Hippies in the Dark Ages will hit the stage next week when the curtains open for San Lorenzo Valley High School’s rendition of the Broadway musical “Pippin.”
The show, set as a play within a play and originally performed on Broadway in 1972, is directed by local theater veteran and San Jose State University instructor Kathie Kratochvil.
Kratochvil, along with musical director Arindam Krishna Das and dance choreographer Sharon Took-Zozaya, leads a cast of 30 SLV High students in a rock music-fueled journey through the trials of a young man trying to emerge from his father’s shadow to find his place in life.
The show, which opens Feb. 25, features Ryland Gordon, a sophomore, in the titular role of the son of the emperor Charlemagne, who struggles with many of the same problems young adults face in modern times.
“It’s about Pippin, who’s coming of age and experiencing all the world has to offer,” Kratochvil said. “And that echoes with what many of these young performers are about to experience in their lives.”
The show, which the director said was written in the aftermath of the 1960s, combines a strong antiwar message with the theme of self-discovery.
“Our costuming is a combination of 1970s Santa Cruz hippies and the Renaissance,” Kratochvil said with a laugh.
John Wasielewski, a junior, said described his role as part of the ensemble as an enjoyable one, though he went into it blind.
“I never knew much about this play,” Wasielewski said. “So I just kept an open mind, and it has been fun.”
He said that because the show is a play within a play, the cast often breaks the fourth wall, acknowledging the audience.
Fellow ensemble member Cassie Beasley, a senior, said she liked the way the play speaks of facing the life’s challenges.
“I hope (it encourages) the audience to think,” she said. “(The play) looked funny and magical, and it has been.”
“Expect many laughs, and expect some magic,” Wasielewski said.
AT A GLANCE
What: “Pippin,” a musical
Where: Performing Arts Center, San Lorenzo Valley High School, 7105 Highway 9, in Felton
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 25, 26, March 4, 10, 11, 12; 8 p.m. March 5; 2 p.m. matinee March 6
Tickets: $12, $10 seniors and students
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