The Scarlet Pimpernel
Daily Bruin
The chorus sung about the infamous storybook hero and star of
"The Scarlet Pimpernel" echoed through the Ahmanson Theatre
at the play's opening last week.
"We seek him here, We seek him there / Those Frenchies seek
him everywhere / Is he in Heaven? / Is he in Hell? / That demmed
elusive Pimpernel."
The heartwarming musical tells the classic story of Percy
Blakely, an everyman turned savior during the French Revolution.
Hilariously comedic but still rooted in the nightmares of the
French upheaval, "Pimpernel" has been labeled a "dramedy" by
actor Douglas Sills, who plays Blakely. Fittingly, it is Blakely's
wit and candor, but also his determination to rescue the innocent
from the guillotine, that carry the show.
Blakely is a young English dilettante who realizes on his wedding
day that he has been betrayed by his French wife, Marguerite,
who is masterfully portrayed by actor Amy Bodnar. Feeling like
he has lost everything, Blakely decides to fight for a larger cause
as the savior of the innocent in conflicted France.
With a small band of merry men, Blakely crosses the English
Channel in disguise as the Scarlet Pimpernel, a name taken from
the flower on his family's crest, and makes a mockery out of the
tyrannous French regime.
Cracking jokes and outwitting every soldier and informant, the
Pimpernel foils one execution after another. However, the
swashbuckling hero is met with opposition as the plot thickens.
French henchman Chauvelin (William Paul Michals) is after his
blood and his wife. Blakely quickly finds himself lured into a
sticky web of betrayal, blackmail and adventure, all the while
trying to keep his identity a secret, even from Marguerite.
The popularity of superhero characters in today's culture began
with the Scarlet Pimpernel story and character. Every masked
avenger from the Lone Ranger to Superman and Batman has its
origins in the daring Scarlet Pimpernel, but it is rare that
audiences can see such a hero in action on the stage.
Other historical productions, like "Amadeus" and "Les
Miserables," have recently been well-received in the theater, as
has "Pimpernel." The difference is that this musical is more
lighthearted than much of what is currently on stage. It is true that
"Pimpernel" is riddled with violence and the sourness of love gone
bad, but it is written with a good dose of humor as well, most of
which is embodied in the playful Blakely.
The musical's breathtaking score, laced with the soulful,
emotional lyrics of 15 songs, makes it a true Broadway
production. The strong voices and charismatic performances of
Bodnar, Michals and Sills are by themselves worth the price of
admission, and the intriguing story makes "Pimpernel" a fun and
suspenseful ride.
The cast's elegant costumes, including sequined ball gowns, 18th
century wigs and zebra-striped gentleman's coats, make the
musical come alive with authenticity as a historical production.
The swordfighting sequences in the show are reminiscent of
traditional fighting techniques. A fight director trained the cast to
ensure that every lunge would appear to be in earnest.
Adapted from the novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, the tale of
the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel has been a favorite for more than a
century and various stage adaptations have been created from the
story since it was first published. The current musical triumph
earns its place as a theater favorite with every tear and chuckle it
pulls from the spellbound audience.
-Trisha Kirk, Daily Bruin
May 9, 2000
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