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THANK YOU FOR HELPING THIS PAGE ACHIEVE 3,OOO HITS: MAY 24, 2001... I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT!
CONGRATULATIONS DOUG
on winning the 2000 Ovation award for your performance in the Los Angeles production of "The Scarlet Pimpernel."
BACKSTAGE AT THE CONCERT!
Douglas Sills & Rachel York as Percy & Marguerite in The Scarlet
Pimpernel.
highlight of Linda Eder's performance at the Orange County (Ca.) Performing Arts Center December 11, 1999
was the duet between Linda, and special surprise guest Douglas Sills of The Scarlet Pimpernel. 2000...
There were
a lot of fans waiting for Linda at the stage door, but thanks to my good friend, Connie, (who knew I had met Linda and Frank
previously) at the Performing Arts Center, I was able to go downstairs near the dressing area (via freight elevator). To my
surprise, there were even more people down there, which meant I'd be waiting a while. I didn't care. It was worth it! Especially,
when I caught the Douglas Sills' (The Scarlet Pimpernel) attention. He immediately remembered meeting me outside the Minskoff
Theater (April 1999). He just had trouble figuring out exactly where I lived. I explained that we had only been visiting back
in New York, and that Mom and I actually live right there in Orange County! It was then that he confirmed that he would indeed
be starring The Scarlet Pimpernelat the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. April 25 - June 18, 2000. Doug said he would see
me there, and then went on to visit with other guest.
At that point, Mom spotted Rachel York ( Marguerite). Doug
looked over and asked "Do you remember John from outside our theatre?" She said she did, although we had only met
briefly months earlier. I told her I enjoyed her recordings of Storybook and I'll Forget You on the recently-released Encore
CD. She had to run, but graciously thanked me as "The Pimpernel" segment of the evening came to a close.
There
were a lot of fans waiting for Linda at the stage door, but thanks to my good friend, Connie, (who knew I had met Linda and
her husband, Frank Wildhorn, composer of scarlet Pimpernel,etc., previously) at the Performing Arts Center, I was able to
go downstairs near the dressing area (via freight elevator). To my surprise, there were even more people down there, which
meant I'd be waiting a while. I didn't care. It was worth it! Especially, when I caught the Douglas Sills' (The Scarlet Pimpernel)
attention. He immediately remembered meeting me outside the Minskoff Theater (April 1999). He just had trouble figuring out
exactly where I lived. I explained that we had only been visiting back in New York, and that Mom and I actually live right
there in Orange County! It was then that he confirmed that he would indeed be starring The Scarlet Pimpernelat the Ahmanson
Theatre in Los Angeles. April 25 - June 18, 2000. Doug said he would see me there, and then went on to visit with other guest.
At that point, Mom spotted Rachel York ( Marguerite). Doug looked over and asked "Do you remember John from
outside our theatre. She said she did, although we had only met briefly months earlier. I told her I enjoyed her recordings
of Storybook and I'll Forget You on the recently-released Encore CD. She had to run, but graciously thanked me as "The
Pimpernel" segment of the evening came to a close.
Read about my visits with Frank, Linda and their son, Jake on
my Linda Eder page.
Jekyll & Hyde Productions (Added 29 June)
14 - 29 Sep, 2001 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada:
Tivoli Theatre
21 Sep - 14 Oct, 2001 Parma Heights, Ohio: Ohio Community Theatre
2 - 11 Nov, 2001 Ft. Washington,
Maryland: Tantallon Players
8 Feb - 17 Mar, 2002 Newton, Massacusetts: Turtle Lane Playhouse
Scarlet Pimpernel
Productions (Added 29 June)
6 - 30 Sep, 2001 Ocala, Florida: Ocala Civic Theatre
21 Sep - 7 Oct, 2001 Riverside,
California: Performance Riverside
1 - 3 Mar, 2002 Appleton, Wisconsin: West Theatre
Interested
in launching a production of The Scarlet Pimpernel? Here is some information that might prove useful:
The show rights
are handled by:
Tams-Witmark Music Library
560 Lexington Ave.
New York, N.Y. 10022
tel 212-688-2525
fax 212-688-3232
The script and score that are released correspond to the final version of the show seen on Broadway
(SP3). More information is available at the Tams Witmark Site.
The Original Sets and Costumes are handled by:
Dean Mogle
University of Cincinnati
513-556-9411
Dean.Mogle@uc.edu
ENCORE!--
THE BEST OF THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL
NOW ON CD AND CASSETTE
A new (3rd) recording is here, featuring Rex Smith
and Rachel York. The title of the disc is Encore! ...It also contains tracks of the Original Broadway cast (Doug Sills, Christine
Andreas, and Terrence Mann, as well as Original Concept recordings by Linda Eder & Peabo Bryson. It is a compilation history
of the show, sure to enchant anyone!
CDNOW is currently taking orders.
Doug photo #1
With Broadway's Original Pimpernel, Douglas Sills
Outside Minskoff Theatre: April 1999
Mr. Sills
was quoted in the article "Actors Bring Down The Curtain On Incessant Ringing" in USA Today, July 28, 1999. When
a cellphone continually rang in the audience, Doug apparently stopped the show, and asked the offending patron: "Don't
you think it's probably for you?"Score one for The Scarlet Pimpernel!
