Show guide
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a swashbuckling romantic book musical of disguise and daring, with a pop-influenced score, set against the terror of the French Revolution.
- Broadway premiere
- 1997
- Music by
- Frank Wildhorn
- Genre
- Sung-through
- Setting
- 1790s
The Scarlet Pimpernel: quick answers
What is The Scarlet Pimpernel about?
- The Scarlet Pimpernel is about Sir Percy Blakeney, an English nobleman who poses as a foppish dandy while secretly leading a band of men who rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine, even as he doubts the loyalty of his new French wife, Marguerite.
When did The Scarlet Pimpernel open on Broadway?
- The Scarlet Pimpernel opened on Broadway on November 9, 1997, at the Minskoff Theatre. After two rewritten versions and a move to the Neil Simon Theatre, it closed on January 2, 2000, after 772 performances.
Is The Scarlet Pimpernel sung-through?
- No. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a book musical, with Nan Knighton's book mixing spoken scenes and comic banter between Frank Wildhorn's big pop ballads and anthems, such as Into the Fire and Where's the Girl?.
Where and when is The Scarlet Pimpernel set?
- The Scarlet Pimpernel is set in England and France in the 1790s, during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution.
Is there a The Scarlet Pimpernel movie?
- The musical is adapted from Baroness Orczy's novel rather than a film, but the story is best known on screen from the 1934 film starring Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon and the 1982 TV film starring Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen.
The story of The Scarlet Pimpernel
Set in the 1790s during the French Revolution, the musical follows an English aristocrat who secretly leads a daring double life, rescuing French nobles from the guillotine under the mysterious alias of the Scarlet Pimpernel. By day he plays the part of a foppish, disengaged gentleman, while by night he outwits the revolutionary forces hunting him.
The story is complicated by his marriage to a Frenchwoman whose loyalties are drawn into question, adding a layer of romantic tension and mistaken suspicion to the high-stakes rescue missions at the heart of the plot. It is a tale of hidden identity, courage, and love tested by political danger.
The music and the makers
Frank Wildhorn composed the score, working in the pop-influenced style that became his signature across several Broadway ventures in the 1990s. His approach favors big, soaring power ballads and dramatic anthems that emphasize emotional intensity over subtlety.
The music leans into sweeping romanticism and theatrical bombast well suited to a story of swashbuckling rescues and secret identities, giving the show a heightened, larger-than-life musical texture throughout.
The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway
The Scarlet Pimpernel opened on Broadway in 1997, arriving during a period when pop-influenced, power ballad driven scores were finding a devoted audience alongside more traditional musicals. It offered a swashbuckling alternative amid the era's mix of megamusicals and revivals.
The production went through notable retooling during its Broadway run, a reminder of how shows sometimes evolve in front of audiences, and it has retained a loyal fan base drawn to its romantic adventure story and anthemic score.
The Scarlet Pimpernel: frequently asked questions
When did The Scarlet Pimpernel open on Broadway?
The Scarlet Pimpernel opened on Broadway in 1997.
Who composed The Scarlet Pimpernel?
Frank Wildhorn composed the score.
What is The Scarlet Pimpernel about?
It follows an English aristocrat who secretly rescues French nobles from the guillotine during the French Revolution while hiding his identity as the Scarlet Pimpernel.
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