Raucous, rousing ‘Pippin’

When “Pippin” was just beginning its national tour in Cincinnati, a problem with the set forced actor André Ward, who stars as the Leading Player, to temporarily break character.

Always the entertainer, Ward — who performed in “The Producers” and “Saturday Night Fever” on Broadway — was asked to keep spectators amused for almost a half an hour while the set was being fixed. And amuse he did, reciting various TV show monologues and performing audience-requested songs until the show could resume.

It’s not too hard to imagine the original director of “Pippin,” Bob Fosse, who chronicled his upbringing in Vaudeville in “All That Jazz,” getting a perverse kick out of the unscripted performance.

Next week, Ward and the rest of the cast, which includes Micky Dolenz of Monkees fame as Charlemagne, will present “Pippin” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Segerstrom Hall. Pandemonium is expected, malfunctions are not.

The Tony-winning musical is loosely based on the life of Charlemagne’s oldest son Pippin as he ventures into the complex realms of politics and love while searching for the meaning of life. As the Leading Player, Ward occupies center stage in Pippin’s mind, shaping every decision along his quest for fulfillment.

“When you’re young, you are always searching for something more,” Ward said. “You learn that life is simply something that must be lived.”

While on his pursuit, Pippin’s imagination is acted out on stage by about a dozen Players, led by Ward, who sing, dance and perform Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics, hanging on to Fosse’s “razzle dazzle” influence. Their tune is set to the music and lyrics of Stephen Schwartz, composer and lyricist for Broadway’s “Wicked.”

“There is no shortage of magic and wonder in our show,” Ward said. “It’s full of all these wonderful, magical and fantastical things.”

For his role as Charlemagne, Dolenz drew mainly upon his experiences as a father of four, though he was aided by his past as drummer for the Monkees, a role that also required singing, dancing and improvisation. Dolenz said he did some historical research in preparation of playing “the larger-than-life character responsible for Europe as it is today.”

Dolenz and Ward agreed that the show is intended more for posing questions than answers, leaving audiences with a single caveat.

“The story is really cleverly written and it takes quite a bit of thinking,” Dolenz said. “You really have to pay attention to what’s going on or you’ll lose track.”

The musical opens the Curtain Call Series at the center, the newest run for musical theater fans. The series also includes “Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life” and “Mamma Mia” later this year.

IF YOU GO

The show is not intended for anyone under 13.