Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn is one of an elite group. Only two other composers, Andrew Lloyd Weber and Stephen Sondheim, have had three shows running on the main stem at the same time. There are many who think this is a deceptive statistic. First, Mr. Wildhorn's work is notorious for arriving half-finished and undergoing incessant revisions, even after opening night. His work tends to be panned by critics, viewed as being lightweight. But, in an era when the next Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Flaherty & Ahrens, or even Stephen Schwartz is nowhere to be seen, someone with basic commercial appeal is the darling of producers. No one would consider The Civil War, Jekyll & Hyde, and this offering, The Scarlet Pimpernel to be the equal of Broadway's Golden Era shows, but Pimpernel, the best of the bunch, does have it's charm in an era dominated by Disney. The production that flourished into Gammage Auditorium Tuesday night, despite four understudies in various roles, proves to be an enjoyable evening.
Based on the Baroness Orczy novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel is about a group of English gentry, led by Percival Blakely, who decide to fight on the side of right during the darkest days of Robespierre's bloody French Revolution. While maintaining the cover of foppish nincompoops in their homeland, they sneak undercover into France to embarrass Robespierre's evil henchman, Chauvelin, and save people from the guillotine. Percy is driven to this selfless deception after he marries beautiful French actress Marguerite, whom he suspects of being a spy for the French government.
Advance word of the show has ranged from somewhat positive to nasty. True, Nan Knighton's lyrics are generally pedestrian, and Mr. Wildhorn's music is unremarkable, but the story and most of the performances are very enjoyable. Let's be honest, who can hate a show where the heroes fight terror with humor, and cover their heroics with wildly effeminate ways? Director/Choreographer Robert Longbottom does a great job establishing and building the humor of the piece, though the fight choreography, directed by Rick Sordelet, is not as impressive. Fortunately, this show isn't as much about the heroics as it is about the hilarious deception used to cover it.
Ordinarily played by Robert Patteri, the lead role of Percy was instead presented by Aaron Paul. This could not have been a step down, for Mr. Paul was wonderful. His powerful voice and impressive dancing is the equal of his great acting. This is a man who is thoroughly enjoying this over-the-top role, and the audience is the beneficiary of it. By the end, he seemed completely connected to us. As his love interest, Amy Bodnar is lovely and has a beautiful voice, but so do most ingénues in touring productions. There's not much that captures the imagination beyond those two things. The weakest of the leads is William Michals as the evil Chauvelin. He, too, offers a wonderful voice, but his acting is subpar, nearly at the level of a melodrama while everyone else is playing for laughs.
The ensemble adds quite a bit to the enjoyment of the evening. In their capable hands, the highlight of the show, "The Creation of Man," is an old-fashioned showstopper. When added to the wonderful work of Mr. Paul, the show becomes a lighthearted laugh-fest.
The design elements, led by Andrew Jackness' set, Jane Greenwood's lush costumes, and Natasha Katz' effects-filled lighting, are as good as a touring show can offer. Douglas Coates' musical direction is solid.
The reports of the Pimpernel's lameness seem greatly exaggerated. The opening night audience offered a few moments of sustained laughter and an almost universal standing "o." Perhaps this is Mr. Wildhorn's plan: negative preconceptions make fair-to-middling shows seem much better than expected.
Production Details:
The Scarlet Pimpernel Book and Lyrics by Nan Knighton, Music by Frank
Wildhorn
America West Airlines Valley Broadway Series
ASU's Gamage Auditorium, Tempe
(480) 784-4444
December 5th - 10th, 2000