SING! SWING!! SAVOR THE
STING!!!
Sir Percival Blakeney is The Scarlet Pimpernel, who believing he has been been betrayed by his
new wife, French actress Marguerite St. Just, uses his band of merry men to save innocents from the razor sharp crush of the
guillotine during the French revolution ...
Based upon a 1905 novella by Baroness Orczy, Composer Frank Wildhorn
(Jekyll & Hyde, The Civil War) & Lyricist Nan Knighton (Saturday Night Fever- stage version) created a concept CD
(on Angel records) starring Linda Eder, Peabo Bryson & Chuck Wagner. Debuting as Broadway musical October 1997, The original
production (Cast album available on Atlantic Records) received 3 Tony Award nominations, including Best New Musical... and
launched the career of Tony nominee, Douglas Sills , in his Broadway debut as the Pimpernel. The cast also included Christine
Andreas as Marguerite and Terrence Mann as the evil Chauvelin.
Making Broadway history, The Scarlet Pimpernel was
acquired by new producers who mounted and even more spectacular production in October 1998, at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre.
Douglas Sills continued in the role he originated...
But the added talents of
Rex Smith as Chauvelin
Visit
Rex's Official Site
Rachel York as Marguerite
Visit Rachel's Official Site
or
The Original
Rachel York Homepage
enhance the power and passion of this show. But it is still the music, romance, humor and powerful
production numbers that propel this production.
Ending it's run at the Minskoff May 30, 1999, The Pimpernel settled
into its new Broadway home at the
Neil Simon Theatre
250 West 52nd Street
New York City
on September 8, 1999....
.
Appearing in the lead roles were: Ron Bohmer as Percy, Carolee Carmello as Marguerite, and Marc Kudisch as Chauvelin.
To read the "Broadway Circle" article, Click Here! ... This engagement ended January 2, 2000...but don't despair..
"The Pimpernel will also take to the road! (See Details Below.)
(Tour Advertisement)
...AND NOW
NEWS OF AN EXTENDED TOUR!
The first national tour of Pimpernel began in early 2000. The Scarlet Pimpernel Swashbuckles
in Costa Mesa, Jan. 2-7
The road company of The Scarlet Pimpernel set up camp in Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County
Performing Arts Center, Jan 2-7, 2001. The Broadway musical hit stars Ron Bohmer as the swashbuckling Pimpernel who crusades
for justice during the tumultuous French revolution. Bohmer played the role in New York, where he also starred as Joe Gillis
in Sunset Boulevard. Bohmer also appeared as The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera in Los Angeles,
Chicago and Washington, D.C. The other featured players in Pimpernel are Amy Bodnar (another Sunset Boulevard alum); and William
Michals as Chauvelin. Pimpernel has book and lyrics by Nan Knighton; music by Frank Wildhorn, who is also creative director
of Atlantic Theatre/Atlantic Records and an associate artist of the Alley Theatre in Houston. Director/choreographer Robert
Longbottom made his Broadway debut with the Tony Award-nominated musical Side Show. His other New York credits include direction
and choreography for Off-Broadway's Pageant and Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular. Pimpernel opened on Broadway
on Nov. 9, 1997, garnering Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Musical (Douglas Sills), Best Musical and Best Book
(Nan Knighton). In the fall of 1998, after the show was acquired from its original producers, Longbottom was brought in to
re-direct and re-choreograph. The revised production re-opened Nov. 4, 1998 and played at the Minskoff Theatre through May
30, 1999. A tour of brief summer engagements ensued before the show returned to Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre on Sept. 10,
1999, where it ran through Jan. 2, 2000.
Copyright © 1995-99 Playbill Online. All Rights Reserved.
Having just
seen this production, I can heartily add my ethusiasm for it! Ron Bohmer, plays the lead with a deft simplicity. Quite different
from Mr. Sills, but wonderful all the same. Amy Bodnar give a strength and vitality to Marguerite heretofore unseen and William
Michals is dastardly and dark as the evil Chauvelin! Their voices are as lush and delicious as the costumes. They enhance
the charming Knighton/Wildhorn score, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cheer, You'll have a great time!
***
NEWS OF A NEW RECORDING
A new recording is here, featuring Rex Smith and Rachel York. The title of the disc
is Encore! ...It contains bonus tracks of the Original Broadway cast (Doug Sills, Christine Andreas, and Terrence Mann, as
well as Original Concept recordings by Linda Eder & Peabo Bryson. CDNOW is currently taking orders.
The Scarlet Pimpernel
was used as a possible answer on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" June 24, 2001.
Find out more at The Official
Website of The Scarlet Pimpernel
Other Shows by Frank Wildhorn include:
Jekyll & Hyde
The Civil War:
Our Story in Song
COPYRIGHT 1999-2001 BY JHB WEBSITE.
*JHB Website is wholly unofficial and not endorsed by
any entity connected with Douglas Sills or The Scarlet Pimpernel.
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