Tony nominee Douglas Sills, currently reprising his role as the foppish English aristocrat with a double life in The Scarlet Pimpernel's national tour, slips out of his alma mater's hometown April 16. The Frank Wildhorn-Nan Knighton musical began performances April 5 at the Orpheum Theatre.

A graduate of San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, Sills was nominated for a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award for best actor in a musical for his double turn as Sir Percival and his dashing alter-ego. He was given the Theatre World Award. Other credits for the actor include Chess and the national tours of The Secret Garden and Into the Woods.

Joining Sills are Amy Bodnar as Percy's French actress wife, Marguerite, and William Paul Michals [sic] as his nemesis, Chauvelin. Bodnar comes straight from the Martin Guerre tour; Michals made his Broadway and Toronto debuts as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.

The romantic musical adventure played a total of 772 performances (and 39 previews) during its two-year run in various forms: The original 1997 Peter Hunt-directed version, the 1998 revamped Robert Longbottom version and the 1999 small-cast Longbottom remount. Longbottom directs and choreographs the tour as well.

Designers are Andrew Jackness (sets), Jane Greenwood (costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting) and Karl Richardson (sound) Ron Melrose is musical director. Tickets are $69.50-$32.50. The Orpheum Theatre is located at 1192 Market Street. For tickets, call (415) 551-2000. The Best of Broadway series is on the web at http://www.bestofbroadway-sf.com.