Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore

by Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore / Var

Overview

Composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Nan Knighton's The Scarlet Pimpernel began as a 1992 concept album dominated by singer Linda Eder, whose duet with Peabo Bryson on "You Are My Home" was a minor adult contemporary chart entry. Much retooled, a Broadway production opened on November 9, 1997, starring Douglas Sills in the title role, with Christine Andreas as the female lead, Marguerite, and Terrence Mann as the villain, Chauvelin. Reviews were devastating, but a cast album was released in February 1998, and despite posting substantial losses each week, the show remained open and was acquired by a new production company. This company revamped the show, bringing in a new director and replacing Andreas with Rachel York and Mann with Rex Smith, then re-launched it on November 4, 1998. The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore is an attempt to address changes in the production by revising the cast album. Basically, this is a reissue of the 1998 disc with four tracks by the new co-stars and, oddly enough, two tracks brought back from the 1992 concept album. Fifteen of the 25 tracks from the cast album are retained; of the other ten, five have been dropped, and several songs have been resequenced. (It should be noted that these revisions do not entirely bring the album into line with the revised stage version.) So, what difference do the changes make in an overall assessment of The Scarlet Pimpernel? Not much. It remains a relatively lightweight, derivative effort, borrowing from My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, and especially Les Miserables. Smith is an inferior Chauvelin, while York is a slightly superior Marguerite, but still no match for Linda Eder. The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore is hard to justify from any but an economic standpoint. In their liner notes, Wildhorn and Knighton make much of the show's fans, but the album requires them to buy a new disc just to get four new versions of songs they already may have one or two versions of. As for the show itself, it finally closed, becoming, reportedly, the most expensive flop in Broadway history, only to launch a national tour. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	11/09/1999
Label:	Atlantic Theatre / Atlantic
UPC:	0075678326523

Tracks

1. Overture
2. Storybook
3. Madame Guillotine
4. Prayer
5. Into the Fire
6. Falcon in the Drive
7. The Scarlet Pimpernel
8. When I Look at You
9. Where's the Girl?
10. When I Look at You (Reprise)
11. The Creature of Man
12. Marguerite's Dilemma
13. The Riddle
14. Entr'acte
15. They Seek Him Here
16. She Was There
17. Where's the Girl?
18. I'll Forget You
19. Into the Fire
20. You Are My Home
21. Only Love

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ed Maina   Sax (Tenor),Flute
Benjamin Herman   Percussion
Jesse Levy   Cello
Charles Libove   Violin
Avril Brown   Violin
Jeremy Roberts   Keyboards
Jeanne LeBlanc   Cello
Chris Komer   French Horn
David Nadien   Violin
Mark Walker   Drums,Cymbals
George Terry   Guitar
David Finck   String Bass
Laura Oatts   Violin
Lisa Matricardi   Violin
Crystal Garner   Viola
Ashley Horne   Violin
Mike Christianson   Trombone
Richard Sarpola   Bass
Maxine Roach   Viola
Rick Dolan   Violin
Laura Seaton   Violin
Ruth Siegler   Viola
Will Lee   Bass
Andrew Sterman   Flute,Clarinet
Kenneth Burward-Hoy   Viola
John Meyers   Percussion
Sarah Hewitt   Cello
Robin Zeh   Violin
Xin Zhao   Violin
Debra Shufelt   Viola
Naomi Katz   Violin
Andrew Wilder   Keyboards
Rodger Lee   Trumpet
Leslie Tomkins   Viola
Belinda Whitney-Barratt   Violin
Steve Greenfield   Woodwind
Christopher Gekker   Trumpet
Robert Gustafson   Keyboards
Bogumila Zgraja   Violin
Ted Mook   Cello
Karen Ritscher   Viola
Britt Swenson   Violin
Michael Roth   Violin
Valerie Von Pechy Whitcup   Harp
Cenovia Cummins   Violin

Technical Credits

James Nichols   Engineer,Mastering
Frank Wildhorn   Composer,Producer
Jeremy Roberts   Arranger,Engineer,Programming
Karl Richardson   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Craig Kallman   Executive Producer
Greg Thompson   Assistant Engineer
Howie Weinberg   Mastering
Jim Murray   Assistant Engineer
Kim Scharnberg   Orchestration,Associate Producer
Scott Shapiro   Assistant Engineer
Gayle Scott   Production Coordination
Steven Beckler   Stage Manager
Dave Clemmons   Arranger
Thomas Bricker   Design,Art Direction
Steve Robillard   Assistant Engineer
Larry Freemantle   Design,Art Direction
Joan Marcus   Photography
Yvonne Yedibalian   Assistant Engineer
Greg Pinto   Assistant Engineer