Demmed Nincompoops: The Scarlet Pimpernel Love Thread

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 8:29pm

Now, I always assumed that the most wonderful thing about Scarlet Pimpernel fans was the same as the most wonderful thing about Tiggers-- that I'm the only one.

Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my all-time favorite musicals, despite the fact that it was a big flop and a Frank Wildhorn musical, and we all know that saying "Frank Wildhorn" on BWW is like saying "Lord Voldemort" at Hogwarts. But I figured I might as well give this thread a shot anyway.

So, anyone else out there love Pimpy?

Updated On: 4/11/09 at 08:29 PM

[wonkit]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 8:35pm

This musical certainly had its highs and lows but the cast was first rate! I saw both incarnations - kind of preferred the first one. Terrence Mann singing "Falcon in the Dive" - heaven.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 8:37pm

Agreed about "Falcon In The Dive"-- I can't help but love every note of that song. And on "Where's the Girl," he sounds so wonderfully seductive that I forget his strong resemblance to a nocturnal rodent!

For some reason, I just really connect to the character of Percy, even though I'm a girl. I dressed up as him for Halloween one year, and my sister was Marguerite, my best friend was Chauvelin, and my brother was a guy with his head in a guillotine.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 8:54pm

I adore 3.0. It was so hysterical. I've never laughed so hard. Not even at a Mel Brooks musical. It's funny because when you listen to the cast recording you really have no idea what a great comedy it is because the serious moments tend to come mostly from the songs. I love the later versions of "You Are My Home" and "The Creation of Man". I also cried my eyes out during "I'll Forget You". It's a great show. I just wish they'd done an out of town tryout so they could have opened on Broadway with the revised version and maybe gotten better reviews.

[sarbear2]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 10:41pm

I ADORE this show. It's probably my favorite of all time, sadly enough.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 10:47pm

We did this last spring as our musical... I was in the pit and damn that was some great music!! I will gladly add to this thread! ACTUALLY, I am going to watch a dvd of my friends neice's high school production right now.. yay!!!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 11:26pm

I like it, but the novel is much better.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 12:19am

Madame Guillotine is the song of my heart!

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 4:20am

Poor Frank.

He never manages to put all of his good songs in one show. There's three or four in each show, and then the rest is like phoned-in.

But that poster of DOUG???? Priceless. Way to go there, Impaler.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 8:04am

Pianolin-- Agh! There was a production of Pimpy in Virginia last year and I missed it? I wish I could have seen that...

SporkGoddess-- I agree in many ways, especially in terms of the plot (the soup scene was the best.) But I really like what the musical did with Percy's character, and I like how they changed it so that he didn't start acting like a doofus until after they got married. In the book, it's like Marguerite married him knowing perfectly well that he was a brainless fop, solely because of his slavish attention.

LadyDramaturg-- I usually agree. But for some reason, I just love most of the songs in Pimpy. There are at least ten there that I really adore, and I have no idea why.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 10:58am

"I wish I could have seen that... "
Lol thats debatable. I must say though that our Marguerite was SO good, but maybe I'm just partial to my friends voice lol
But it was probably the best musical we put on during my High School years.
But the music... SO much fun to play!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 11:19am

I dunno, I like it better in the book because it makes him more complex. He acts like a total moron but he really isn't. Why is that, you wonder? His backstory explains everything, though. He's a very fleshed-out character.

And then the musical makes Marguerite into an absolute idiot when she's supposed to be the Cleverest Woman in Europe. But I believe we've had this discussion before.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 12:02pm

Ha, yes, I totally agree about Marguerite's character in the musical. Though she's definitely a Mary-Sue in the book, heh. Oh yeah... and I wish Andrew Ffoulkes was in the musical. I love him.

This is definitely my favorite version of Falcon In The Dive-- teleporting Chauvelin is probably the coolest thing I've ever seen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTR_btjr_7w

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 12:06pm

Yeah, the books are definitely cheesy, extremely biased in favor of the royals (well, a baroness wrote them!), and have many Mary Sues/Gary Stus. But they are such fun to read.

And, hahaha, I love that performance!

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 3:41pm

I absolutely love this show. Frank Wildhorn is one of my favorite composers. I really love this and Jekyll and Hyde. While I love J&H more than this show. I still have a strong love for this show. There are some incredibly beautiful songs and I really think that the book (whichever script I have) is wonderful. I would have loved to seen this on broadway

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 4:22pm

We only saw the first version but we really enjoyed as we do with all Wildhorns shows

There is is out in the open. I have confessed.

Updated On: 4/12/09 at 04:22 PM

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 5:22pm

It's such a relief to know that I'm not alone in this Pimpy love!

Aw, Mr. Roxy... if it makes you feel any better, I like a good deal of Andrew Lloyd Webber's material. And saying "Andrew Lloyd Webber" on BWW is like exposing Superman to Kryptonite.

[Mekroth]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 5:52pm

Thank you for your support of my youtube video, Schmerg.

I absolutely LOVE this show. It brings a smile to my face every time I listen to the music. I have to say that my favorite version of the show is the Berlin production with the unbelievable Chris Murray.
Amazing.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 6:00pm

Why Chau-Chau, fancy seeing you here! You do sneak up a person!

*Cough* Erm, right. Anyway, I love the German production, and the very sinister way that Chris Murray plays the character... and the faster tempo, too. And the German lyrics are so interesting, too. I think "Falke auf der Jagd" is just stunning to watch.

Murray sometimes reminds me a bit of Christopher Walken...

Updated On: 4/12/09 at 06:00 PM

[Geridith]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 7:14pm

quote: "we all know that saying "Frank Wildhorn" on BWW is like saying "Lord Voldemort" at Hogwarts"

LOL

And I do indeed love love LOVE this show :)

Updated On: 4/12/09 at 07:14 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 7:26pm

I enjoy ALW also. I have the double whammy

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 7:28pm

As long as we're posting High School productions let's post a good one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkK4QeGUN_s

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 7:56pm

CATS-- I watch that video semi-religiously! I love that rendition of the song. Their Percy is really adorable... and that green taco hat is epic. But I still don't like El Diamante's Chauvelin as much as RCHS's.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 8:13pm

I wish my high school had enough money for backdrops and fly space.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/12/09 at 8:42pm

Random, but I wish they had kept the original "You Are My Home." It was so sweet as a brother/sister song.