Desert Foothills Theater’s Pippin Teen Production Runs Jan. 24 – Feb. 10 *Arizona Locals*

Desert Foothills Theater (DFT), a program of the Foothills Community Foundation, presents Pippin set for Thurs., Jan. 24 through Sun., Feb. 10 in the Cabaret Theater at the FCF-Holland Community Center, 34250 N. 60^th Street, Building B, in north Scottsdale.

Directed by Mark Clemente with musical direction by Daniel Kurek, Pippin is a hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale that captivated Broadway audiences and continues to appeal to the young at heart everywhere. The energetic pop-influenced score by three-time Oscar-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Children of Eden, and the animated films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince Of Egypt) bursts with one show-stopping number after another, from soaring ballads to infectious dance numbers.

A Full Cast of Teens

“While Pippin has some mature themes, it is a great show to encourage young people of their potential, as well as prompt discussions of their career or life aspirations,” Clemente says. “Pippin is about finding and seeking your destiny and reminds us all that we control this even though there are many external forces that may prevent us from our goals.”

The show itself is written with great music and humor to tell the story with a farcical view of politics, war and sex.  “We are using a medieval circus theme to bring out the bohemian, gypsy aspects of this group of players, as well as provide the “tongue in cheek” nature of the show more levity.  The talent in this cast of teenagers is amazing and we are certainly glad we have been able to highlight all of them in this production,” he says.

Mason Reeves, 15, is a freshman at Pinnacle High School who plays the role of “Leading Player” in the production. “I love being surrounded by actors and actresses my own age with similar skill levels and drive. However, this is the largest role I have ever taken on and it is nerve-wracking because of the amount of content I have to remember,” Reeves says.

Performances for Pippin are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays, with a post-show Q & A on Sun., Feb. 10. (Note: There is no show on Feb. 9).  Adult tickets range from $15 to $20; youth tickets range from $10 to $20.

Youth Classes and Auditions

Desert Foothills Theater’s education program offers many great classes to help young artists grow as actors, singers and dancers.  Auditions are coming up on Feb. 21 & 22 for Aladdin, Jr.  which runs May 10-19. DFT is also offering a three-day (Wednesdays 1/31, 2/6 and 2/13) workshop to help young actors fully prepare for their musical audition including choosing the right music. Actors can also do a mike audition and get feedback. The workshop is taught by popular youth theater direct Sara Bernstein and music director, Reynaldo Saenz. All classes are taught by working theater and dance professionals.  Information can be found at www.desertfoothillstheater.org or call (480) 488-1981.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored guest post brought to you by Desert Foothills Theater. I will be compensated for this post.