Naysh Fox, who portrays the title character in “Pippin,” knows how the magic happens

He was involved in a college production of the musical and witnessed the creation of the 2013 revival.

The four Tony Awards-winning musical “Pippin” will be presented at 2 and 7:30 p.m. March 26, State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton.

Pippin is a young prince on a quest to find his purpose in life. He encounters both grand and simplistic lifestyles and is finally confronted with a momentous decision.

The musical has a book by Roger O. Hirson, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, orchestrations by Larry Hochman, music direction by JP Myers, choreography by Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse, acrobatics by Gypsy Snider and direction by Mia Walker.

Housso Semon plays Leading Player, head of a troupe of performers. The iconic role was originated by Ben Vereen.

“I saw the last Leading Player [on Broadway], Carly Hughes, so I had an idea of what I was getting into before I had the pleasure of auditioning.” says Semon.

Fox and Semon approached the development of their characters carefully.

“We have a really, really wonderful director, Mia Walker. She was the assistant at the Broadway production and through a lot of paperwork and discussion, we found the character together. A lot of it’s trial and error, working with the other actors and finding the moment that felt the most genuine.” says Fox.

The show is physically-demanding and the actors must train in order to perform at their best.

“It’s just [about] stamina and I would say the Fosse choreography [is challenging].” says Semon.

“When we were rehearsing in Lancaster, we would do circus every morning and then we would train with the acrobats and we’d run the tricks.

“I do Russian bar and a two-high where I stand on someone’s shoulders. We also dealt with knife throwing. There are some really wonderful things that happen and the acrobats are truly phenomenal.” says Fox.

The cast keeps the show fresh by creating a “new “Pippin” every night.”

“[It’s about] finding the nuances for the different show that happens every night because it’s live theater. It’s never the same show so we’re trying to stay true to the truth of our circus world.” says Fox.

Tickets: State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton St., Easton; statetheatre.org, 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132