TIME NOW FOR ANOTHER INSTALLMENT OF BROADWAY ACROSS BALANCES AMERICA.
OUR SERIES THAT TAKES YOU BEHIND THE SCENES OF SOME OF THE MOST BELOVED BROADWAY MUSICALS
AS THEY TRAVEL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND INTO YOUR LOCAL THEATERS.
TODAY BALANCING ACT CORRESPONDENT AMBER MILT, JUMPS INTO THE BREATHTAKING WORLD OF PIPPEN,
I LOVE THIS SHOW -- I KNOW.
DEN VERINE WON A TONY FOR HIS PERFORMANCE IN THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION MORE THAN 40 YEARS
AGO.
NOW, THE SHOW HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH A WOMEN IN THE PART OF LEADING PLAYER.
I LIKE THAT.
IT'S THE STORY OF A YOUNG PRINCE PIPPEN ON A DEATH DEFYING JOURNEY TO FIND MEANING IN
HIS EXISTENCE.
WILL HE CHOOSE A HAPPY BUT SIMPLE LIFE OR WILL HE RISK EVERYTHING FOR A SINGULAR FLASH
OF GLORY?
IN DEED LADIES, THIS CAPTIVATING PERFORMANCE WON THE 2013 TONY FOR BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
AND IT CONTINUES TO WOW AUDIENCES TODAY WITH ITS BELOVED SCORE, SIZZLING CHOREOGRAPHY,
AND COMPELLING STORY.
(MUSIC) I GREW UP IN NEW YORK CITY AND I SAW PIPPEN
WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD.
I THINK THREE TIMES.
AND I LOVED THE SHOW.
IT MADE SUCH AN IMPRESSION ON ME AS A YOUNG PERSON AND THEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SCORE
AND THE SOUNDTRACK BECAME PART OF MY LIFE.
(MUSIC) (SINGING) JOIN US.
COME AND WASTE AN HOUR OR TWO.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY TOUCH IT AND REVIVE IT AND BRING IT BACK WAS ALMOST LIKE MAKING
A GIFT, YOU KNOW, AS A DIRECTOR YOU'RE LIKE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE PERFECT PRESENT FOR
ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING 40 YEARS LATER TO RE-EXPERIENCE WHAT THIS SHOW IS.
(MUSIC) AND WHAT AN EXPERIENCE IT IS.
RE-IMAGINED AND UPDATED BY PAULUS WHO IS NAMED ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE THIS YEAR.
PIPPEN INVITES YOU IN TO A MAGICAL WORLD - LITERALLY FULL OF UPS AND DOWNS AS THE LEADING PLAYER,
THIS TIME PLAYED BY A WOMAN, LEADS THE YOUNG PRINCE THROUGH A SOUL SEARCHING ODESSY.
THERE IS SOMETHING POWERFUL ABOUT A WOMAN BEING THE LEADER OF THIS TROOP.
AND SOMETHING ABOUT A WOMAN SEDUCING THIS YOUNG MAN IN TO A JOURNEY OF LIFE THAT FELT
FRESH AND NEW AND POWERFUL.
(CROWDS TALKING) AND THE ONLY ISSUE HERE ..
THE WOMAN BEHIND ALL THE AMAZING NEWLY ADDED ARIEL ACROBATICS IS GYPSY SNIDER.
CIRCUS IS A VERY PARTICULAR WAY OF MOVING.
ESPECIALLY THE WAY THAT MY COMPANY AND SEVEN FINGERS MOVES AND DOES ACROBATICS, IT'S VERY
URBAN.
SO, NOW WE REALLY HAVE TO COME BACK AND BRING IT INTO THAT INCREDIBLE BOB FOSSIE THEATRICAL
INTENSE, SENSUAL WAY OF MOVING.
IT WAS THRILLING, IT WAS EXCITING, AND IT WAS A CHALLENGE.
(MUSIC) AND THE RESULT IS BREATHTAKING.
A TRUE COLLABORATION.
IT'S A TEAM EFFORT AND IF YOU REALLY WANT THE BEST OUT OF A TEAM YOU HAVE TO MAKE EVERY
SINGLE PERSON FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE THAT THEY HAVE A STAKE.
