CLAYTON - Director Nikki Dyke won't say what happens during the grand finale of "Pippin," the latest Clayton Youth Theater production. She and her teen cast are tight-lipped about the surprise ending.

"It's pretty special and magical," Dyke said.

Whatever that secret might be, it's just one of many magic effects in the musical, which will take the stage this weekend. There's also a disappearing chamber and a color-changing cloth. Dyke said the play, popular among high school performing groups, will appeal to a wide audience.

"Adults are going to get it more, but kids are going to enjoy the fairy-tale quality," she said.

"Pippin," which ran for years on Broadway, is based on the story of Charlemagne's son, Pippin the Hunchback. It's a play-within-a-play, with the cast playing a troupe of actors, performing the story of Pippin with an inexperienced actor in the lead role. Pippin struggles with whether to follow his father in warfare and how to find his destiny in life. Along the way, he travels and meets a variety of colorful characters, some of whom try to manipulate him to their own ends.

Dyke said the themes appeal to teenagers, as the lead character grapples with self-identity and how to find his way in life. Ian Garnish, the Clayton High junior who plays Pippin, said it's been easy for him to get into that mindset.

"He's looking for fulfillment," Garnish said. "That just involves a lot of enthusiasm."

West Johnston High senior Jordan Clifton portrays the "Leading Player," who helps to guide Pippin through his adventures. "It's really fun being a narrator for the show and being in control of it," he said. "I guess you could compare it to a news reporter."

Garnish said the biggest challenge "Pippin" presents is keeping up with the choreography, singing and spoken lines all at the same time. The cast started rehearsals in December and has been rehearsing about 12 hours a week since the start of the year.

Clifton has even more to keep up with; he's on stage for much of the play, but he's also in the middle of a production of "Guys and Dolls" at West Johnston High.

At a rehearsal last week, "Pippin" actors were working with set pieces for the first time. "The set and the lighting is going to be great," Clifton said, excited at seeing the technical elements of the production come together.

While adult volunteers handle the set and lighting, the actors are responsible for their costumes, a product of the group's shoestring budget. "That added a sense of responsibility," Dyke said. "It's their costume."