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The Scarlet Pimpernel at Thomaston Opera House
Bloodshed … betrayal … beheadings … lotsa laughs! In 1905, a young Hungarian-born writer named the Baroness Orczy created an audacious and reckless hero, a "daring plotter" who used "tricks and games" against the cruelties of the French Revolution. As the Reign of Terror reaches its bloody climax in 1794, a brave band of Englishmen risk their lives to rescue the intended victims of the guillotine. Their leader is an enigmatic hero known only by his calling card: the red, star-shaped wildflower known as the scarlet pimpernel.
This sweeping and exciting musical comedy by Nan Knighton and Frank Wildhorn was a Broadway smash hit in the late 1990s and garnered 1998 Tony Award nominations for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. Following the tradition of action-adventures like The Three Musketeers and Zorro, it features such rousing musical numbers as "Into the Fire," "Madame Guillotine" and "The Creation of Man" along with elaborate costumes, swashbuckling swordfights and, of course, an impressive guillotine. With its rich historical detail, The Scarlet Pimpernel is an introduction to the history and literature of the French Revolution. It is an event not to be missed!
The Scarlet Pimpernel will be presented at the Thomaston Opera House, 158 Main St. in Thomaston beginning on March 29; performances are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. The production is directed by Edward Bassett with musical direction by David Irvine. It features John Ozerhoski of Thomaston as Percy/ the Pimpernel, Cathy Wilcox of Milford as Marguerite, and Kevin Sturmer of Milford as Chauvelin, with a large ensemble of talented performers.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door and can be reserved by calling the box office at 860-283-6250. There will be an opening night reception for all audience members in the Lena Morton Gallery on Level 3 before the performance on March 29. A special post-show "After Glow" cabaret performance will be featured on March 30, April 4 and April 12. For more info visit <www.thomastonoperahouse.org>.
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