Pimpernel Revisions

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/23/05 at 5:54pm

Why was it revised so many times? What was the story behind the changes?

Updated On: 7/23/05 at 05:54 PM

[Broadway_Bound_Star]

Posted: 7/23/05 at 5:58pm

I think it was based on a book, bit sure why it was changed so much. At least I think this is what you are asking.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 7/23/05 at 8:41pm

Because they did not take advantage of touring the show or getting all the wrinkles out before going to Broadway. They had to revise due to poor reviews and poor sales.

[idinarocksmysocks!510]

Posted: 7/23/05 at 9:42pm

I've always liked The Scarlet Pimpernel. Kind of cheesy some may say but oh well!

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 7/23/05 at 11:14pm

It was a great show, but the revisions seemed to weaken it. I liked the whole cast singing 'Madame Guillotine' and they seemed to cut down on Marguerite too much by taking out 'Vivez' and 'Only Love'.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 1:40pm

bump

[QueenS]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 2:18pm

They kept trying to make it better, not only by revising it, but by recasting it. I personally liked the second cast much better than the other 2, but I agree that the more they tinkered, the worse it got.

Some things that I loved got cut and things I never thought worked stayed in all 3 versions.

By the time they reopened in the smaller theatre with a smaller set and fewer cast members, it sadly looked like a fairly good regional production. One of the things I remember most was that they didn't cut down the huge, ongoing musical keychange/interlude in "Into the Fire" where the set had dramatically changed from the drawing room to the boat. The men were saddled with extra time as the two dimensional "prow" of the boat was placed in front of them. It was kind of sad.

Hindsight being 20/20, the second cast with the first script (with the tiniest of edits) might have been a good show.

I think by the third time they opened, they tried to get the Tony committee to consider them a revival, but that didn't go over too well (and may not even be true).

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 4:06pm

I like 3.0 best. I'm glad it's the only one currently available for licensing. it's the most touching, heartfelt and hilarious thing I've ever seen on a stage and the only time I actually cried. once in act one because of ad-libs and once in act two when Marguerite sang "I'll Forget You"... good stuff.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 4:10pm

I saw the first one and found it to be terribly painful. I couldn't bring myself to go back and see the revised ones. Besides, it's kinda a bad omen if you have to close a Broadway show and rework it then close it down again and rework it some more. That is what workshops and out of town try outs are for. The producers lost their @ss on that show(s).