Rippin' Pippin

Just got a press release announcing the extension -- by two weeks -- of Tim Dang's re-imagined staging of "Pippin" at East West Players.

Bully for EWP, of course, which cites great word of mouth, buzz, whatever you want to call it for the reason behind extension. Since the Little Tokyo-based Asian American company typically runs barely five weeks, it's cool that more folks who are interested can have some time to get out and see the Hip Hop-ery, anime, etc. that Dang and Co. have fashioned out of Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's musical.

I said "who are interested." I didn't particularly care for this "Pippin" (gave it two stars), finding it decidedly un-enhanced by the changes and rather amateurishly performed. Looking at EWP's website, www.eastwestplayers.org, I find that I appear to be somewhat alone in my lack of esteem. My colleagues at Citybeat, the L.A. Times and L.A. Weeky are blurbed, quoted, etc. with "Go!"

So it goes.

The one person's opinion I would really like to have collected Stephen Schwartz himself who I happened to be seated next to at the opening night of "Pippin" a week or so back. Now, because I was reviewing, and because I don't really know the man, I couldn't exactly turn to him and say, "So what do you think?" because what's the man going to say?

I snuck a glance or two and found that Schwartz's applause following each song seemed to ebb as the evening drew on until he wasn't applauding at all. I'm not necessarily reading anything into this; maybe the man harbors his ovations. It didn't look like he wasn't enjoying himself.

regardless, "Pippin" plays on through June 22. Tickets: purchases (213) 625-7000 or visit www.eastwestplayers.org.