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  • IM PLAYING THE ROLE OF LEADING IN MY COLLEGE'S PRODUCTION I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

  • We're doing this play in school :D

  • The editing is horrendous and ruined the whole show! Fosse was not happy.

  • 1:50 is total perfection

  • The Marc Pease Experience! =))

  • Ben Vereen is one of the greatest song and dance men of Broadway. This is one of his best-known roles and he is, as always, unmatchable in it. Ben, you are wonderful.

  • Bob Fosse = brilliant.

  • @amazinggarrett1 true, but this song isn't a good indication of that. Glory shows off his brilliance better

  • Ben Vereen is the Jesus of Musical Theater, enough said

  • @MrMrMrprofessor Wrong - he's the lovable Judas of Musical Theatre. :P

    Sorry, had to. xD

  • @yiboo1 right, my mistake XD

  • Happy Birthday, Ben Vereen!

  • Floating Hands... everyone's worst nightmare o0

  • Along with The Jet Song from West Side Story and Summer Days from Grease, this is one of Broadway's best opening numbers ever. Superb.

  • they scare me.....

  • He is the narrator.

  • @zipsrule correction, he is the 'Leading Player'. literally, that is his script name

  • @Manchild006 Thanks for the correction.

  • Magic is the word. Thanks Ben. There is nobody like you now.

  • @brudolf367 Agreed. I got to meet him when he did Fosse. Amazing man. 

  • Yes, Ben Vereen was terrific. I saw "Pippin" in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia (damn good production by the way) . As a fourteen year old who had dreams of going into the entertainment business, this musical blew me away. I've just bought the original cast album. Great to hear it again. A real "feel good" show. Seeing "Pippin" and "Chorus Line" were exhilirating experiences for me.

  • Brilliant. What a pleasure to see him on stage!

  • Let loose, it's summertime! There's magic to do!

  • I just came home from rehearsal for PIPPIN. I love this performance!

  • So rumor has it that PIPPIN will be revived on Broadway sometime in 2012-2013! Idk if this is true but it is also rumored that Tracie Thoms(Joanne from 'RENT') will play the LEADING PLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @TribeHazSpoken Didn't they just revive it in 2007 or 2008?? Sam Harris was the Lead Player. He has a rehearsal posted right on youtube! I understand that the staging and choreography weren't Fosse's, so maybe they want to do one more faithful to the original? Seems a little unlikely though.

  • This is so f***ing great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

  • I just saw this musical.OUTSTANDING!(Wouldn't take a little kid though.)

  • In love with this song and the musical itself.

  • I love the Lead Player. <3

  • Fosse and Vereen were golden. Add the Greatest American Hero, Martha Raye and Chita Rivera you've got a guaranteed good show.

  • If grew up around this time in the 1970's. One of the first broadway musical I ever seen and it brings back great memories. Love all the actors, dancers and the music.

    Live singing and dancing is hard to do. People should appreciate raw talent.

  • Not a fan. Sorry. Oh, Ben Vereen is fantastic; just not my favorite show. For what it's worth, neither is Wicked (although I appreciate some of the songs). I prefer shows I can do more than "appreciate." :) Hard to explain why this show doesn't do it for me.

  • @scottknitter It's called personal preference.No shame.

  • chita rivera plus ben vereen equals awesomness

  • Pippin is just simply put an amazing musical and it truly is magical.

  • i saw it last night, it made it to my top 5 shows (movies etc.) just from this first number! XD

  • have to sing this at a school pllay... doesnt seem that hard :P

  • 7 people are not magical..

  • Reminds me of the "The Simpsons" episode

    with the "Bob Fosse-esque" jazz dancer:

    Springfield Opera Academy: "No thin chicks"

    Springfield Ballet Academy: "No fat chicks"

  • terrible

  • I'm Berthe :)

  • Maybe I'm biased but my High School did a better job with this musical, in regards to vocals which is sad for those guys, but like I said, I might be biased.

  • @PheonixUruloce You watched the Glory video? How about War is a Science and On the right track? I highly doubt your high school could do better then the energy of Ben Veeren and the choreography of Fosse.

  • @screwyluey789 Like I said I am probably biased. ((Oh and yeah, I did watch those videos but my comment stands))

  • i go to a performing arts school and our homework this week for musical theatre was to look at this song and learn it this is a great song

  • My high school is doing Pippin this year (I'm Lewis). I really only like Magic to Do and Glory.

