[.ca] Scarlet Pimpernel, the

Shame this didn't stick around:
Frank Wildhorn's "Scarlet Pimpernel" is infamous for its struggles on Broadway; it's a shame, since I would have loved to see it play on and on for years. The story is charming, telling the story of a mysterious nobleman who, along with a band of followers, is committed to saving the lives of innocent aristocrats during the time of the French Revolution. While not doing their daring duty, this man and his friends assume extremely foppish personalities to avoid suspicion of their activities. The music is an absolute delight to listen to, ranging from the bouncy strains of "Into the Fire", "The Creation of Man" and the title tune to the heavier tone of "Madame Guillotine", "Falcon in the Dive" and "The Riddle". I could see the reason behind the later removal of such songs as "Vivez!" (it's not as up to par as some of the others) but why they should choose to remove such a lovely ballad as "Only Love" is beyond me. Cast in the lead as the Pimpernel (known publicly as Sir Percy Blakeney), Douglas Sills manages to convey both the silly fop and the dashing hero with a mere change of vocal pattern. I did not ever see him in the role, but I can tell why he was popular. He seems to be having the time of his life. Christine Andreas has a lovely voice as Marguerite, but she seemed to lack warmth in the love songs. However, she totally conveys a feeling of isolation in her powerful rendition of "When I Look At You". The only other recording I ever heard Terrence Mann on was "Beauty and the Beast". He's got a pretty good voice, though perhaps a tad heavy for the part of Chauvelin. I much prefer the Chauvelin on the "Encore" recording. I throughly recommend this recording. It's one that can be played over and over again without becoming trite or boring. And if you want to see the musical, there are always regional productions popping up. Seek him here, seek him there, seek the Pimpernel everywhere!

Christine Andreas, Terrence Mann and an underrated score:
THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL made history as the first Broadway musical to be re-tooled and re-cast during its run, following scathing reviews and waning box-office. This album features the original Broadway cast, headed by the lovely Christine Andreas. Frank Wildhorn's score contains a veritable treasure-trove of delights including "Where's the Girl?", "The Creation of Man", "The Riddle", "You Are My Home", "When I Look at You" and "Only Love". "Storybook" looks set to remain a constant in the repertoire of every self-respecting cabaret singer. The cast includes Terrence Mann (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), Douglas Sills (LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) and Christine Andreas (OKLAHOMA!). THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL is a fine musical and is worthy of a production that will do full justice to its sparkling score.

Unremarkable...:
I bought this CD after falling in love with the concept recording of Jekyll and Hyde. I felt J & H had some of the most beautiful and emotive music in all of musical theater and so I had to hear anything else by Frank Wildhorn. I could not wait to hear The Scarlet Pimpernal. I am sorry to say that I was terribly let down. I was unimpressed by the first listen. I listened over and over again hoping to be moved by it. Despite these attempts, I kept coming up empty. Empty is the most appropriate expression for it... Simply unremarkable. No big deal. Nothing to it. To me, the music was very reminiscent of the scores in modern Disney animation. I felt I was listening to The Little Mermaid with the sea-faring nature of one of the tunes. The ballads were just sappy in my opinion. The "big" numbers others have referred to may have been more tolerable, but they did not stand out as beautiful and moving. Even the best of the songs were just okay - not bad, but nothing I would yearn to hear again. Whereas I am sure Christine Andreas is a lovely woman, her voice really, really turned me off. I could not enjoy any of the songs she sang due to the vibrato in her voice as mentioned by several other reviewers. Her tone and pitch were great, but any sustained note was just uncomfortable for me to listen to. Beyond her voice, I did not feel for any of the characters. I did not sense the drama that should have been present. There was nothing about this CD that made me want to recommend it to anyone. For Wildhorn's best, check out Jekyll and Hyde (particularly the concept recording - phenomenal). I would not encourage you to spend your money on this recording. Just watch the next animated Disney blockbuster.

They seek him here, they look for him elsewhere, etc.:
I have never had the pleasure of seeing this show on Broadway, but simply listening to this soundtrack gives me at least some idea of how awesome the show was when performed live. Frank Wildhorn is one of my favorite Broadway composers, he's right up there alongside ALW. The songs are filled with energy, adventure, and all sorts of emotions, you can't help but get swept away, especially in regards those who lend their voices to these incredible songs: Douglas Sills, Terrance Mann, and Christine Andreas. Every song is simply a delight and they reflect the story exceptionally well. It is a true swashbuckling story filled with passion, intrigue, and loads of laughs. "Madame Guillotine" is one of my favorites, as it is filled with the ripe madness and furvor of the French Revolution as the citizens worship the instrument of destruction, the guillotine. "Into the Fire" is another one of my favorites, a rousing anthem to raise the spirits of bravery and courage, a fitting battlecry as Percy and his friends decide to take it upon themselves to save the lives of the innocent in Paris. Wonderful stuff. "Falcon in the Dive" is an awesome song as sung by Chauvelin as he deals with the various thoughts and feelings that plague him in his duty to hunt down the Pimpernel and maintain order as a servant of the revolution. "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is definitely awesome because it is an ensemble song dealing with the various rumors about who the Pimpernel is. Some of them more outlandish than the last. "The Creation of Man" is one of the funniest songs as it deals with Percy and his friends singing about how it is the duty of the aristocratic male to uphold the banner of well-tailored fashions. I could go on and on, but basically every song on this album is excellent. Do yourself a favor and get this record, and get your hands on the concept album as well. Both are really awesome.

Christne Andreas, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR VIBRATO?:
Dearest Christine Andreas, If you ruin another show with your stupid vibrato, I will personally send a large, dead fish to your home in the care of a large Italian-Polish man named Guiche. He will slap you repeatedly with it until you promise him you'll go see a voice teacher. A GOOD voice teacher. Also...this show just blows in general even though it's definately one of Wildhorn's better shows. I hope the revised version is better, because this one couldn't be any worse. Thank god Douglas Sills is in it, because after listening to Christine Andreas' voice for that long, it is refreshing to hear somebody who can actually create an acceptable form of resonance. This show needs tons of work, but the potential is still there. Start here: Get a new book writer.

• Overture \oInstrumental\c
• Madame Guillotine - Terry Mann
• Believe - Christine Andreas, Pamela Burrell, Sandy Rosenberg, Douglas Sills
• Vivez! - Douglas Sills
• Prayer - Douglas Sills
• Into the Fire - Terry Mann
• Falcon in the Dive - Christine Andreas
• When I Look at You - Douglas Sills
• Scarlet Pimpernel
• Where's the Girl? - Terry Mann
• When I Look at You (Reprise) - Terry Mann
• Creation of Man - David Cromwell, Douglas Sills
• Marguerite's Dilemma \oInstrumental\c
• Riddle - Christine Andreas, Terry Mann, Douglas Sills
• Entra'acte \oInstrumental\c
• They Seek Him Here - Pamela Burrell, David Cromwell, Sandy Rosenberg, Douglas Sills
• Only Love - Christine Andreas
• She Was There - Douglas Sills
• Storybook
• Where's the Girl? (Reprise) - Melissa Joan Hart, Alison Lory
• Lullaby - Christine Andreas, Gilles Chiasson
• You Are My Home
• Duel \oInstrumental\c - Christine Andreas, Douglas Sills
• Believe (Reprise)
• Into the Fire (Reprise) - Christine Andreas, Douglas Sills