Theatre, music departments to present 'Pippin' April 15-17

Henderson State University Theatre and Dance and the Department of Music will present three outdoor performances of Pippin April 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m. on the front steps of Arkansas Hall.

Pippin is the story of a young prince on a journey toward being extraordinary; the only issue is he can’t quite find where he fits in. Pippin has a little bit of everything: magic, music, war, sex, and love.

It is based on the book by Roger O. Hirson, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

The cast of Pippin includes: Baleigh Almond of Hot Springs; Sophie Burke of DeQueen; Zandora Chinwah of Hot Springs; Natalie Gray of Hot Springs; Collin Green of Arkadelphia; Dr. William Higgins of Arkadelphia; Suzy Hill of Little Rock; Teddi-Anne Hulke of Cabot; Camden Dalie Keech of Conway; Reece Ruhl of Paragould; Ethan Schmidt of St. Louis, Missouri; Addison Smith of Texarkana, Texas; Jessica Smith of Cabot; Lucy Speer of Little Rock; Dr. Laura Storm of Arkadelphia; and Kevin Wille of Henderson, Kentucky.

The play is under the direction of Claudia A. Beach, with music direction by Bill Higgins. Choreography is by HSU theatre and dance alumnus Brandon Curtis and current student Teddi-Anne Hulke. Fight choreography is by HSU theatre alumnus Aaron Burnside.

Scenic design is by Douglas Gilpin, and costume design is by William Henshaw. Student lighting designer is Eric Cox of Texarkana, Texas. Rounding out the production team are Hannah Mims of Fouke, assistant director; Kirsten Shnaekel of Benton, stage manager; and Marie Simmons of Little Rock, assistant stage manager.

Admission to the performance is free, but reservations may be made in advance. Social distancing will be observed, and masks are required. The HSU Theatre Box Office in Arkansas Hall is open from 1-4 pm, Monday through Friday. For more information or reservations, call 230-5291, or e-mail theatre@hsu.edu.