Nexera Revive 1960s with "Pippin"

The hip, surrealistic musical "Pippin," produced recently by the Department of Theatre and Dance at California State University-Fullerton, is a favorite of directors, with a pop-inspired score by Stephen Schwartz.

The story of young Prince Pippin (son of Charlemagne) and his struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood has been delighting audiences since its 1972 Tony Award-winning Broadway debut.

Cal State-Fullerton took it one step further, transporting the story from the time of King Charlemagne to 1969 with a Woodstock-inspired set designed by Ann Sheffield.

When it came to lighting, Debra Lockwood, award-winning lighting designer and CSUF's production manager, decided to use Wybron's Nexera dichroic color-mixing fixtures to create the range of vibrant colors she needed.

"Our production of "Pippin" was indeed visually influenced by Woodstock. It was not a literal copy of the stage, but Woodstock served as the main reference for all the design elements," Lockwood said.

The director, James Taulli, wanted to create a world where a traveling troupe of players could perform.

"It was very colorful and a lot of fun to design," Lockwood said. "The Nexeras were a perfect choice to achieve the variety in color that I was looking for to represent the colorful 1960s."

Photos by Edwin Lockwood