Pimpernel Marquee Goes Up at Minskoff | Playbill

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News Pimpernel Marquee Goes Up at Minskoff The producers of The Scarlet Pimpernel are wasting no time. Though the new Frank Wildhorn musical doesn't open on Broadway until Nov. 2, 1997, the marquee for the show went up at the Minskoff Theatre, May 15.

The producers of The Scarlet Pimpernel are wasting no time. Though the new Frank Wildhorn musical doesn't open on Broadway until Nov. 2, 1997, the marquee for the show went up at the Minskoff Theatre, May 15.

Tickets go on sale June 15 through TicketMaster, (212) 307-4100. The show begins previews Oct. 7.

Wildhorn is busy as well. The morning after the April 28 Broadway opening of Jekyll & Hyde -- his first complete Broadway score -- Wildhorn began a week of auditions for The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Peter Hunt will direct the show, which is still in the process of casting. In January, Ed Urban of Hughes Moss Casting told Playbill On-Line that at a reading of the show a few months back, Carolee Carmello had the female lead, while Greg Zerkle played the Pimpernel.

Designing Pimpernel will be Andrew Jackness (sets), Jane Greenwood (costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting) and Karl Richardson (sound). Walter Painter will choreograph, Ron Melrose will serve as musical director, and Rick Sordelet will swash buckles as fight choreographer. Like J&H, Pimpernel is based on a 19th century novel -- this one by Baroness Orczy. It's the swashbuckling adventure story of hero who aids victims of the French Revolution while posing as a British nobleman.

Also like J&H, Pimpernel has survived during its gestation period on the strength of a CD recording of the score. Pimpernel's was released in 1992 as a concept album during the time when the show was in development by the Nederlander Organization in New York.

Co producer Kathleen Raitt said that extensive rewrites by Wildhorn and librettist Nan Knighton have been completed. Eight of the songs on the CD have been dropped. The ones that remain in the forthcoming show are "Into the Fire," "They Seek Him Here," "When I Look at You," "Madame Guillotine," "The Riddle," "The Creator of Man," "Storybook" and "The Pimpernel Fanfare." There is a completely new title song.

Wildhorn and J&H lyricist Leslie Bricusse also wrote some of the songs for Victor/Victoria.

A 1992 studio recording of the score on Angel records features J&H star Linda Eder, along with Chuck Wagner, Dave Clemmons and Peabo Bryson.

 
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