A Master of Disguise Takes

Palm Canyon Theatre by Storm

By Desert Star Staff Palm Springs, Calif.

– Baroness Orczy’s classic novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel, is now a sweeping and exciting musical by lyricist/book writer Nan Knighton and composer Frank Wildhorn. This lavish musical, directed and choreographed by multi-Desert Theatre awardwinner Derik Shopinski creatively combines history with dynamic music and a swashbuckling storyline. It’s 1794, and “Madame Guillotine” is busily balancing the scales between the classes; as France’s Reign of Terror surges forward, a brave band of Englishmen risks their lives to rescue the intended victims of the guillotine. Their leader and hero is an enigmatic master of disguise known by his calling card: the red, star-shaped wildflower, the Scarlet Pimpernel.

The tale of The Scarlett Pimpernel begins in a theatre in France. The heroine Marguerite, played hauntingly by Se Layne, is performing with her troop; she announces it is her last performance as she has met and fallen in love with a handsome English Lord, Percival Blakeney, played with panache by Paul Grant. However, the show is abruptly halted in the name of the Revolutionary Tribunal by Citizen Clavelin, Marguerite’s former lover – played with dastardly intent by Eric Stein-Steele. Blackmailed by Chavelin, Marguerite reluctantly assists him by revealing the location of St. Cyr, who is slated for execution. This provides the foundation for this notto-be-missed adventure, which resonates with historical references and is filled with undercurrents of

Continues on Page 2 their new journey together.

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