Douglas Sills will recreate his Tony Award- nominated performance in The Scarlet Pimpernel, the third production of Center Theatre Group's 1999-2000 subscription season at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre, opening May 3 and continuing through June 18. Sills rose to stardom on Broadway in Pimpernel, garnering Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Best Actor in a Musical, as well as a Theatre World Award. He is featured in the national tour of the musical for 17 weeks only, beginning on Feb. 20 at New Haven's Shubert Theatre. Sills will lead the first leg of the tour as it plays St. Paul, Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles. The tour is booked through the summer of 2001, and complete tour casting will follow. The Scarlet Pimpernel is Baroness Orczy's classic tale of romance, intrigue and swashbuckling adventure. The show takes audiences from the guillotines of Paris to the Royal Palace in London as the elusive Pimpernel rescues innocent victims from the clutches of the Reign of Terror and crusades for justice during the tumultuous French Revolution.

Produced by Radio City Entertainment and Ted Forstmann, Pimpernel has book and lyrics by Nan Knighton, music by Frank Wildhorn and is directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom. Tickets for the show go on sale Friday, Jan. 28 at 12 noon at the Ahmanson box office or any ETM machine in selected malls, Vons & Pavilions markets.

The Ahmanson Theatre is located at 135 N. Grand Ave. For tickets and information call (213) 628- 2772 or visit www.TaperAhmanson.com