Courtesy of Clara Yuste-Golob

Yale has magic to do! “Pippin” will run from Feb. 6-8 in the Black Box Theater. The reimagining of Stephen Schwartz’s Broadway staple offers battles, romance and a climax you will remember for the rest of your life. 

Tickets go on sale Jan. 31 and are available here.

“‘Pippin’ is very fantastical and pushes the boundaries between what’s real and what’s not,” said Elsie Harrington ’25.

The upcoming production is the senior directing and acting theses of Clara Yuste-Golob ’25 and Harrington, respectively. This production is unlike any of its predecessors. 

In a gender-bending reimagination, the show takes on new, deeper meanings of finding oneself. 

“Pippin is originally this white, straight, ingénue man and that’s possibly the most boring thing in theater,” said Harrington.

The musical centers around Pippin, a young prince searching for meaning and fulfillment in his life. The show is framed around a traveling theater troupe, led by the mystifying Leading Player who guides Pippin through a series of grandiose adventures in his quest for an extraordinary existence. 

With Harrington in the titular role of Pippin and under the careful direction of Yuste-Golob, the show challenges traditional gender norms, shifting the narrative to a woman wrestling with ambition, self-worth and fulfillment. 

The two said that musical theater is often led and centered around men. Grand, existential coming-of-age stories, especially those that hail from the 70s, are reserved for male protagonists. 

“Many musicals don’t offer complex roles for women, and we wanted to change that,” said Yuste-Golob. 

The production’s reimagining extends beyond just its lead role. With a female Pippin, other dynamics of the story naturally shift, particularly the element of romance, which now takes on a queer dimension. 

Yuste-Golob finds this “particularly exciting” as musical theater has typically shied away from queer, female relationships. 

Assisting Yuste-Golob on the production team is stage manager Sita Kottilil ’25, as well as producers Emily Patrick ’26 and Thomas Kannam ’26. Nneka Moweta ’27 choreographs a talented ensemble while Yoshimi Kimura ’27 serves as music director. 

Rounding out the cast is a collection of seasoned players who are no strangers to the stage. Salma Laraki ’26 plays the elegant, hopeless-romantic Catherine while Stellan Min ’27 plays the eccentric, war-mongering Charlemagne. 

Maya Franz ’25 tackles the role of Leading Player, the main catalyst for all of Pippin’s adventures.

“It’s kind of a dual role: I lead the troupe but I’m also the narrator, making sure the audience knows what’s happening,” says Franz. They liken their character to a puppet master, controlling the show and leading Pippin as he embarks on his quest. 

“Pippin explores all these different paths in life, and I think that it’s very relatable to a lot of people in college,” they said. 

This new version of “Pippin” offers audiences a chance to see a familiar story through a new and compelling lens. According to Harrington, the cast and crew is excited to show off fast-paced choreography, comedic timing, beautiful costumes and the amazing music. 

“I think people will enjoy the communal experience — there might even be some sing-a-longs,” said Yuste-Golob.

At its core, Pippin is a hero’s journey. This fresh interpretation not only challenges long-standing theater conventions, but also enriches the themes of the musical and makes the forty-year old show relevant to contemporary audiences. 

For plots that bring disaster, humor handled by masters, and sex presented pastorally in a story you will never forget, join the cast and crew of “Pippin” next weekend. 

The Black Box Theater is located at 53 Wall St. 

CAMERON NYE
Cameron Nye covers theater and performances. He is a sophomore in Branford College majoring in political science.