Seek Out the Scarlet Pimpernel at the Springville Playhouse!

By Megan Graves

In a modern media world that repeatedly portrays dramatic rescues, rebellion, spies, and government intrigues, the story of the Scarlet Pimpernel has all that and more, presented in a unique way on the stage that brings you closer to the sword fights, suspense and drama then you could get just on any dimmed, elusive screen. Though I had practically memorized the soundtrack to the Scarlet Pimpernel musical a few years ago, I had still postponed seeing the show because I thought I knew the story so well after having read the book and watched the movie a few times. However, I was pleasantly surprised by unique, new, characters, a stellar presentation done by cast and crew, as well as a different ending than either the book or the movie. It is worth it to see the musical even if you already know the story, and Springville Playhouse does a stellar job at their depiction of war-torn France and the unlikely heroes who saved innocent people from Madam Guillotine and the mob mentality of the French Revolution.

Speaking of which, the guillotine on set looks dramatically real, and it was worth going to see the show even just for that, but you might want to warn your children beforehand and tell them it’s fake. Congratulations to the production crew for a beautiful set with intricate details on the background and props! The painted books look like you could pull them off the shelves. There were quick and seamless set changes as well between scenes, so props goes to a great stage manager and stagehands. In terms of backstage production, this was on par with some professional theaters I’ve seen, which was impressive for a community theater made of volunteers!

Karen Amsden, the producer, said “it’s been fun to watch… strangers come together and become a family and work together.” She told the story of how on opening night one of their crew members accidentally fell and broke a door and everyone worked together and made a new door, got it up by intermission, and nobody in the audience knew that it had been broken. This story is an example of how amazing people in community theater are – that they can “be creative and innovative in just a moment’s notice.” Amsden said there was so much help with sewing costumes and tracking down props as well, and that it’s “been cool to see people work together for free…just for the love of theater.” The whole cast and crew did an excellent job working together, not only off stage but on stage as well.

There was great depth of vocal talent and acting in the chorus, especially among the Scarlet Pimpernel’s band of heroes. Some lines in the play made us laugh out loud, like one of the brave Englishmen saying, “but I do just want to net butterflies!” in the scene when they were practicing pretending to be fops instead of the fearless heroes they are.

The aristocratic costumes were beautiful, well set to the period of the play, and the rest of the costumes were fun and colorful. When the Pimpernel’s band of heroes dressed as dandies in animal prints and danced around with handkerchiefs, their fancy dancing had us quite literally in stitches.

Along with the depth of acting talent apparent in the play, the talent of the people behind-the-scenes is evident as well. The actors made good use of different height levels on stage, which was easier with a raised stage on the turntable set, but which they did regardless. The blocking was very entertaining; there was always something to watch, especially during the “Rescue Ballet” where some victims are saved from execution in the town square. The director, Rochelle Zibetti, said “the whole group collaborated to create backstories” and as a result it was extremely fun to watch. I was told Zibetti was very open to the actors’ thoughts and open to collaboration. The skill and thought the actors had put into their backstories and that the director had left them free to do was evident throughout the play.

To be honest, of all the characters, I found myself looking forward to every time the Pimpernel’s band was on stage and when Chauvelin (Christopher Bradford) was on stage, because of their excellent singing, and because Bradford was very believable as the villian of the story! To me he stood out as the star of the show. In the song “Like a Falcon” he had amazing energy and power, and in “Where’s the girl?” he seemed to be truly pining for a lost and forbidden love. And when the men in the Pimpernel’s band (Ozzy, Dewhurst, Farleigh, Elton, Hal & Ben) sang again about going “Into the Fire” of conflict despite the fears they had, I literally got chills it was so good (and I don’t usually say that cliche phrase)! I felt inspired to face my own fears and struggles with that kind of strength.

Marguerite (Sarah Hart) had a sweet and melodic voice.  There were some staging choices I would have done differently, as I was expecting a bit more confidence and strength in Marguerite, whose character in the book is brave enough to travel alone by boat in the 1700s and risk her life to save her husband and brother. But Hart’s portrayal of Marguerite was still intriguing, her voice was pleasant, and she did an excellent job portraying someone with a darker past that she’s trying to overcome, and of someone torn between difficult choices. It was great to see a successful pairing of two leads that were married. Percy Blakeney (her husband Jake Hart), played the dual conflicting role of conceited coxcomb and hidden hero very well.

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In a way you could say it was a “play within a play” where the characters were acting as different people in private than they were in public. The tension of never knowing if or when the Blakeneys (Jake and Sarah Hart) would tell the truth to each other or if Marguerite would decide to leave and go back to Chauvelin made the play more suspenseful and made you want to watch till the end. They did a great job presenting that tension and trouble in the love triangle there.

(*spoiler alert) I was a little disappointed in the playwright’s too hasty resolution to that suspense and conflict, as the quick reconciliation between Blakeney and his wife after months of deception was too short and almost unbelievable, and there were hardly any words in the script for it, but the actors did well with what they had.

In the end, this is a community play worth seeing, not only for the historical context, but also for the excellence in production, staging, and the depth of acting and vocal talent. You’ll be able to share with your family a story of an unlikely hero, as well as the lesson that it’s worth trying to make the world a better place and save at least a few souls as well as our own, and that what matters most in relationships is honesty, compassion, fidelity, and forgiveness. It’s a story we can all learn from, and it is eloquently portrayed by the cast and crew of the Springville Playhouse. 

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL

What: Springville Playhouse’s performance of the musical based on the novel by Baroness Orczy

When: The remaining performances are at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, June 24-25, and Monday, June 27.

Where: Merit Academy, 1440 W. Center St., Springville, UT

Tickets: $8-$10

Info: springvilleplayhouse.com

Parking: Lots of spaces available so no worries there. Realize it is way farther West in Springville than you might think; it’s close to the train tracks.

**Advisory: Warn your children ahead of time about the guillotine and how it’s just made of cloth and doesn’t hurt anyone. A short history lesson about the French Revolution might be a pro pros for this play as well.

*Megan Graves has directed, produced, written, and performed in various community plays and musical fundraisers in Utah (http://www.singforsomething.org/), taught orchestra, theater, and general music for 6+ years, and enjoys being a freelance arts critic. She majored in both English and Music Teaching, and has a Master’s in Public Administration, specializing in Nonprofit Management. She particularly loves watching and performing in Shakespeare plays and in musicals, and is grateful for the chance she had to study and critique theatrical performances in London for 7 weeks in an undergrad theater program at BYU as part of her English major.