Mike Diehl Jr., Melissa Anderson Clark, Mark McGinn, Red Schneider, Jordyn Mitchell, Olivia Hedden, Tatum Kilburg, and Jackie Madunic in Quad City Music Guild's “Pippin" at the Prospect Park Auditorium -- August 4 through 13.
Friday, August 4, through Sunday, August 13
Prospect Park Auditorium, 1584 34th Avenue, Moline IL
Winner of five Tony Awards for its 1973 debut and four Tonys for its 2013 revival, composer Stephen Schwartz's musical-comedy smash Pippin enjoys an August 4 through 13 Quad City Music Guild presentation at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium, this stage extravaganza's lavish praise including the New York Post deeming it “a thrilling piece of eye-popping razzle dazzle."
As told by a traveling troupe of actors led by the cunning and charming Leading Player, Pippin is the story of a young prince and heir to the throne who, as his introductory song explains, is searching for his own “corner of the sky.” Pippin returns from university certain that he will find a fulfilling purpose in life. As encouraged by the Leading Player, however, the untrained royal dabbles in bloody battle, licentious and lusty sexual entanglements, and savvy political maneuvers, only to discover that true happiness is more complicated than he originally thought. With its infectious tunes and dance inspired by the original, Tony-winning choreography of Bob Fosse, Pippin, which played on Broadway for a staggering 1,944 performances is both a humorous allegory about growing up and a dark tale of the danger of false appearances and empty promises.
Directing and choreographing Pippin for Music Guild is company favorite Christina Myatt, whose previous Guild credits include helming 2019's 42nd Street and starring in such musicals as 2021's Mamma Mia! and 2017's Sunset Boulevard. With Kathry Weber as assistant director, Rishi Wagle as music director, and Mary Carroll as assistant music director, additional members of Myatt's creative team include: set designer Bill Myatt; assistant set builder (and Reader theatre reviewer) Roger Pavey Jr.; costume designers Cathy Marsoun and Connie McGinn; lighting designer Mike Turczynski; sound designer Giovanni Macias; props designer Marni Turczynski; makeup designer Sue Cates; and producer Dan Pepper.
In his Music Guild debut, Red Schneider portrays Pippin's title character, with the Leading Player enacted by Jordyn Mitchell, a veteran of the Spotlight Theatre's The SpongeBob Musical and the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Additional members of Myatt's featured cast include Olivia Hedden, Melissa Anderson Clark, Mark McGinn, Tatum Kilburg, Mike Diehl Jr., and Jackie Madunic, while 17 local talents complete Pippin's ensemble: Brittany Anderson, Harper Clark, Ava Coussens, Sibu Dlamini, Mae Dolan, Bruce R. Duling, Denice Durbin, Grace Engstrom, Anna Franceson, Stevee Gillum, Ella Hansen, Paul Hansen, Braedon Jackson, Yvonne Siddique, Robert Wamer, Amber Whitaker, and Megan Winchell.
Quad City Music Guild's Pippin will be staged in Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium from August 4 through 13, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $15-20, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-6610 and visiting QCMusicGuild.com.
