For most Broadway fans, the logo from the original production of Pippin is as iconic as that of Cats and Les Miserables. So it is either surprising or smart, depending upon how you look at it, that the current production has gone in a completely different direction. I think it is smart, especially considering how wisely they rolled it all out.
GRADE: A+
Step One: The title and tag line. Here we have something new, with something familiar. One look and devotees of the original know that this production will not be merely a copy of the Fosse classic. A new, bold font mildly suggests a medieval time a la the show. But, so as to not leave out fans of the old, there's a tag line aimed directly at anyone who knows the show, and also speaks to the main themes of the show and its main character.
Step Two: Word is now firmly planted in everyone's mind that the show will be framed within a circus theme. A harlequin pattern, brightly colored suggests clowns of yore. An acrobat doing a split is perched precariously high above the ground, suspended only by streams of cloth. It is at once sensual, dangerous, and conjures images of the moder cirque craze. Circus is the theme: check.
But what about Pippin? He's in a spotlight. He has fame. Ah, but his back is to us, arms open to what he sees in a blinding light. He is walking away from us toward the light. If you know the show, you know what this is. If not, it suggests fame and mystery. Not too bad for a musical comedy.
In short, it is colorful, circus-y, sexy, dangerous and exciting. Everything a Pippin for the new millennium should be. This logo is extraordinary.
Jeff
4.211
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