THE STORY-Act I
Paris. May of 1794. As the French Revolution reaches its bloody peak, scores of people are slaughtered daily by the guillotine often without trial or any just cause. The condemned Marquis de St. Cyr cries out "My friends 'tis innocent blood that runs through the gutters of Paris!!" But the avid french mob responds with MADAME GUILLOTINE.
While all this is going on in Paris , there is a beautiful wedding going on in England. The groom , Percy , and the Bride and French actress named Marguerite pledge their love to each other in the heart-wrenching ballad BELIEVE. Although Percy's friends are stunned by his whirlwind courtship of a French woman , Marguerite quickly wins them over by encouraging them to VIVEZ, or as we would say to live. Percy's happiness is to be short lived though he soon discovers that his new bride has been secretly spying for the French and that she was responsible for sending his friend St. Cyrs to the guillotine. He then sends an extremely confused Marguerite off to bed alone on their wedding night and sings of his heartbreak in the form of a PRAYER.
Determined to somehow right the wrong his wife has done, Percy gathers his friends around him and persuades them to join him in a "private war" against the inhumanities of the bloody French revolution. They will call themselves "The League of The Scarlet Pimpernel" and will work through disguise and diversion to save as many innocent lives as the can. Boarding a schooner to sail for France , Percy and his men fight back their fears with INTO THE FIRE.
Paris. Early July. Percy(a.k.a. The Scarlet Pimpernel) has managed , with his men to pull off one clever rescue after another and Robespierre , the leader of the French Republic is enraged. He orders his chief henchman , Chauvelin, to catch this mysterious Pimpernel instantly and Chauvelin responds with fiery determination like a FALCON IN THE DIVE.
Back in England , Percy and his men have now become the world's greatest fops in order to deflect suspicion from themselves and their heroic actives in France. Poor Marguerite has no idea why Percy has become so distant and inane , and their marital estrangement is a source of constant pain for her (WHEN I LOOK AT YOU). While she confides in her brother , Armand , that she barely recognises her husband anymore, Percy continues his 'fop act' entertaining guests and household servants , as one and all speculate about the identity of their new hero THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL.
Chauvelin arrives in England and pays a visit to his former lover and revolutionary ally , you guessed it , Marguerite. He asks her to work with him again and help discover the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. She angrily refuses, but realising that Marguerite is unhappy in her marriage, Chauvelin tries to win her to his side , reminding her of the passions they shared during the revolution asking her WHERE'S THE GIRL?. Marguerite sends Chauvelin away, determined never to fall into his clutches again. Alone in the garden that night, Percy sees his wife standing on her bedroom balcony. Although he knows he must regard her now as a stranger -a woman not to be trusted- he cannot deny that he still loves her deeply (WHEN I LOOK AT YOU -REPRISE).
Percy and his men are summoned to the royal court , suspected of being involved with the Pimpernel. They are able to persuade the prince that their frequent trips to Paris are merely to pick up frills and frou-frou with THE CREATION OF MAN.. Meanwhile , Chauvelin meets secretly with Marguerite , informing her that her beloved brother Armand , has been arrested in Paris as a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. He insists that she spy for him at Lord Grenville's ball the following night. If she fails to come up with information about the Pimpernel , Armand will be fed to Madame Guillotine -MARGUERITE'S DILEMMA: INSTRUMENTAL. Marguerite and Chauvelin eye each other warily as Percy watches them from afar. The three are joined by the full company as one and all wonder who exactly can be trusted in this slippery world, but none know the answer to THE RIDDLE (which is the midi you hear now).
|
Act II
The following night at Lord Grenville's ball, Chauvelin commands Marguerite to use her great acting abilities and feminine wiles to uncover the identity of the Pimpernel. Meanwhile Percy continues his public act as England's greatest fool , teaching the ball guests a new ballad he's written about the pimpernel entitled THEY SEEK HIM HERE. Marguerite persuades one of Percy's men to have the Pimpernel meet her at the footbridge at one in the morning. When Percy shows up she is confused, but makes one last attempt to reach her husband, hoping that he may still be able to love and trust her-ONLY LOVE. But Percy leaves her side , returning at the end of the song to stand behind her in the shadows as the Pimpernel. Unable to look upon the mysterious hero, Marguerite confesses her sins to him in the dark, yes she has tried to expose him , and yes she has spied but it has all stemmed from Chauvelin's coercion and blackmail. She warns the Pimpernel to run from Chauvelin and begs him to help her save her brother , Armand. Percy sends his wife away and releases his great joy at the fact that she has only been an innocent victim. All along she has been the same woman he fell in love with , SHE WAS THERE.
Percy instantly sets off to France with his men to try and rescue Armand, but Marguerite also secretly travels to Paris. Disguising herself as the French tart Leontine , she goes to a bistro late at night where she sings with other tarts and drunken soldiers about STORYBOOK love ,attempting to cajole from the soldiers information about her imprisoned brother. Chauvelin ;however, is also present , and instantly seeing through her disguise he orders that both Marguerite and Armand be sentenced to death by the jaws of the guillotine. Embittered by his realisation that Marguerite will never return his love , Chauvelin finally drives her out of his heart with WHERE'S THE GIRL-REPRISE.
In prison many families await execution. A mother and daughter comfort each other (LULLABY) and , with death so near , Marguerite and Armand turn to each other for support reminding each other that YOU ARE MY HOME. Chauvelin ;however, has a more subtle trap in mind. Resolved to catch the Pimpernel , he allows both Marguerite and her brother to escape . Knowing Armand will lead him to the Pimpernel's hideout on the French seacoast, Chauvelin follows them as they travel all night to the fishing port of Miquelon. Here Marguerite learns that the Scarlet Pimpernel is none other than her own husband Percy , and Percy and Chauvelin confront each other in the ultimate showdown-THE DUEL: INSTRUMENTAL. After Percy outwits Chauvelin one last time , he and Marguerite sail happily home to England , renewing their wedding vows, trusting each other at last (BELIEVE-REPRISE). Full company joins to celebrate the triumph of the human spirit with INTO THE FIRE-REPRISE.
|
Act II
