Kaysville Hopebox Theatre’s The Scarlet Pimpernel Ensnares, Enthralls, and Entertains

By Kathryn Olsen

The Hopebox Theatre in Kaysville is a relatively small venue with an enormous talent pool at its disposal in their new production of The Scarlet Pimpernel.  Based on a quasi-spy novel by Baroness Orczy about the French Revolution, it is a convoluted and often absurdist masterpiece of suspense and unexpected hilarity that demands a well-rounded leading cast and a versatile chorus.  Percy, an English nobleman, discovers on his wedding day that his new wife, Marguerite, seems to be on the side of the French Revolution that favors Madame Guillotine.  He secretly vows to use his connections and cunning to work against the revolutionary Citizen Chauvelin, while keeping it all a secret from the woman he no longer trusts.  I myself had read the book, seen the film, and had listened to the musical, but had never seen it in person and brought along a theater and costuming friend to inform my perspective.

The ensemble must be mentioned first, as they provided such excellent context for the tensions of the overarching storyline.  There is a troupe of dancing maidens who accompany Marguerite’s whimsical musings on true love in the song “Storybook,” but they must minutes later constitute half of the bloodthirsty mob.  The audience can tell that they are the same ensemble, but has to reconcile that with the people screaming for the nobility to reap their long-overdue reward from the “goddess of justice with her shimmering, glimmering blade.”  They later reappear as the women beguiling revolutionary officers on behalf of the counterrevolutionaries.  Men feature as everything from part of the mob to the soldiers and have a similar range of responsibilities.

The next group I will feature before remarking on the leading characters is the “Bounders.”  Percy (Jared Morgan) is surrounded by like-minded individuals who want to band together against the horrors of the Revolution, but would rather have a rousing game of cricket.  They then get roped into the “League of the Scarlet Pimpernel” and find themselves playing caricatures of themselves so that no one will take them seriously and the results are uproariously funny.  Whether Elton (Jeff Erickson) is reminiscing about netting butterflies or Dewhurst (Jared Fillingim) does an astounding high kick in lavender pantaloons at a royal ball, they are foppish and fun.  Their adventures in the aid of the eponymous Scarlet Pimpernel are always a bit outlandish.  Early on, they mention that their special powers include opera and Latin and this is recalled later when a prison guard is frightened by a ghost—“Julius Caesar!  It spoke Latin.”  They are the most unlikely plucky sidekicks since Robin Hood:  Men in Tights and play the parts magnificently.

The show is not all fun and games, of course.  We have the deadly danger that threatens the Pimpernel and his band, manifest in the ruthless Citizen Chauvelin (Bradley Hatch) and his infamous leader Robespierre (Tim Behunin).  I was informed prior to the show that Hatch had just come off of playing the romantic lead Tommy in Brigadoon, so I delighted in this being a departure for him.  Instead, I discovered that he is well-known for his more sinister roles and this is evident in his portrayal of the patriotic zealot.  As my guest observed, his rendition of “Falcon in the Dive,” where he expresses the fury and focus that have now awoken in him, is “a beautiful descent into madness.”  Chauvelin requires an actor who can exude power that’s gone too far and become dangerous to his cause and to himself.  Yet he still harbors a fierce devotion to Marguerite (Emily Summerhays), whom he loved after the storming of the Bastille and before her marriage, so exposes a layer of vulnerability and regret that is unexpected.

Marguerite similarly explores polar opposites of a character.  A flamboyant actress, she allows moments of self-betrayal to protect the people she loves and her actions are always responses to realizing what more she could do.  Summerhays is a talented singer with a stage presence that makes her a convincing soulmate for the man who smuggles aristocrats out of France.  One of her most well-known songs, “When I Look at You,” is rendered more angrily than I had anticipated, but Summerhays’ interpretation of the role made it an appropriate choice.  When the actress is so forceful a presence, her moments of dejection and desperation are more poignant than ever, and her prison ballad of “I’ll Forget You” is one of the most effective scenes of the entire show.

Morgan’s version of Percy is nuanced and marvelous.  It is true that he spends a great deal of the show playing a willing nincompoop, giving a mortal enemy fashion advice, and capering in front of the Prince of Wales, but we understand his deep torment from the start.  While Chauvelin is bold with his feelings and Marguerite is audacious, Percy’s transparency and emotional honesty is what shines through in this production.  He is a man who spends so much of his waking hours in disguise that when he unmasks himself, we are spellbound.

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Turning from the stellar cast, I must mention the technical contributions to the show.  As I previously mentioned, the theater is small, so the set design by Curtis Dalton and Trevor Wirth is particularly impressive, as they are able to turn the same set pieces into everything from city streets to parts of a seafaring vessel.  Lighting designer Derek Raynor and his sound design counterpart, Jackie Barrett, play a crucial role in establishing myriad atmospheres.  A standout contribution is made by costume designer Stephanie Bruckman, who not only had to garb revolutionary Frenchmen and refined ladies, but the absurdly-dressed Bounders and Pimpernel.  The dancing choreography, also done by Bruckman, is appropriate to the setting and lovely in its execution; while the fight choreography never fails to encourage a personal interest in the outcome of a duel.  Matt Hewitt acts as both director and music director, while director Ryan Bruckman has turned a complex cast into a powerful ensemble.

Those Frenchies seek the damned, elusive Pimpernel everywhere, but you can still find him at the Hopebox Theatre until October 27.  The story is unforgettable, the cast is phenomenal and you’ll come away agreeing with their definition of a perfect storybook ending.

HOPEBOX THEATRE Presents .  Book and lyrics by Nan Knighton.  Music by Frank Wildhorn.
Hopebox Theater, 1700 S. Frontage Rd., Kaysville, UT 84037
October 5-27, 2018 7:30 PM.  Matinee October 20, 27 2:00 PM.
Tickets:  $10-15
Contact:  801-451-5259
HOPEBOX THEATRE Facebook Page
The Scarlet Pimpernel Facebook Event