    But it's an alright musical(:

    Anyway, it's amazing how Schwartz went from boringish Pippin songs to the ginormous, masterly orchestrated belting songs in Wicked.

  • @KcAr151 Just because songs are a belt-fest doesn't make them better. Also, Schwartz doesn't do his own orchestrations. He hires someone else to do that.

  • this is my schools, mini musical... it's so stupid.... i hate being in it... even tho i'm pippin.

  • @Mogli2nd2none do you understand the show? pippin is a notoriously emotional and thought-provoking show. Looking on it at the surface alone, many people don't like it because it seems too disjointed. In reality though, it carries a heavy message about the nature of human life - our ideals and our destiny as people.

  • @Neherazade

    .... i understand the show.

  • @Neherazade I agree. I just saw this play at a high school. The play was a powerful emotional story.  The ending is amazing. It is about human nature. I loved it.

  • My first high school musical. Actually I'm playing drums in the pit. And I'm a freshman

  • @brennan9629 What kind of kit and cymbals do you use?

  • @Capcoor well i rehearsed with the pit in the band room for a couple months with their crap set. idk what it was, but the only good think about that set were the cymals. for the shows, i brought my set (percussion plus) and used the band room's cymbals

  • I'm in this musical... No not acting but playing drum set in the pit

  • I'm doing this at school, my first hs production and i gotta say i HATED it at first. I thought it was the stupidest show ever. But now i'm completely obsessed with jazz hands and spirit fingers and GLORY! thanks for posting this is how i memorize songs :)

  • LOL--we're singing this at my school and the words "sex presented pastorly" is "love presented pastorly" and i didn't realize that til just now lol

  • @99musicismylife41 Ours was the same, and we had to pull out, like, all of the swear words and most of With You. There were many small children in our audience, so... yeah.

  • I saw this with Ben Vereen on Broadway. At one point, he bent down and picked something up. It was made of micrame, I think, and it was part of the set for the next scene and was pulled upward. He was dating Liz Minelli at the time. After the show started, a woman walked dramatically down the aisle in an incredible full-length fur coat. It was Liza Minella, arriving late for maximum effect. Very rude to the actors on-stage.

  • Pippin needs a revival.

  • @NoodlesSF: They're is currently talks of a Pippin revival on broadway, in like 2013 or 2014. Its gonna star Gavin Creel (Claude in the 09 revival of Hair) as Pippin and be directed by the director of that production of Hair.

  • @italianwolf77 Awesome! I didn't know that, thanks. I know a Godspell revival has been on the "Schedule of upcoming Broadway shows" on the Playbill page for a while, but I am glad to hear about Pippin in the works.

  • Ben Vereen was amazing in this show, and I am so lucky to have seen the original, wish they would revive it on B-way. Also what a brilliant showman Fosse was....

  • Yes, I agree with some of the comments, "Pippin" is of it's time, but so are "Oklahoma" and "South Pacific".So what? You don't expect those musicals to be relevant to today,why is "Pippin" any different? The songs are catchy and sardonic, and the staging and dance numbers are creative.If you put the musical in perspective, what's not to like?

  • Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

  • Why did they stop doing this on Broadway?

  • Amazing!

  • HONESTLY, who disliked this?

  • @LovePotion4711 This opening was spectacular, the best part of the show. But there is a distinct reason this show has not been revived. It is a product of it's time.

  • @pudgeuncle I don't see your point... you say you hated the original production, which you couldn't have seen considering that it was originally done in 1972 and you were born in 1978, and then you say the show doesn't work without Fosse's showmanship... Words cannot describe such stupidity.

    Sir, if I were you I would either grow up or think twice before posting a nonsensical comment that someone half your age can clearly see is the work of a talentless lowlife.

  • @CArownny I was born in the 50's, did work in the industry and have tried to fix this account with my correct age. Read the original reviews which were ecstatic for Vereen and for Fosse's showmanship. The book and score were considered forgettable. I saw the orig. show 3x and there is a reason that it has not been revived. No need to be so viscious and at 17 you could not even have seen a major touring company. A You Tube clip is not like seeing an actual show. Have a blessed day.

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  • I'm doing this for my middle school theatre performance :)

  • if i was one of them.. i wuda stuck up my middle finger as a joke! hell id get every one in on it XD

  • Does anyone know if there is any video available - anywhere - of the original Broadway production from the early 70s??

  • @hbailen There was a televised version with William Katt and Chita Rivera. 

  • We're doing this musical for our Spring show!

  • it just doesn't get any better than Fosse...brilliant

  • Ben Vereen is made of win, that is all.

