The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical)

Infobox Musical
name= The Scarlet Pimpernel
subtitle=


caption= Original Cast Recording
music= Frank Wildhorn
lyrics= Nan Knighton
book= Nan Knighton
basis= Baroness Orczy's novel
"The Scarlet Pimpernel"
productions= 1997 Broadway [ [http://www.ibdb.com/show.asp?ID=7781 Ibdb] considers the three versions as one run.]
awards=

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is a musical by composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Nan Knighton, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. The show is set in England and France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the spy fiction and the superhero genres, where a hero hides under a mild-mannered alias.

The musical debuted on Broadway in 1997.It started as a workshop with Carolee Carmello as Marguerite directed byNick Corley.

Like Wildhorn's two other big budget broadway efforts ("Jekyll & Hyde" and "The Civil War"), the musical closed having lost money.

Productions

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" opened at the Minskoff Theater on October 7 1997, directed by Peter H. Hunt, with Douglas Sills in the lead role of Sir Percy, Christine Andreas playing Marguerite, and Terrence Mann in the role of the villain, Citizen Chauvelin. In June shortly before the Tony Awards were announced, the show was slated to close. The show's fans known as "The League" decided it should have another try. In October of 1998 it reopened at the Minskoff with Sills, Rex Smith and Rachel York; After a brief tour in the sumer of 1999, it reopened as "Scarlet Pimpernel 3.0" starring Ron Bohmer, Marc Kudisch and Carolee Carmello and closed on 2 January 2000. The National Tour ran from 20 February 2000 to 1 April 2001. The touring version starred Sills who was replaced by Robert Patteri and finally Ron Bohmer.

The musical has enjoyed numerous regional U.S. productions and has been produced in Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and Mexico, as well as Malta, among others.

Recordings

Commercial recordings

;Concept Album (1992):Features Chuck Wagner as Percy, Linda Eder as Marguerite and David Clemmons as Chauvelin. Orchestrations on this album are more contemporary versions than are found in other recordings of the show. Songs that are exclusive to this release are: "Home Again," "Marguerite" (Substituted later for "Where's The Girl?"), "Now When The Rain Falls," "Our Separate Ways" and "There Never Was A Time."

;Original Broadway Cast Album (1998):Features Douglas Sills as Percy, Christine Andreas as Marguerite and Terrence Mann as Chauvelin. This recording has songs from the first version of the Broadway production which had some major alterations later on. ;Encore! Album (1999):Features the same cast as the OBC Album. This recording was created to reflect the changes in the production when the first version didn't live up to expectations on broadway. Only four songs were re-recorded for this album. Rex Smith recorded "Where's The Girl" and "Falcon In The Dive." While Rachel York sings "Storybook" and "I'll Forget You." Also included are two songs from the concept album, "You Are My Home" and "Only Love."

;German Highlights (2003):Features Christoph Goetten as Percy, Ann-Christin Elverum as Marguerite and Christopher Murray as Chauvelin.:See: http://www.castalbums.org/recordings/5205

;Austrian Highlights (2007):See: http://www.castalbums.org/recordings/7787

;Norwegian Cast (2008):See: http://www.castalbums.org/recordings/12632

Demo/Promotional recordings

;Pre-Broadway Demo (1996):Features Chuck Wagner as Percy, Linda Eder as Marguerite and Michael Lanning as Chauvelin. Similar to the concept recording above but with a few new songs and orchestrations that aren't in the contemporary style that the concept recording featured. Rob Evan and others also sang on this demo. The one song exclusive to this release is "High Time.":See: http://www.castalbums.org/recordings/6619

;Hungarian Promo (2007):See: http://www.castalbums.org/recordings/6802

Plot

Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English aristocrat, has married the beautiful French actress Marguerite St. Just. However, on the night of their wedding, Percy learns that his wife betrayed his friend the Marquis de St. Cyr to the Revolutionary government, ultimately leading to the Marquis' execution by the guillotine. The Blakeneys' marriage grows cold and Percy determines to make amends for his friend's death by saving other innocents from the guillotine. Thus, he takes on the identity of "the Scarlet Pimpernel" and convinces some of his friends (subsequently called "bounders") to join him in his daring rescue attempts. The band pretend to be inane fops, effectively throwing off any suspicions about the identity of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Soon, the French agent Chauvelin is sent to England with orders to discover the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. He enlists the aid of Marguerite, threatening to have her brother Armand, also a member of the League, guillotined if she refuses.

At Lord Grenville's Ball, Marguerite manages to have a conversation with the Scarlet Pimpernel, who remains hidden in the shadows, keeping his identity concealed. She tells him of Chauvelin's plans and explains that she betrayed the Marquis de St. Cyr under coercion. The Scarlet Pimpernel, Percy, sets out for France in order to save Armand. Still unaware of the Pimpernel's identity, Marguerite does the same. Disguised as a tart, Marguerite attempts to uncover information about her brother, but is quickly recognized and apprehended by Chauvelin. Marguerite finds her brother Armand in prison, but Chauvelin allows the two to escape, knowing that Armand will head for the hide-out of the Scarlet Pimpernel. They find him in a town on the French coast, where Marguerite learns her husband's true identity. Chauvelin confronts the Scarlet Pimpernel but is outwitted once again. Percy, Marguerite, and Armand escape safely to England.

