Douglas Sills, Rachel York, and Rex Smith |
David walked into the valley
With a stone clutched in his hand He was only a boy, but he knew Someone must take a stand . . . There will always be a valley Always mountains one must scale There will always be perilous waters Which someone must sail . . . Never hold back your step for a moment Never doubt that your courage will grow Hold your head even higher And into the fire we go --"Into the Fire"
[music Frank Wildhorn; lyrics Nan Knighton] |
|
In 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy published the novel that would earn her a place among the greatest writers of literature. This novel, entitled The Scarlet Pimpernel, tells the story of the first great double-identity superhero: Sir Percy Blakeney, a foppish English lord of the late 18th century, who will think of nothing but the latest fashions in clothing while his country is in turmoil over the bloody revolution that is happening in her neighboring country of France. However, only Sir Percy’s most trusted friends know his of his secret identity: by day, he may be nothing more than a lazy dandy, but by night he is the mysterious “Scarlet Pimpernel,” who adopts various ingenious disguises and rescues French aristocrats from the blade of the guillotine.
The daring exploits of Sir Percy were eventually drawn out into a 15-book series by the same author, which also includes two prequels (The Laughing Cavalier and The First Sir Percy, centered around a famous Blakeney ancestor), and Pimpernel and Rosemary, a sequel set several generations into the future. However, the public at large is most familiar with the original novel, mostly thanks to the various film versions that it spawned, including the ‘30’s classic starring Leslie Howard, and the 1982 BBC film starring Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen. Several lesser-known films, as well as a radio series, and even a handful of stage shows (the original of which, presented by Fred Terry and Julia Neilson's touring company, opened in 1903 and ran for 25 years due to popular demand), also based themselves on the story, but Pimpernel did not enter into the modern Broadway conscience until the very end of the century. |
 |
With music by Jekyll & Hyde composer Frank Wildhorn, and book and lyrics by Nan Knighton, The Scarlet Pimpernel hit Broadway in the fall of 1997, almost immediately rallying a huge fan base, not unlike that of Wildhorn’s first Broadway success. Critical reactions to the show, however, were lukewarm at best. The leading man, Douglas Sills, garnered nothing but raves; however, the show itself was received, at best, with mixed reactions. That and the fact that a Broadway house as huge as the Minskoff is hard to fill as it is, caused ticket sales to drop so low by the summer of 1998 that it was in danger of closing. However, in an unprecedented move, Radio City Entertainment stepped in. They would close the show for a week, bring in a new director (Robert Longbottom), and attempt to bring a “new life” to the show, hopefully one that would appeal to its more critical audience. |
| When Pimpernel 1.0 (as it is commonly known among its fans) closed, approximately half the cast left as well. Bill Bowers, who had originated the role of Leggett (one of Percy’s merry men), left to take over the role of Zazu in The Lion King, and Leggett was taken over by Doug. Terrence Mann and Christine Andreas, the original Chauvelin and Marguerite, were replaced with Rex Smith and Rachel York – but Douglas Sills, who had become the big box office draw, remained the star. Pimpernel 2.0 opened at the same theatre on October 10, 1998, with a distinctly brighter, more “traditional musical theatre” feel to it that disappointed some of the original fans, but appealed to the masses in a much greater way. Some changes of note included the show’s opening: instead of launching right into the French Revolutionary bloodbath, as 1.0 had done with “Madame Guillotine,” the new version opened with Marguerite giving her last performance at the Comédie Française, using the song “Storybook” as both an introduction to her character and an invitation to an evening of fantastical romance. The infamously silly “Creation of Man” was also redirected – and made even sillier, giving all of Percy’s “League” a chance to be completely wild and crazy amidst the 18th century decorum inherent in much of the show.
For some cast members, this came naturally. Pimpernel 2.0 ran until the end of May of 1999, when most of the cast, including Doug, left to pursue other projects. One more attempt was made to revive it – and the much-scaled-down Pimpernel 3.0 opened in September at the Neil Simon Theatre, starring Ron Bohmer as Percy, Carolee Carmello as Marguerite, and Marc Kudisch as Chauvelin. It was not nearly as widely advertised as the Minskoff incarnations, and though the show still had a strong fan base, interest among common theatre-goers seemed to have waned during Pimpernel’s four-month absence. 3.0 only ran for four months, before it closed on Broadway, was re-vamped yet again, and this time taken on tour. You guessed it: 4.0. The tour has since closed, but European productions have already gotten underway, and the rights to the show have been made available to regional U.S. theatres. 
the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (2.0 cast) sails "Into the Fire" More information... ~ For production and event photos, visit the pictures section of this site. ~ For further information on the musical, visit the official site. ~ For information on every incarnation of Pimpernel,, visit Sir Percy's Place. ~ To meet other Pimpernel fans, join the League mailing list. |