  • lmao... i like choir version better! this guy is creepy

  • sweeeeeeeeeet

  • Ben Vereen is magic. :)

  • 1974, University School, Shaker Hgts, OH. I was in 1st grade & we did this number for our class play. Thx Mr. Vereen.

    Dr. Brian Martin

  • Excellent!

  • we're doing this show for summer theatre and were going to see it live and were all gonna meet ben vereen

  • We had to watch this in theater class. o__O

  • I'm in this Show!!!

  • jazz hands

  • Belleville West High School's Production of this show was amazing! -Belleville West Pippin Magic To Do. Check it out!

  • Greatness!

  • This is my all time favorite musical. Rhonda and I saw Ben Vereen's road show of this at the Prospect Theater in Schenectedy in 1988.

  • this songs my fav its like an explsion of floppy passion

  • @ForbiddenVegetable He's not gay, you idiot!

  • @ForbiddenVegetable  He's straight, you idiot! Who cares anyway.

  • I've seen many, many spectacular Broadway plays and legendary performers but "Pippin" is my favorite and it's all because of Ben Vereen! This opening act was spectacular and is etched into my memory.

  • We had our last performance of this musical last night..

    The songs are so catchy.

    I miss the musical a lot.

    It was so fun to do.

    (:

  • I loved this play! i saw it like 2-3 years ago at the local highschool and they did an amazing job on it! wish i could see it again :(

  • What is pippin about?

  • Search wikipedia for pippin for a good overview.

  • its so good! my junior high did it. look up the story wikipedia has it

  • @dericjeter2 well it's about Pippin, son of Charlemange (spelled wrong) and his whiney search to lead a life full of excitement and drama and magic. But when he gets a chance to get it, he wines a bit, then backs out. the end. i love the music, dislike the plot.

  • Attack of the Jazz Hands !

  • @EdiblePlanets Wellll... what'd ya expect it IS Bob Fosse afterall!

  • @EdiblePlanets lol XD

  • you're right. that is the brodway that i like best. but is there a video of magic to do in london of 1981 with Northern Calloway as the leading player?

  • i agree, that is really brodway. but is there a video of magic to do in london?

  • now this is broadway....awesome.

  • have the original soundtrack from 1972. Irene Ryan starred in the play. She was granny from "The Beverly Hillbillies"

  • my school is doing this show. Opening night is February 12th

  • I'm doing this at my school in April. First rehershal is on Monday, and I can't wait!

  • I'm gonna have nightmares now! :( lol.

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  • @RainbowLampost then you OBVIOUSLY dont unerstand the moral of the musical... because if ya did, you'd like it.

  • Extremely well done, The hands in the beginning and the floating seat about halfway through, all very well done! My school is going to be doing a production of this shortly, not sure if I'll have a part yet (probably not my auditions weren't all that great) but I deffinitely love this play :D

  • what the heck is pippin about? can anyone tell me? it is coming to memphis in a few days

  • Ya know, I've seen it, and I still didn't quite get what it was about. It was my cousins High School. Basically, it's about Pippin and he tries to like find who he is, I think? I don't know... it was very weird. He killed his dad I think, but then brought him back to life...? In short, I have no idea.

  • @BeLoudBeProud It's very loosely based on the life of Pippin, son of Charlemagne.

  • love this song! sang and performed it in high school 2 years ago... :)

  • i just sang this at winterfest

  • just did this a while ago!!! still cant believe a dude did Berthe's part in this song.!!! :( oh well!! AWESOME AS ALWAYS BEN VEREEN!!

  • Were gonna watch this tommorow our school play and it's grade school. . . dont worry they will censor some parts

  • <3 <3 LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!!! <3 <3

  • one of the best musicals ever.love yah ben

  • Im really excited to do this musical at my school. I actually got Leading Player, but Im a girl, but I think it is fun to change it up a little bit. Either way, I know this number will be so much fun to perform! And Leading PLayer is so cool too.

  • my school is also doing pippin and our leading player is a female

  • thats cool! and Im not the only leading player. Its actually for a class and we switch off parts and every person who got the leading player is a girl. either way, leading player is awesome haha

  • do you know how to get this marvellous music???

  • this is the ultimate musical.

    if i could live in a musical...

    the choice is obvious

  • oh ya. However, I think it would be even more amazing to be the leading player in the movie "Pippin" Just hoping it comes out soon. Let's face it, Pippin is bigger than Sweeny Todd when it comes to how many times it's been done. So, it's just time till it's on the silver screen

  • Ben Vereen is an angel hovering over the madness and making poetry of it all. Wow....

