Pippin, the 1972 musical with a book by Roger O. Hirson and a score by Stephen Schwartz, has long held the top spot as my favourite show of all time. Its layers of storytelling, which I explored in my previous post The Manipulation of the Leading Player, never fail to entertain me. And the score: each musical moment feels perfectly crafted for the show, its context, and yes, for me to sing along too.
As Halloween approaches, I found myself brainstorming a seasonal twist for Rhombus Rota. After watching Marvel Zombies, a thought struck me: what if a musical were set in a zombie apocalypse? Almost immediately, I realised that a zombie version of Pippin could be the perfect concept: offering a fresh, thrilling twist whilst staying true to the musical’s themes and message of life. Given how often Pippin has been adapted and reimagined over the years, transforming its book and score into a zombie-infused version doesn’t actually seem that far-fetched at all. In the sections which follow, I’ll explore the exciting potential that ‘zombippin’ has on this classic tale.
Act 1:
The musical begins with the Zombie Leading Player crawling out of a pit on the stage floor, illuminated by apocalyptic lighting. As she lurches forward, the Zombie Players rise behind her, inviting the audience to witness their show with menacing, grotesque gestures (“Magic to Chew” – “Magic to Do”). They introduce the story of the great Zombie King Pippin (who, they explain, will be played tonight by a living human, for ‘irony’). They drag a member of the audience onto the stage to serve as “Pippin”. Addressing the Zombie Players as if they are college professors, Pippin signs of his yearning for fulfillment in life, for a corner of the sky to call his own. The Zombies whisper around him, circling like predators, saying that his corner is the crypt they’ve already dug for him, pointing to a tombstone with “Pippin” engraved (“Corner of the Crypt” – “Corner of the Sky”).
Pippin returns to a ruined castle, finding his father King Charlemagne sitting on a crumbling throne. Charlemagne is half-zombie, half-human: bitten but never fully transformed as his crown keeps him in control. Before Pippin can talk with him, they’re interrupted by a court of Zombies demanding a greater life and a second chance at undeath (“Undead Welcome (Home)” – “Welcome Home”). Pippin also meets his stepmother Fastrada, a cunning Zombie queen, and her son Lewis. As preparations begin for the great feast, not a war but a mass feeding on the living, Pippin begs to be included. Charlemagne hesitates, noting that Pippin is still human and fragile, but Fastrada slyly insists this is a perfect opportunity to ‘turn him’. Before they depart, Charlemagne instructs Pippin on the ‘science’ of feeding: who to bite, how to tear flesh, how to ration the living for long-term survival (“War is a Feast” – “War is a Science”). Pippin interrupts eagerly, claiming he’s studied this already but it’s clear he’s deeply uneasy about the situation.
The Feast is represented as a gross ballet of slaughter. Zombie Players dismember one another, flinging limbs and entrails across the stage while the Zombie Leading Player joins in gleefully (“Gory” – “Glory”). Charlemagne declares victory, swelling his undead army, but Pippin is shaken by the carnage. He flees the battlefield to the countryside. The Zombie Leading Player tempts him with the ‘joys’ of Zombie existence: endless feeding, eternal undeath, freedom from mortal fear (“Simple Gores” – “Simple Joys”). Pippin recoils, unsure if immortality as a Zombie is truly fulfilling: exciting the Zombie Leading Player. Pippin’s grandmother Berthe arrives, a Zombie matriarch who insists that Pippin should stop worrying and embrace the undead lifestyle. She sings about how mortality is a waste, and the undead know how to make time meaningless (“No Time At All (When You’re Dead)” – “No Time At All”). The number turns into a cabaret, with audience members encouraged to sign along. Taking her advice, Pippin experiments with ‘undead pleasures’, including a Zombie rendezvous where he nearly transforms. The Zombie Leading Player steps in, halting the scene and explaining that it can’t happen till the end: for the perfect finale. Pippin, still unfulfilled, decides to press onward.
