by Tony Annicone
Norton Singer’s latest musical production is “The Scarlet Pimpernel” based on the novel by Baroness Emma Orczy written in 1905. The novel was a romance-adventure novel. Both the novel and musical is about the double life of an English nobleman. Percy pretends to be a foppish wastrel while he and his band of other English noblemen sail over to France to rescue victims of the Reign of Terror from the guillotine following the French Revolution.
The romantic intrigue occurs when Percy/Pimpernel discovers his French bride may be a spy for Robespierre and his terrorists. Percy’s pretended wimpish behavior for his cause leads to a marital estrangement. This musical is a swashbuckling adventure story set to music. It has a lot of broad comedy mixed into story of love and war set during the early days of the French Revolution. Music is by Frank Wildhorn who also wrote “Jekyll and Hyde” with the book and lyrics by Nan Knighton. Director Ted Mitchell picked multitalented performers to fill these roles and the show boast a huge cast of 42 performers. Musical director Anthony Torelli taught them all the beautiful melodies and harmonies in the anthems, ballads and comic numbers and conducts an outstanding 14 piece orchestra. Choreographer Melissa Franklin who also assistant directed the show, comes up with some creative dance numbers especially impressive is the masked ball dance number “They Seek” which is reminiscent of a Gilbert and Sullivan song and the other group numbers. The Pimpernel and his bounder numbers are excellent, too.
Ted gets the best out of his cast and blocks them splendidly on the terrific set by Corbett Thursby and the multitude of original and gorgeous costumes by Kathryn Ridder. The movie projections help change the scenes smoothly from place to place and the sword fight training by Ben Gould is stupendous. Ethan Butler is fantastic as Percy. His magnificent tenor voice soars off the charts up to a high A flat in the finale of “Into the Fire” after the curtain call. Ethan is brilliant at the duality of the roles, changing from one character to another with perfect timing and delivery. He knocks your socks off from his first number “The Prayer” which is about the duplicity of his wife and what should he do about it and “She Was There” that he loves Marguerite after he finds out why she cooperated with Chauvelin in the first place. Ethan’s other two numbers with his band of merry men are “The Creation of Man” which is the funniest number in the show while “Into the Fire” is one of the most rousing numbers. This latter one is dynamic anthem with the male chorus hilarious in the first and dynamic in the latter one. Patti Lou Davis is fabulous as Marguerite as she displays her vulnerability as well as her strength when she grabs a sword to fight the villain near the end of the show. Her voice is stupendous in her duets with Ethan in “You Are My Home” when they get married and “When I Look at You” when she realizes Percy has changed since the wedding.Her most gut wrenching number is “I’ll Forget You” which she sings before she and her brother are to be killed by Chauvelin. It definitely leaves the audience in tears at her dramatic delivery.
Greg Gillis captures the maniacal behavior and villainy of Chauvelin perfectly, oozing venom from start to finish while displaying his strong voice in “Falcon in the Dive” where he vows to capture the Pimpernel and “Where’s the Girl” about how Marguerite has changed after her marriage. Greg and the ensemble deliver a frightening number near the start of the show called “Madame Guillotine” which is very scary because of some of the mob violence is reflective of some of the wacky behavior during these current times. Anthony Rinaldi does a splendid job as Marguerite’s brother, Armand. He joins Percy’s gang of bounders to help the aristocrats escape the madness in France. Anthony displays his voice with Patti in “You Are My Home” when Marguerite tries to convince Armand not to return to France. The comic Bounders are fantastically played by Timothy Fleming, Greg Geer, Daniel Gravely, Michael Stanley, Craig O’Connor and Seamus Corbett. The guys not only sing and dance splendidly but act up a storm while doing so. Ted gives each of them their moments to shine in this show. Especially foppish is Daniel who prances around hilariously and one point waves a hankie in the air during one “The Creation of Man.” This scene has to be seen to be believed. Kudos to one and all who put together this epic musical extravaganza. So for a trip back to the 1790’s and a rollicking good time, be sure to catch “The Scarlet Pimpernel” at Wheaton College and performed magnificently by the Norton Singers. Run do not walk to the box office before tickets are completely sold out.
THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1 to 10 June)
Wheaton College, Weber Theatre, Norton, MA
1(508)285-4049 or www.nortonsingers.com