  • well...actually his character is suppose to be seen as the Devil...but angel over madness sounds good too.

    And yes, he's amazingly talented. you should hear his Broadway recording, I like it even more than the live songs

  • yeah were doing this musical at school and im in the pit orchestra

    this song is one of the best ones and even the cello part is good

  • Can't forget Bob Fosse when talking about "Pippin".

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  • Yo this song is the best!!!! We is doing this play at the school and I can't get enough of it. I should have joined theater this year.

  • who is ben vereen playing in this clip?

  • he plays the Leading Player in this. just Leading Player. thats his name.

  • i saw the original version on broadway, i loved it then and now !!!!!!!!

  • I love this play! I also saw it performed by a high school group and they were amazing! This was the most enjoyable musical I've ever seen on stage, and the end took me by complete surprise. <3

  • haha i got lewis in the play i just auditoned...hes badass

  • I was Lewis at an arts camp I went to

    You'll love the part

    He's hilarious

  • i've never seen or played this but i've sang two of the songs at stagecoach xD this one and the one sung by pippin...

  • i love this play!!! i saw it at the local highschool 2 years ago and ive loved it since. wish i could see it every day!

  • i played this part in college as a freshmen and i loved it Lp songs are kind of hard. Any who Miramax needs to make pippin and get it over with

  • were singing this in chorale

  • my oh my, our professor assigned a homework on relating this musical to ARCHITECTURE, wahhhh now i'm going crazy just to find any connection...anyway i liked this play, you can relate it very much in real life :)

  • well, you could get philosophical about it, saying that the character of Pippin constantly changes his mind on what his desires are, which in the end undoes him. If you constantly change plans for a piece of architecture, and don't stay on track with one idea, chances are that something bad will happen somewhere.

  • Ben Vereen totally desevered that tony and this song proves it

  • really? we are doing the show now....im the severed head heh....but we have a master director and stuff..

  • This looks awesome. my dance class is doing this song right now and I love it. Stephen Schwartz, Fosse, Ben Vereen, everything so awesome! I would like to see it sometime.

  • Im actually the Leading Player. The show is tonight at our community theatre and Im sooo nervous bcuz i will never do it as well as Ben vereen.

  • Ben Vereen is the man.

  • we just did this for our Spring Musical. Our guy who was the leading player was almost spot on with Ben Vereen. It was really amazing.

  • I was just cast as the Leading Player!

  • Congratz, That's awesome.

    it's my dream to one day play the Leading Player on stage (outside of a school production)

  • Thanks! I'm really excited. This isn't a school production

  • Awesome. I'm jelous!

    I was just saying I didn't want to be part of a school production, I wasn't implying that you were in one. I was just clarifying that my goal isn't just to get into a school production level of Pippin.

  • yea we just finished our pippin at mt hope its actually on youtube but yea our orginal pippin had to quit cause of academic probation so the guy that orgianlly played charles stepped in and another guy stepped in for him. mind you this was 6 days before opening night, but the show ended up pretty well.

  • stuff like that usually falls together like that at final dress lol, i've seen it many times, thank the Muses'

  • Ehmygawd!! im doing this in my school concert!

  • So. Amazing. Aaaaa. I love Vereen's hands. He's great, the choreography's great, the show's great.

  • ugh! im doing this show right now...its one of my all time favorites!!!!!!!!!

  • OMG! Ben vereen in my friends, dads uncle , and he stoped by our rehursal today, and I fucking freaked out. :]]

  • He's an amazing singer/actor. I saw him as 'The Wizard of Oz' in Wicked. He did awesome.

  • he's soooooooo good!

  • Mt. Diablo High trumps all other schools that have done this play.

  • But you see, the fact is that Pippin can only be done well at this professional level. When done at a high school level, 97% of all Pippins fail. So, odds are you're not in that 3 percent and, therefore, suck just as badly as everyone else.

  • I am liking those odds.

  • ha ha, Very true! I just saw this at the local college(Would've tried out, but, was doing a different play that interfered), and actually, I liked that one better then this one! But, this one's still pretty amazing! And, what's very odd is that, our college is a community college! But, our community college has one of the best arts of community colleges in the state! It's VERY professional!

  • " and actually, I liked that one better then this one!"

    o rly?

  • Yeah, the guy who's playing the Lead, he's good, but, I'm not the hugest fan of his singing for this. The one I saw last night seemed to fit it perfectly.