The Fangirl Experience: The Broadway Tour of Pippin

The Fangirl Experience is a monthly column suggested by Jaime Heller, featuring contributions from both our staff and our readers. Everybody has those moments when being a fangirl feels like the world has become perfectly balanced. It's those moments when you feel a stir in your heart that maybe you've made the right decision in falling down the fandom vortex. When, in the words of my good "friend" Zachary Levi, your "unbridled passion for something, or things, defines who they are as a person without fear of other people's judgment." It's that moment you want to share with the whole world, scream to the rooftops, about what happened. Maybe it's a small moment, maybe it's a big one. But every fangirl has one--or will have one--and we would like to share ours with you. Because our Initiative would be nothing without the Experience. 

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By Amanda Horn

“Every man has his daydreams

Every man has his goal

People like the way dreams have

Of sticking to the soul

Thunderclouds have their lightning

Nightingales have their song

And don't you see I want my life to be

Something more than long....”

As a person who has loved Broadway and the theatre for a long time, I’ve been wanting to go see a Broadway tour for a while.

On February 21st, 2015, I saw the Broadway tour of the musical Pippin.

As a girl who almost lives under the stage lights, I was looking forward to this for months. It had been my birthday present in the summer, but this show didn’t come on tour nearby until almost six months after, so it was a long wait.

But the day finally came! The first stop we had to make was to pick up my brother from school, but then we were on our way to the theatre. We ended up getting there quite early, so we found some stores downtown to walk around for about a half hour and then we headed back to the theatre. We were in the theatre district, so we passed other theatres around there as well.

But we FINALLY got to go in and find our seats. We were close to the back, but we were on the main floor and I think the balcony went quite a bit farther back.

We only had a few minutes to wait until the overture started and the house lights went down. I think my mouth was open during the whole first song and scene. It was properly dazzling and, quite honestly, a dream come true. All of the dancing and acrobatics and singing and acting quite took my breath away and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Pippin is a story within a story. A troupe of circus performers (this is why there was crazy acrobatics) are putting on a show about a king’s son named Pippin and his search for fulfillment in life. Not a complicated plot by any means, but that doesn’t take away from the show at all.

This show was very special-effects heavy. There were several moments where I was thinking, “Whoa! How did they DO that?” There was a running joke involving fire throughout the show and when they finally brought out the pit of fire at the end, it was AMAZING. (I promise that all of the fire had a point and it wasn’t just there for the sake of having fire.) Technical brilliance.

But what I really loved most was the acting. The current Pippin, Sam Lips, really embodied the spirit of his character with a lovely simplicity. That’s the kind of acting I want to do someday. Not dazzling or showy, but simple and real.

For me, seeing Pippin was a dream come true and I’m so glad I got to go. It made me want to be on a stage even more than I did before, if that’s possible. Hopefully this will be the first of many Broadway tours and shows that I have the privilege of seeing.

“Rivers belong where they can ramble

Eagles belong where they can fly

I've got to be where my spirit can run free

Got to find my corner of the sky”

Of course, The Fangirl Initiative wouldn't be complete without the help of you, our readers. We want to hear and feature your stories and tales. If you have a fangirl experience you'd like to share in this column, let us know!