The Hillsborough High School theater department has been known for putting on awe- inspiring shows that involve talented student actors and musicians alike. Earlier this school year, instead of the ordinary fall play, the theater department put on a spoken word show, entitled “Just Listen.” For the spring, the theater department selected the musical Pippin to perform.

Written by Stephen Schwartz, and based on the book by Roger O. Hirson, Pippin is a fun musical about the life of the son of Charlemagne, named Pippin. The story is about a restless prince who longs for happiness and self fulfilment; throughout his search, he encounters various situations, such as going to war, and becoming a farmer. The play contains two levels of characters: the characters portrayed in the musical, and the actors that are portraying said character, which sometimes break character as a scripted part of the play. The characters include Pippin, King Charles (Charlemagne), Catherine, and Lewis, along with the circus ensemble. The circus ensemble was an integral part of the musical as they often furthered the plot, and created transitions for new events to occur.

Overall, the musical was fun to watch despite its dark undertones. The music was upbeat and catchy, and each student actor was very talented at both acting and singing. However, performing this musical was not easy as it required lots of rehearsal time, practicing six days a week starting in February, and continuing to do so until opening night in mid-March. Although preparing for the musical could be very taxing at times, the hours of hard work spent together is what brought the cast closer.

Actor Erin Mooney compared the relationships formed by participating in the musical to that of a family, saying, “Nothing can compare to the relationships you form while doing theatre.”

Hard work was also done by those in the orchestra pit to provide the music needed to perform Pippin.

“We had to practice for three hours, three times a week,” junior Luke Dimitrov-Kuhl said. “In the beginning, the music was very difficult to learn. I thought I couldn’t do it at first, but with hard work and practice, I learned the music inside and out.”

In conclusion, the student actors and musicians worked hard to perform a wonderful show each night for audiences that contained both students and adults alike. Pippin was a wonderful experience for all who attended, and we are looking forward to what the theatre department comes up with next year.