Florida Players to present 'Pippin'

February 10, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Players, the University of Florida’s student-run theatre group, starts off its spring 2010 showcase season with Stephen Schwartz’s magical, musical tale Pippin.

A troupe of performers tells the tale of Prince Pippin, son of Charlemagne, King of the Holy Roman Empire. The prince must endure the trials of war, love and politics in his quest for personal significance. Eventually, Pippin finds himself among the peasants with simple means and a choice to make. His story begs the question, “How do you measure the worth of man?”

Director Ron Shreve has embraced the mystical, magical nature of the musical in creating a spectacle he describes as “Barnum & Bailey meets Cirque du Soleil.” The grandeur and illusion of the circus come to life onstage to both celebrate and question our assumptions of individual achievement.

Show times for this limited engagement are 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, 1 and 7 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 13, and 1 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14. The performances at the Nadine McGuire Black Box Theatre are free and open to the public. Tickets may be reserved through the Florida Players Web site, floridaplayers.org. For special accommodations, contact Disability Affairs Cabinet, 72 hours in advance. Produced by special arrangement with Musical Theatre International.