More than a year since I’d seen the show – it felt strange to be sitting there looking at the red curtain again!
The overture was really fast. It felt rushed to me, I didn’t like it! I don’t know why they sped it up. Storybook was fine, and of course the “Thank you for sharing with me my last performance” line got a crowd reaction. Madame Guillotine was wonderful! William has a fabulous voice, and he sang it beautifully.
The wedding scene was my first real chance to see Ron, and I liked what I saw! 🙂 He has a wonderful voice too, of course, and his Percy was so in love. It was great! I found it interesting that the scene right before Prayer, when he sends Marguerite off to bed, got laughs from the audience. I haven’t seen anyone play that for laughs before, and I haven’t decided if I liked that or not. Nobody was laughing during Prayer though! It was wonderful, and I especially liked the emphasis he put on “a man deluded by his *wife*”.
The library scene was really good, and I really liked how enthusiastic Ron’s Percy was. He was so obviously excited and carried away by his ideas, and you could see how the others would get swept up with it as well. Into the Fire was fabulous as always, though after seeing the sword dance for a second time, I’ve decided I really don’t like it. 🙂 Ditto the rescue scene, but that’s nothing new! One thing I definitely *do* like is the new costume for Grappin! A million times better!!
William was great in the scene preceding Falcon in the Dive, and I loved how when he asked Grappin what he knew of the Pimpernel, Ron read over the note and pretended to be thinking about it for a while before replying, “Your men are fools”. 🙂 Falcon itself was really wonderful too. I hope he records that song sometime!
Now Percy the fop makes his first appearance, and Ron was great!! I’ll try to recall as many of the ad-libs as I can… during “The Scarlet Pimpernel”, he said, “He dances in the nude? Why don’t we all join him?” or something to that effect! 🙂 The painting bit was *too* funny – I hope somebody has the exact quote somewhere, but I remember it as something like:
“And presently, mademoiselle’s
bound to do a bust of me. Only this much (indicating
his shoulders and up), that’s the best part. We’ll put
it in the garden. The neigbours will love that!
Especially the one across the back field, Lord Sills.
It can face him, going, ‘Douglas, hello’!”
And he also talked about champagne spitting from his mouth in the fountain, rather than water. And after the little screaming match with the maid, it was, “Well, we won’t let you clean the liquor cabinet anymore, will we?”
But what I loved most about Ron in this scene, was the look of pain that would cross his face whenever Marguerite turned away from him. My heart was breaking for him. And when she left to meet Chauvelin in the garden, he did the “frogs always prefer to meet a princess in the garden” line, and then he paused and looked at her for a while before adding softly, “don’t you know”. It was perfect!
William’s Chauvelin is much more infatuated with Marguerite than anyone else I’ve seen. He seems unsure of himself while around her, always hoping that he can make her love him. It’s an interesting take on it! When Ron entered the garden though, it was chaos! After the whole “all that black” bit, he added “It’s like an eclipse…where am I?” and “You’re like a boy scout from Transylvania.” And then a little later on, going on about how he needs at least a *little* colour: “I could slap you, and then you’d be black and blue!” So funny!! And William’s reaction was just great.
Where’s the Girl was very good as well, and going along with what I was saying before, I really felt this was more of a plea than a seduction, like it was with Terrence, for instance. He is desperate to have her back, and having seen Percy gives him renewed hope. The line about “Oh my God, you don’t know, do you?” were almost whispered, as if he truly were sorry for her. I don’t think I’m explaining it well, but I really felt the character as William played it was so different than what I’ve seen before – not necessarily better or worse, but just different.
Creation of Man. Really, what can be said? 🙂 As the men came out (and it took them a little while to do it!), Ron said, “Enjoy it boys, it doesn’t get any better than
this!” They did a wonderful job of it, as always, and it got huge sustained applause, and a partial standing ovation! I have to say I really love the entrance to the prince’s castle now – I think I mentioned that in my New Haven review too, but I really do love it! 🙂 And it’s just a little thing, but I love how Ron leant his chin on his cane while talking to the prince – it just fit. 🙂
During Marguerite and Chauvelin’s conversation, William told her that her brother was a member of the “perfidious, pernicious, yet curiously loyal, League of the Scarlet Pimpernel” 🙂 The Riddle was great as always, and Act One was over!
No more ad-libbing in Act Two, but it was still lots of fun. The ball was very good, and I finally got to see Ron’s “Drop my WHAT? Oh, my *mask*” line. And on the line, “La, what cheek!”, he turned around and lifted his waistcoat in Chauvelin’s direction. 🙂 The footbridge scene was *wonderful*, though again, like the wedding scene, Ron got laughs quite a few times through this scene, where Douglas really only used to get it once. I *loved* She Was There – he was ready to burst!
And then Chauvelin comes, and Percy has totally forgotten about him in his excitement over Marguerite, because he’s really taken off guard. But only for a second, of course. 🙂 The “April Fool’s!” line got huge laughs of course, being that it was April 1. And most of the non-Leaguers in the audience thought it was an ad-lib! 🙂 It was great how Ron’s excitement carried over for the rest of the scene too, when the bounders show up to tell him about Armand, he’s acting like he’s invincible, because he’s so happy. It was so sweet!
I also loved the way he did the line about the ring in the prison scene: “And the fool never takes it off”. Perfect! Chauvelin really does go pretty much out of his mind now, which I never felt he did before, and it really changes the dynamic of this scene. The Into the Fire reprise was very touching – Ron’s invincibility changed to vulnerability very effectively.
And finally, just a few notes about the final scene. The sword fight is so great, and at that moment where they’re side by side with their swords crossed, Ron leaned over and kissed William. It was hilarious! And then after it was all over and he’d tied William to the guillotine, he said, “Oh, I almost forget!” and produced a little black bell which he hung around his neck. It was perfect!
The curtain call was very enthusiastic, even earning another bow from the cast, who tried to get some of the crew on stage as well, and everyone was really sweet and stayed to chat at the stage door after the show.
“Are you Stacy?”
Jeff, another fan, as I walked into the show – recognizing me from this site!
“I forget what I’m supposed to say now”
Ron, getting confused by his own ad-libs 🙂
“Didn’t I say ubiquitous? No? Well, write that I did!”
William, after the show, on his ad-lib about the League
It’s not a quote, but William jumping up and down while Ron was signing his poster was pretty funny! 🙂
The cast: (in order of appearance)
|
Marguerite |
AMY BODNAR |
|
Chauvelin |
WILLIAM PAUL MICHALS |
|
Percy |
RON BOHMER |
|
Marie |
JENNIFER ZIMMERMAN |
|
Armand |
BILLY SHARPE |
|
Tussaud |
LEO DAIGNAULT |
|
Coupeau |
DARREL BLACKBURN |
|
Mercier |
RUSSELL JOEL BROWN |
|
Ozzy |
HARVEY EVANS |
|
Elton |
RUSSELL GARRETT |
|
Dewhurst |
AARON LAZAR |
|
Jessup |
STEPHEN HOPE |
|
Ben |
AARON PAUL |
|
Farleigh |
CHRISTOPHER CAROTHERS |
|
Hal |
ADAM ARIAN |
|
Robespierre |
PETER KAPETAN |
|
Prine of Wales |
PETER KAPETAN |
|
Opera Dancers, Soldiers and Dancers/ |
PAM BRADLEY |