AND I CHALLENGE EVERYONE AT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
NOW, THIS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE.
FROM THE NIMBLE AGILITY OF THE PERFORMERS TO THE WOMAN BEHIND THE PRODUCTION WHO HAVE
TO BALANCE THEIR LIVES IN A BUSY AND DEMANDING INDUSTRY.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT BEING IN THE THEATRE IS YOU CAN BRING YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AND EVERYTHING
ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE CAN INFORM WHAT YOU ARE MAKING AS AN ARTIST.
AND YOU CAN BRING YOUR KIDS TO WORK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SO FUNNY BECAUSE WE TALK A LOT ABOUT STRESS IN OUR SOCIETY NOWADAYS AND
I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT UNTIL I REALLY HAD A LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS
AND I REALIZED THAT LIKE, THIS BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING STRESSED AND BEING EXCITED.
AND IF YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO, AND YOU PUT ALL OF YOUR PASSION AND YOUR ENERGY AND YOUR TIME
INTO IT THAT CACN BE STRESSFUL OR IN CAN BE EXCITING.
AND I JUST DECIDED THAT WHATEVER I DO IN MY LIFE MY PASSION, HAS TO NOT BE IN ANY WAY
NEGATIVE.
IT HAS TO BE POSITIVE.
I HAVE TO REALLY LOVE WHAT I'M DOING.
AND I HAVE TO SHOW MY CHILDREN THAT I LOVE WHAT I'M DOING.
AND THAT OUR PASSIONS DON'T BECOME OUR SACRIFICES.
THEY BECOME EVERYTHING WE EVER DREAMT AND MORE.
(MUSIC) PASSION REMAINS A CENTER OF THIS PRODUCTION
STILL CAPTIVATING AUDIENCES MORE THAN 40 YEARS AFTER IT WAS WRITTEN.
(MUSIC) IT COMES DOWN TO THE STORY OF THIS YOUNG MAN
WHO IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH LIFE.
AND IS TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS AND FINALLY HE HAS TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT
NOTHING IS PERFECT IN LIFE AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT CHOICES AND SO ON.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL OUR STORIES.
SO, I THINK ON SOME LEVEL IT SPEAKS TO EACH MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE AND THUS IT SEEMS TO
HAVE STAYING POWER AS A SHOW.
(MUSIC) I
THINK WE'VE ALL HAD A MOMENT IN OUR LIFE WHETHER YOU'RE 18 OR LIKE 40 LIKE ME.
A MOM IN YOUR 40'S OR IF YOU'RE A YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN THEIR 80'S YOU'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE
SHOULD I RUN AWAY WITH THE CIRCUS?
SHOULD I HAVE RUN AWAY WITH THE CIRCUS?
THANK GOD I DIDN'T RUN AWAY WITH CIRCUS!
AND THIS SHOW SORT OF MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE CHOICES YOU MADE IN YOUR LIFE AND REVISIT
THEM AND EXPERIENCE THEM SORT OF THEM IN THE MOMENT IN THE SHOW.
OUR LIVES ARE SO SHORT, AND WE HAVE SO LITTLE TIME THAT WE SHOULD ENJOY IT AND SHARE IT.
AND I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO SOUND SO CHEESY, BUT WHEN PEOPLE COME AND SEE PIPPEN
I WANT THEM TO BE TOUCHED.
I WANT THEM TO BE MOTIVATED TO LIVE LIFE WITH MORE PASSION, MORE TRUTH, AND WITH MORE DARING.
(MUSIC AND SINGING) (APPLAUSE)
NOW, THOSE ACROBATS ARE SO TALENTED BUT WITH MY FEAR OF HEIGHTS, I'M GLAD I DIDN'T HAVE
TO GET UP THERE.
AND IF YOU'RE READY TO SEE THE THEATRICS FOR YOURSELF, PIPPIN'S NATIONAL TOUR JUST
KICKED OFF.
BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA.
BRINGING THE BEST OF BROADWAY TO A CITY NEAR YOU.