Goshen College Theater and Music Departments present 'Pippin' musical May 16-18

Musical: "Pippin" by Stephen Schwartz and directed by Doug Liechty Caskey and Debra Brubaker
Dates and time: May 16-18 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Goshen College Umble Center
Cost: $10 general/$5 students and seniors
For more information: Tickets are available by calling the Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566. After May 10, tickets are available by calling (574) 535-7283.

GOSHEN, Ind. – The final show in Goshen College's "Think for Yourself" theater season will be a production of the musical "Pippin," May 16-18 at 7:30 p.m., in the Umble Center. Professor of Theater Doug Liechty Caskey and Professor of Music Debra Brubaker are the directors of this version of the long-running Broadway hit with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, who also created "Godspell" and "Wicked."

"Pippin" is a hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale with an energetic pop-influenced score. It begins with a troupe of traveling players arriving on an empty stage to present an evening of movement, music, magic and storytelling to an audience. They offer the story of prince Pippin from the 7th century A.D. Having just graduated from the university in Padua with honors, the young prince Pippin longed to discover the secret of true happiness and fulfillment. As the story unfolds, he seeks it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father King Charlemagne the Great). It's not until he travels to far off places that he discovers where his true happiness can be found.

"At this time of year, there are many college and high school graduates facing an uncertain future," said Caskey. "So I'm sure they can identify with Pippin's need to just 'stop the world' for a moment, long enough to just think for themselves about how to move ahead in these uncertain times. Without giving away the ending of the musical, it offers a possible answer for all those with aspirations of greatness. Life is a journey that none of us can experience for anyone other than ourselves."

The cast includes sophomore Jay Mast (Goshen) as the leading player, senior Patrick Ressler (Lititz, Pa.) as Pippin, sophomore Clayton Miller (Goshen) as King Charles, freshman Samuel Jones (Trail City, S.D.) as Lewis, freshman Vanessa Hofer (Dolton, S.D.) as Fastrada, sophomore Stephanie Hollenberg (Elkhart, Ind.) as Berthe, senior Allison Yoder (Middlebury, Ind.) as Catherine and freshman Sammy Rosario (Toa Baja, P.R.) as Theo. The band of players includes sophomore Billy Funk (Gallup, N.M.), junior Peter Garry (Pahoa, Hawaii), freshman Rachel N. Mast (Corvallis, Ore.), freshman Mark Meier (Newton, Kan.) and freshman Lindsay Sherburn (South Bend, Ind.).

In addition to Caskey and Brubaker, the production team includes Jerry Peters, technical director; senior Jenna Grubaugh (Goshen), community member Talashia Keim Yoder and sophomore Jay Mast (Goshen), choreography; freshman Maryn Munley (Mundelein, Ill.), set designer; senior Adriel Santiago (Souderton, Pa.), stage manager; senior Jill Kauffman (Goshen), props manager; senior Doug Hallman (Lancaster, Pa.), lighting designer; alumnus Lisa Caskey, costume designer; senior Jenni Miller (Goshen), hair/makeup designer; freshman Jenny Boehs (Laporte, Colo.), light operator; junior Matt Donat (Topeka, Ind.), master carpenter; sophomore Phil Stoesz (Goshen), master carpenter; and senior Marissa Dooley (Baldwin, N.Y.), production crew.

Orchestra members include sophomore Elspeth Stalter (Iowa City, Iowa), violin I; freshman Emily Hedrick (Telford, Pa.), violin II; freshman Chelsea Wimmer (Telford, Pa.), viola; freshman Hannah Bartel (Iowa City, Iowa), cello; senior Zach Yordy (Libertyville, Ill.), bass; faculty member Rebecca Hovan, flute; freshman Jeffrey Moore (Ashland, Ohio), clarinet and penny whistle; senior Mark Massey (Columbus, Ohio), clarinet; senior Jake Stewart (Plainwell, Mich.), trumpet; junior Aaron Kaufmann (Tiskilwa, Ill.), trombone; senior Daniel Moya (Quito, Ecuador), guitar; faculty member Christine Larson Seitz, piano; alumnus Jesse Landis-Eigsti, keyboard; and alumnus Paul Boers, percussion.

Tickets cost $10 general/$5 students and seniors, and are available by calling the GC Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566. After May 10, tickets are available by calling (574) 535-7283. The May 17 production will include American Sign Language interpreting.

Editors: For more information about this release or to arrange an interview, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.