Finale Act One, with Douglas Sills, Rachel York, and Rex Smith, in the revised version of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" that arrived on Broadway in fall 1998, one year after the show's first opening in '97.
This must've been recorded very early in the revision run... I remember all the advertising they ended up using deep into the run had Rachel York in a red-haired wig, not brunette here like Christine's. Thanks for posting. This show's whole history still fascinates me.
Interesting information. What you see here would be exactly what the critics saw when they re-reviewed the show in '98. This video was shot on Oct. 31, and Brantley's re-review in the Times appeared on Nov. 5.
This was a much better performance and staging than the original just before. Rachel York has a stronger voice, though I take exception to one climactic note held too strongly. The use of the three principals instead of adding on the ensemble at the end was a wise choice, and kept your focus on their performance rather than introducing extranea. Rex Smith doesn't have the mean streak that Terrence Mann can summon effortlessly, but his singing was sufficient. Thank goodness they kept Douglas Sills, his voice is a marvel of nature. Except for that ridiculous tiger skin he's wearing!
And I always love the way Rachel York sings "to see how virtue repays you, you turn..."...love the lengthened "turn" than Christine Andreas' brief "turn"...but we'll, both actresses are phenomenal in their own way
Rex is my favorite Chauvelin! I have an album with him in it; However; I wish in the album it was Rex singing The Riddle; but, its Terry Man They recently brought it back; and i'm sad that the one night only concert event wasn't filmed nor was it on TV :(
Glad you liked these. You can find four other "Pimpernel" clips on my channel, three with the original '97 cast and one with Carolee Carmello as Marguerite.
@@auroraspiderwoman5886 Oooo! I love Carolee Carmello! I saw her in the Adams Family ! Sweet; Do you know if you could post the recent anniversary of the Pimpernel ?
Give me the original cast every time. I saw both versions and was incredibly disappointed with this one. The original cast record is wonderful. Too bad you can't rent the original script, just this one. I'll keep listening to the cast recording and skip this one. Never understood why they decided to redo the show.
