By Angela Eckhardt
All ready for their annual Springville’s Art City Days, Springville Playhouse is producing The Scarlet Pimpernel and it is a fantastic addition to Utah‘s plethora of summer musicals. With the drama of England and France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution combined with foppish characters, love, intrigue, betrayal, gorgeous costumes, fun dancing, and great vocals, you can count on having a fun-filled evening.
Director Robinne Booth is clearly very familiar with the musical, as every aspect of the show is given great detail. The chemistry between her leads, especially Paul Bradford as Percy Blakeney and Ava Magalei as Marguerite St. Just, is authentic and believable. Jared Gaskill as Ozzy and Dave Burton as Chauvelin are stand outs and give noteworthy performances. Pimpernel is a big show and Booth has made big choices to get the most out of her cast.
Often in community theater, it’s hard to find an ensemble that has consistency. In this production of The Scarlet Pimpernel, everyone can sing well, everyone can dance well, and the result is a show that feels and looks smooth and entertaining. The voices are strong, the dancing confident, and the synergy is marvelous. Music Director Cindy Thompson has done a fabulous job with an obviously talented bunch of singers. One of my favorite songs was “The Creation of Man”. “Into the Fire” is another powerful piece that I have been humming since I saw the show. Choreographer Kimi Snapp gives her performers steps that are engaging and the cast brings this beauty to the stage. All of the male ensemble dances and scenes are wonderful–all of the players seem like good friends in real life. I figured after all the many hours of rehearsing those songs, they probably are friends.
Set Decoration by Booth, Dave Chapa, Jon Haws, Kathy Llewellen, Carson Nielsen, and Joey Smith incorporates several levels that work well on the Springville High School Theater stage. The platform in the back serves as a backdrop for the house, and also the boat that takes The Scarlet Pimpernel back and forth from England to France. The guillotine is awesome and didn’t look like some flimsy piece of cardboard painted to look lethal. It looks like it could cut off any bad guy’s head. The delicious costumes by Booth, Tannie Hjorth, Beth Smith, and Ramona Swapp shine onstage. I especially loved the animal prints in the costumes for “The Creation of Man.” The juxtaposition of this is a nice touch.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a fun show, but has themes that may not be understandable or enjoyable for young children. If you are going to bring your kiddos (tweens and up?) I’d give them a quick explanation of what they’re going to see. This is an important time in the world’s history, but we in America aren’t that familiar with it. This is an explanation that can help younger audience members understand the very important messages that The French Revolution can teach us all.
A review by Front Row Reviewers.
Springville Playhouse presents The Scarlet Pimpernel, music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton, based on the 1905 novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy.
Springville High School, 1205 E 900 S, Springville, UT 84663
June 9-24. 2023 Monday, Thursday-Saturday. 7:30 PM
Tickets: General $15, Senior/Students $12
Contact: info@springvilleplayhouse.com
Springville Playhouse Facebook Page
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