KU Theatre’s ‘Pippin’ to showcase theatre magic, big dance numbers
LAWRENCE — Performers at the University of Kansas will stage a Stephen Schwartz musical this month in which audience members follow along as an extraordinary young prince named Pippin discovers his true self, with “help” from a traveling theatre troupe. Physical comedy, dark humor and a celebrated score advance the title character’s journey.
University Theatre will stage “Pippin” April 11-19 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall.
Bursting with a big dose of theatricality utilizing an array of the theatre’s capabilities, “Pippin” is an ode to the artform and a relatable tale of self-acceptance and negotiating the expectations of family, friends and society, told through a book by Hirson. Tickets to see the production can be purchased at the "Pippin" web page, in person noon-5 p.m. at the box office in Murphy Hall or by calling 785-864-3982.
“This production has been over 30 years in the making, from my first encounter with the original cast album. For the most part a classic, comic coming-of-age tale, there are darker elements which add rich intrigue that I wanted to embrace in our version. I asked the designers to create a production that would exist in the world of shows like ‘American Horror Story’ or ‘Supernatural,’ and they certainly delivered,” said director James Dick, who also is managing director for the Department of Theatre & Dance.
Originally choreographed for the Broadway stage by Bob Fosse in his signature style, KU’s production expands into dance styles ranging from contemporary jazz to tap, from hip-hop to Argentine tango. Maya Tillman-Rayton, KU lecturer in dance, is choreographing.
“It was important to me to follow the director’s vision of incorporating multiple styles of dance, and that fits in with our students’ skillset. They excel across genres,” Tillman-Rayton said. “When I say ‘dancers’ to my cast members, I mean it, even those who started out as movers. As you watch the show, they dance a lot, and my choreography highlights the talent of dance, theatre and students from many other majors.”
The creative team is rounded out by Matthew Harris, a KU lecturer and multi-hyphenate performing artist, as musical director; Creston Herron, director of orchestral activities in the School of Music, as conductor; Christian Boudreaux, master’s student in the Department of Theatre & Dance, KU lecturer and freelance fight choreographer, as fight and movement director; Katie Cooley, master of fine arts in scenography student, as scenic designer; Zoe English, senior in theatre design from Merriam, as costume designer; Ann Sitzman, KU lecturer and technical coordinator, as lighting designer; Olivia Laycock, senior in theatre design from Wichita, as hair and makeup designer; and Connor Maloney, senior in theatre design from Wichita, as stage manager.
Gail Trottier, KU Costume Shop manager, is playing the role of Berthe. Student cast members are Jacobi Robinson, freshman in theatre performance from Abilene, as Pippin; Katherine Leverenz, senior in theatre performance and finance from Houston, Texas, as Leading Player; Brandon Heflin, junior in biochemistry and pre-med from Olathe, as Charles; Maya Welde, junior in theatre performance and Spanish from Overland Park, as Fastrada; Zach Newkirk, sophomore in journalism from Overland Park, as Lewis; Essy Siegel, junior in digital marketing, advertising & public relations from Kansas City, Missouri, as Catherine; and Conner Booton, freshman in vocal performance from Edgerton, as Theo.
Ensemble members are Parker Bennett, junior in theatre & voice and pre-med from Kansas City, Missouri; Tara Leigh Burgat, senior in dance; Isabel Dewey (Catherine understudy), sophomore in psychology; Sofia Dunkelberger, sophomore in dance from Wichita; Jacob Haefele, junior in film & media studies from Marysville; Sophia Harrison, junior in dance from Topeka; Jadyn Kaufman, junior in business management & leadership from Iola; Cullen Krishna, senior in dance and in ecology, evolution & organismal biology from Bellevue, Nebraska; Jazmyne Le, senior in journalism and digital marketing from Wichita; Natalie Loftus (Fastrada understudy), sophomore in theatre and English from Hays; Evan McCoy, freshman in engineering physics from Olathe; Caden Moffitt (Pippin understudy), sophomore in theatre and journalism from Overland Park; Nicole Noakes (Berthe understudy), theatre student from West Sussex, United Kingdom; Mallory Price, junior in dance and journalism from Leavenworth; Paul Ruf, junior in accounting from Overland Park; Madi Seelye, junior in dance from Lawrence; Anna Tové Shelton (dance captain, assistant choreographer), senior in dance from Hesston; Sloane Smith, junior in dance and exercise science from Littleton, Colorado; John Stecher Jr. (Charles understudy), junior in theatre performance from Overland Park; Morgan Tate, sophomore in theatre from Shawnee; Elizabeth Wellman, junior in dance from Lawrence; Cytlahli Winsor (Leading Player understudy), junior in theatre performance from Belle Glade, Florida; and Rizzy Xiong, junior in education from Shanghai, China, via Los Angeles.
About James Dick
Dick is managing director of KU Theatre & Dance. He previously directed the University Theatre productions of “Perfect Arrangement” (2018) and “Reckless” (2015). He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre education from Drake University. There he directed “Prelude to a Kiss” and appeared in productions of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “Cole,” “No Trifling with Love,” “Uncommon Women and Others,” “Reckless,” “All My Sons” and “Measure for Measure.” Dick also served as artistic director of Drake’s Playwrights’ Acting Company for two seasons. He was a resident director with Central Iowa Repertory Theatre for two seasons, directing productions of “The Split Infinity” and “Twyla’s Boy.” His other credits include work as an assistant director and technical director with companies such as StageWest, the Des Moines Playhouse, Tallgrass Theatre and the Iowa Shakespeare Project.
About Maya Tillman-Rayton
A KU alumna, Maya Tillman-Rayton is in her eighth year as a KU lecturer of hip-hop technique, third year as full-time lecturer and first year as director of dance. She debuted her work, “Stingy Lulu’s Jumping Jook Joint,” at the 2023 KC Fringe Festival. Her works have previously been shown at KC Fringe Festival and at National Dance Week KC. Her dance teaching career spans almost 20 years in the Lawrence and Kansas City communities, earning several choreography and entertainment awards. She is also a two-time scholarship recipient from Monsters of Hip Hop dance conventions and a co-founding member of House of Dragons dance company, which performed recently at the Kansas City Chinese Association annual Lunar New Year Festival and the Korean Culture Day celebration on KU’s campus.
The University Theatre is a production wing of the University of Kansas’ Department of Theatre & Dance, offering public productions during the academic year. The University Theatre productions are funded in part by Student Senate fees and supported by Truity Credit Union. For more information on the University Theatre or to purchase tickets, visit the KU Theatre website.
The department is one of three departments in the School of the Arts. As part of the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of the Arts offers fresh possibilities for collaboration between the arts and the humanities, sciences, social sciences, international and interdisciplinary studies.