The Zombie Leading Player then suggests that Pippin might find fulfillment by saving humanity: stopping his father’s Feast forever, Pippin believes this could give him purpose. Meanwhile, Fastrada sees this as a chance to get her son to become king. She whispers to Pippin a secret: Charlemagne will be vulnerable due to his half-human form: making it the perfect time to kill him (“Spread a Little Rot” – “Spread a Little Sunshine”). Pippin confronts his father. He kills his father, only possible due to his half-form. The Zombie Players cheer as Pippin ascends to the throne. They raise their arms and sing of a new dawn, surrounding Pippin in ecstatic Zombie celebrations (“Zombie Glow” – “Morning Glow”). Pippin beams, believing he has saved humanity, The Zombies beam too, for they know he has unwittingly secured their triumph.
Act 2:
Pippin begins his reign as king. He imagines ruling as a saviour of humanity, promising peace, justice and no more feeding frenzies. But the Zombies Players surround him, whispering doubts and mocking his plans. They present him with endless problems: hungry zombies, starving humans, chaos in the countryside. Each ‘solution’ leads to more bloodshed and disappointment. Pippin realises that ruling, for Zombies or humans, is not fulfilling (“On the Death Track” – “On the Right Track”). Frustrated, Pippin turns back to pleasure with the Zombie Leading Player leading him down the wrong path. He is showered by blood, flesh and Zombies, but it leaves him emptier than ever (“Fleshtraordinary” – “Extraordinary”).
At his lowest, Pippin encounters Catherine, a human survivor hiding as a Zombie with her young son Theo. She has escaped the feasts and evaded zombification. Unlike the Zombie Players, he doesn’t try to dazzle or tempt Pippin. She offers him an ordinary meal, warmth and normal survival. She sings of her quiet, fragile life with simple joys that have nothing to do with the undead (“And He Is Alive” – “And There He Was”). Catherine tells Pippin to live amongst the humans. He works, eats simple meals and bonds with Theo. He is restless at first, missing the Zombie world, but slowly finds comfort in this new reality (“Kind Of Human” – “Kind of Woman”).
But the Zombie Leading Player and the Zombie Players won’t allow the diversion to continue much longer. They break the fourth wall, ruining Catherine’s scenes, reminding Pippin he is supposed to be the ‘star’ of their show. His longing for fulfillment resurfaces, as the Zombie Players dangle their promise of the ultimate ‘perfect finale’. They describe it, asking Pippin to become a Zombie and live forever (“Long Live the Dead” – “Finale”). The stage erupts with flames, blood and giant Zombies. The Zombie Players demand he allows them to turn him, promising his transformation into the Zombie King to be glorious and eternal. Pippin approaches them, torn between his fulfillment and simple life. He realises the truth, fulfillment comes from living a normal life: not throwing his life away. At the climax, he refuses to take part in the finale.
Enraged, the Zombie Leading Player strips the stage bare: lights going out, set dismantled and the Zombie Players retreat to the side of the stage. The glitz and glamour disappear, leaving Pippin alone with Catherine and Theo in silence. He chooses their fragile human life: mortal and imperfect, but real. The Zombie Players are lurking in the shadows, hissing their disappointment about him not being able to ‘live forever’. But Pippin whispers that life, in its short time span, is enough for him. Catherine takes his hand. As they attempt to leave, Theo hums the beginning of “Corner of the Crypt” under his breath, as the Zombie Leading Player is seen with piercing eyes at the back of the stage: the cycle starts again.
Ending:
Thank you for joining me on this idea which got a bit bigger than I thought it would (as these things usually do for me). At its core, Pippin has always been about the search for fulfillment in life. By reimaging the story in the world of Zombies, I wanted to highlight the same themes: what could be more tempting than eternal life, even if it means losing yourself in the process? In the end, may you find your own corner of the sky: to live and embrace a life that is extraordinary, sometimes ordinary, but always your own perfect life.
Max
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