Characters

*Marguerite St.Just**
*Percy Blakeney** (Grappin & The Scarlet Pimpernel)
*Chauvelin**
*Armand St.Just**
*Marie Grosholtz**
*St. Cyr*
*Tussaud
*Mercier (aid to Chauvelin)
*Coupeau (aid to Chauvelin)
*Jessup (Butler to Percy)
*Ozzy* (Bounder)
*Dewhurst* (Bounder)
*Elton* (Bounder)
*Farleigh* (Bounder)
*Hal* (Bounder)
*Ben* (Bounder)
*Prince of Wales*
*Robespierre
*Sentry (Royal Palace)
*SATB Chorus - Cupids of the Comedie Francaise, Soldiers, Prisoners, Paris Street Mob, Royal Ball Guests, Six Girl Servants at the Blakeney Estate

(**) five principal vocal parts
(*) eight sub-principal vocal parts

ongs

;Act I
* Overture - Orchestra
* Madame Guillotine - Citizens of Paris and Prisoners
* Believe - Percy Blakeney, Marguerite St. Just and British Chorus
* Vivez! - Marguerite St. Just, Lady Digby, Lady Llewellyn and Percy Blakeney
* Prayer - Percy Blakeney
* Into The Fire - Percy Blakeney and Percy's Men
* Falcon in the Dive - Chauvelin
* When I Look At You - Marguerite St. Just
* The Scarlet Pimpernel - Percy Blakeney, Marguerite St. Just, Marie, Armand St. Just, Lady Digby, Lady Llewellyn and Servants
* Where's the Girl? - Chauvelin
* When I Look At You (Reprise) - Percy Blakeney
* The Creation of Man - Percy Blakeney, Prince of Wales and Percy's Men
* The Riddle - Chauvelin, Marguerite St. Just and Percy Blakeney;Act II
* Entr'acte - Orchestra
* They Seek Him Here - Percy Blakeney, Prince of Wales, Lady Digby and Lady Llewellyn
* Only Love - Marguerite St. Just
* She Was There - Percy Blakeney
* Storybook - Leontine and French Chorus
* Where's the Girl? (Reprise) - Chauvelin
* Lullaby - Helene and Chloe
* You Are My Home - Marguerite St. Just, Armand St. Just and French Prisoners
* Believe (Reprise) - Company

However, changes were made to the songlist after a number of previews on Broadway. A revised song list is:;Act I
*Overture - Orchestra
*Storybook - Marguerite & Ensemble
*Madame Guillotine - Chauvelin, St. Cyr & Ensemble
*You Are My Home - Percy, Marguerite & Ensemble
*Prayer - Percy
*Into The Fire - Percy, Armand, Ozzy, Dewhurst, Elton, Farleigh, Hal & Ben
*Falcon In The Dive - Chauvelin
*Scarlet Pimpernel Transition - Percy, Marie, Marguerite & Girls
*When I Look At You - Marguerite
*When I Look At You (Reprise) - Percy & Marguerite
*Where's The Girl? - Chauvelin
*You Are My Home (Reprise) - Marguerite & Armand
*The Creation of Man - Percy, Ozzy, Dewhurst, Elton, Farleigh, Hal & Ben
*The Riddle (Part I) - Chauvelin
*The Riddle (Part II) - Orchestra
*The Riddle (Part III) - Chauvelin, Marguerite, Percy & Ensemble;Act II
*Entr'acte - Orchestra
*Opening Act II - Percy, Marguerite & Ensemble
*They Seek Him Here - Percy, Marguerite, Chauvelin, Elton, Farleigh, Dewhurst, Ozzy, Prince of Wales & Ensemble
*She Was There - Percy
*She Was There (Tag) - Percy
*Storybook (Bistro Reprise) - Marguerite & Ensemble
*Where's The Girl? (Reprise) - Chauvelin
*Into The Fire (Reprise) - Ozzy, Dewhurst, Farleigh, Elton, Hal & Ben
*I'll Forget You - Marguerite
*Finale/When I Look At You (Reprise) - Marguerite, Percy & Ensemble
*Bows/Into The Fire (Reprise) - Percy & Company
*Exit Music - Orchestra

Awards and nominations

1998 Tony Award nominations

* Tony Award for Best Musical - Produced by Pierre Cossette, Bill Haber, Hallmark Entertainment, Ted Forstmann, Kathleen Raitt
* Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical - Nan Knighton
* Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Douglas Sills

1998 Drama Desk Award nominations

* Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - Douglas Sills
* Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music - Frank Wildhorn

1998 Theatre World Award

* Theatre World Award - Douglas Sills (WINNER)

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.thepimpernel.com/ Official website of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" musical]
*
* [http://www.frankwildhorn.com/ Composer Frank Wildhorn's website]
* [http://www.theatre-musical.com/pimpernel.html Into the Fire - The Scarlet Pimpernel]