume!”
DS students in the orchestra include senior Caroline Whitaker (flute and alto flute and who has performed in an incredible 11 DS shows in the pit), junior Brett Melican (trumpet), sophomore Kaylee Hain (flute), sophomore Eugene Kwong (clarinet, recorder, tenor recorder), sophomore Will Easley (bass), freshman Ethan Wood (violin), and seventh grader Arden Caldicott (French Horn).
Berklee and area students include Dean Scarlett (trombone), Michael Mastroianni (keyboard) and Julian Dong, Lexington (cello) along with professionals Tegan Sutherland (oboe), Dan Pelletier (drums), Mike DiBari (guitar) and Ardys Flavelle (keyboard).
Another challenging element to the production was the issue of the keyboard, which apparently has been problematic for a number of productions.
Says Flavelle: “‘Pippin’ calls for two keyboards, and sound ranging from electric piano and harpsichord to pipe organ and synth pads, as do most of the more modern shows. This departure from the ‘golden age’ classically oriented pit orchestras and vocal ranges has meant that, more and more, we are using at least one keyboard for sampled and synthetic sounds, even when we are in the stage pit with the Steinway. We have not had a keyboard that had the range and quality of sounds we regularly need.”
But, thanks to the Dover-Sherborn community, now they do.
“This past month,” Flavelle was excited to share, “FOPA and the Chocolate Cafe Fundraiser raised enough funds to buy the schools a much needed keyboard and the pedals and equipment associated with it, to use in this and future shows. We are very grateful to all of the parents who contributed to the purchase of this keyboard, which is a Yamaha MOXF8, bought just last week, and I am working hard to learn how to use it in time for the show!”
What’s more, unusual instruments that have distinctive sounds had to be specially obtained, including an alto flute to be played by Caroline Whitaker, who will interact with some of the show’s characters as she plays, and a recorder to be played by Eugene Kwong.
Beyond the intricacies involved in the staging of “Pippin’s” orchestra, the collaboration of the musicians themselves is itself noteworthy. Berklee’s Dean Scarlett has enjoyed working with DS students, whom he describes as having a “real interest in learning and advancing…[I]t makes me very happy to work with kids who want to give the music their full attention.”
To that, Arden Caldicott, French Horn player and the youngest and newest member, says “It’s great to have experienced players to work with -- you learn a lot! And the music is very catchy and fun to listen to! When I’m not practicing, I’m humming the tunes, and with this ‘Pippin,’ you not only hear the music, you’ll get to see it, too!”
“Pippin’s” uniquely universal tale is set to begin in two weeks at Dover-Sherborn High School, Mudge Auditorium. Shows will be held on March 16 at 6:30 p.m., March 17 at 7 p.m., and March 18 at 1 and 7 p.m.
