Laguna Beach actress picked for ‘Pippin’
Sabrina Harper comes off as such a nice and friendly person.
And yet the actress is playing the manipulative Fastrada in the national touring production of “Pippin the Musical” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Fastrada is queen, a scheming wife to King Charlemagne who wishes for stepson Prince Pippin to perish so her beloved and dimwitted son can be heir to the throne.
“She’s a wonderful role,” Harper said with a laugh. “She’s the catalyst for getting things done on Pippin’s journey.”
Maybe it’s Harper’s practice of yoga offstage that keeps her calm and cool.
During the musical’s opening number, “Magic to Do,” Fastrada emerges onstage and launches Pippin on a death-defying journey to seek fulfillment in his life.
Harper doesn’t see Fastrada as the evil stepmother. She’s, well, a desperate housewife with a kind of evil.
“It’s an exciting treat,” Harper said about taking on the role. “I understand the challenges of being a leading player.”
Harper, who was born and raised in Laguna Beach, is the granddaughter of California architect Tom Harper, who is noted for his designs of landmark Laguna Beach homes during the 1920s and ‘30s.
This is her second performance at Segerstrom Center, her first being at what was then called the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
She can’t remember when exactly, age of 9 or 10, she was an extra in San Francisco Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”
After graduating from Laguna Beach High, Harper received a full scholarship to the John Cranko Academy, School of Stuttgart Ballet in Germany. She finished her dance education with a diploma in classical dance. Harper is a triple threat, being a classical ballet dancer, soprano and actor.
For 15 years, she performed on European stages with performances in the Swiss production of “Chicago,” “The Phantom of the Opera” in Hamburg, Germany, and “A Chorus Line” in Austria. She made her Broadway debut a year ago in “Pippin,” the Tony Award-winning musical, covering six ensemble parts and also serving as understudy for Fastrada and other characters.
“Pippin,” written by Stephen Schwartz in 1972, is back on Broadway for the first time since its production 40 years ago. The revival tells the story of a young prince on a journey to find meaning in his existence. Pippin has to choose between a brief moment of glory or a life that is happy and simple.
The new production, directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus, features choreography by Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse. Acrobats perform dazzling feats under the circus creation of Gypsy Snider — thrilling flips, tumbles and mid-air spins.
“The choreographed dance is just beautiful and demanding,” Harper said. “There’s so much magic involved.”
That magic is credited to Snider, a longtime circus performer whose parents are the founders of San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus. Snider co-founded Montreal-based circus company Les 7 doigts de la main, also known as 7 Fingers, in 2002.
Paulus had been following the company’s talents and arranged to meet Snider.
Two years before the production started, Paulus and Snider chatted over sushi, sharing their common artistic goals for the show. They learned that each other was a parent.
“The story of ‘Pippin’ really resonated for us,” Snider said, calling from Montreal. “We are on a daily basis of being mothers, conflicted between leading an exhilarating life and at the same time being a simple family member living an ordinary life.”
Snider, a specialist in choreography, said the theatrical show’s movements and emotion are story-driven.
“It’s really rare to see an old-school Broadway musical paired with young and dynamic choreography,” Snider said. “It’s absolutely electrifying.”
Consider the trapeze routine for Lucie Arnaz, who plays free-spirited grandmother Berthe. Arnaz hangs from a trapeze without a net or cable to keep her safe.
“I find the theatrical aspects extraordinary,” Snider said.
That explains why Harper likes to practice the ritual of knocking on the wooden floor before walking onstage and attempting acrobatic twists and turns.
Having lived in New York City for the last year and a half, Harper said she’s thrilled to return to her hometown. She plans to spend time with her mom and friends at her Laguna Beach favorites, Zinc Cafe & Market and Dizz’s As Is.
She said after the audience experiences “Pippin,” she hopes they can walk away in awe, thinking about the happiness they find in their current surroundings.
“We tend to think the grass is always greener,” Harper said. “Actually, it’s in your backyard.”
IF YOU GO
What: “Pippin”
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, Nov.11 to Nov. 23
Cost: Tickets start at $29Information: (714) 556-2787 or scfta.orghttps://scfta.org