English Title: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Japanese Title: スカーレット　ピンパーネル
Romanized Title: Sukaaretto Pinpaaneru

Troupe: Star
Year: 2008
Performances: Takarazuka Grand Theater, 6/20 - 8/4; Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, 8/22 - 10/5
Shinjin Kouen Performances: Takarazuka Grand Theater, 7/8; Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, 9/2

Based On: Novel The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Author: Nan Knighton
Director / Adapter: Koike Shuuichirou
Composer: Frank Wildhorn
Musical Director / Arrangement: Oota Takeshi
Arrangement: Kuratomi Shinichi
Choreographer: Miori Yumino, Wakao Risa, Sakuragi Ryousuke
Sword Fighting: Kurihara Naoki
Conductor (Takarazuka): Sasada Aiichirou
Conductor (Tokyo): Izawa Ichirou
Shinjin Kouen Director: Koyanagi Naoko

Available on DVD: Yes (release date 09/20/08), Blu-ray (release date 02/25/11)
DVD Scene/Music Cut: None

Role	Cast	Shinjin Kouen Cast
Percy Blakeney (English aristocrat)	Aran Kei	Kurenai Yuzuru
Marguerite St. Just (Percy's wife and ex-actress of Comédie-Française)	Toono Asuka	Aono Yuki
Chauvelin (Member of the Committee of Public Safety and ambassador extraordinaire and plenipotentiary of the French revolutionary government to the Court of St James)	Yuzuki Reon	Mahiro Shun
Marquis de St. Cyr (French aristocrat)	Ema Naoki	Mizuki Ryou
Prince of Wales (Heir to the throne of Great Britain)	Ema Naoki	Ichijou Azusa
Comtesse de Tournai (French countess in exile in England)	Mari Yuzumi	Hanasono Miyuu
Lord Anthony Dewhurst (Percy's aristocrat friend)	Tatsuki You	Miya Rurika
Sir Andrew Ffoulkes (Percy's aristocrat friend)	Suzumi Shio	Tenju Mitsuki
Armand St. Just (Marguerite's younger brother)	Kazu Ryouka	Makaze Suzuho
Marie Grosholtz (Armand's girl friend and a costume-wig designer )	Yumesaki Nene	Kitori Mariya
Robespierre	Nishiki Ai	Aomi Rima
Jeanne	Asamine Hikari	Yashio Yuumi
Comte de Tournai	Shiran Masumi	Kai Hayato
Sergeant Pipeau	Miki Chigusa	Shingetsu Saku
Suzanne	Koto Marie	Hisaki Seara
Anne	Hoshikaze Erena	?
Mercier	Yuuho Satoru	Ooki Makoto
Simon	Mishiro Ren	Shiotsuki Shuu
Ozzy	Ayami Haya	Kisaragi Ren
Ann	Hanami Yuuka	Hana Nonomi
Isabelle	Kawai Mizuho	Yumesaki Nene
Jessup	Amao Keika	Marimura Kaoru
Julie	Otohana Yuri	Shirotae Natsu
Coupeau	Tsurumi Mayuu	Senju Haru
Elton	Yumeno Seika	Naoki Jun
Peggy	Junka Marii	Minakaze Rina
Farleigh	Mahiro Shun	Serika Toa
Polly	Hisaki Seara	Yuuka Riko
Ben	Kurenai Yuzuru	Toa Reiya
Hal	Ichijou Azusa	Mao Yuuki
Cate	Aono Yuki	Mizuse Chiaki
Sally	Kitori Mariya	Otoha Minori
Louis Charles	Mizuse Chiaki	Kaga Ririka
Etoile	Otohana Yuri	-

Others:
Momoka Sari, Suzuno Katsuki, Amagiri Mayo, Umezono Sachi, Hatsuse Yuka, Kazuki Shin, Minaho Sari, Mizuki Ryou, Hana Nonomi, Hanasono Miyuu, Yashio Yuumi, Aomi Rima, Miya Rurika, Marimura Kaoru, Kisaragi Ren, Shirotae Natsu, Minakaze Rina, Naoki Jun, Kai Hayato, Shiotsuki Shuu, Asato Mao, Hanakaze Mirai, Tenju Mitsuki, Yuuka Riko, Ooki Makoto, Otoha Minori, Senju Haru, Shingetsu Saku, Aimi Serena, Masabuki Minori, Kotoshiro Manaka, Miharu Ayaka, Hishiro Yua, Makaze Suzuho, Shizuki Otone, Seki Yurito, Kizaki Reo, Honjou Kureha, Shirayuri Hime, Wakanatsu Ayame, Yumeki Anru, Natsuki Rei, Serika Toa, Toa Reiya, Sorano Miyu, Yumeshiro Eren, Tamahana Yufu, Oushina Yuu, Sayaka Shion

Others (Shinjin Kouen):
Yumesaki Nene, Asato Mao, Hanakaze Mirai, Aimi Serena, Masabuki Minori, Kotoshiro Manaka, Miharu Ayaka, Hishiro Yua, Shizuki Otone, Seki Yurito, Kizaki Reo, Honjou Kureha, Shirayuri Hime, Wakanatsu Ayame, Yumeki Anru, Natsuki Rei, Sorano Miyu, Yumeshiro Eren, Tamahana Yufu, Oushina Yuu, Sayaka Shion, Sazanami Reira, Marina Mayu, Saotome Wakaba, Shouma June, Hyuuga Ran, Hinatano Karin

WARNING!! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!

At the end of the 18th century in France, a revolutionary storm is raging in Paris. The monarchy was abolished after the populace seized the Bastille prison in 1789. While the Jacobins led by Robespierre are arresting and sentencing nobles to death, the angry populace are demanding more nobles be sent to the guillotine. Percy Blakeney, an English aristocrat, dislikes the reign of terror by the French revolutionary government. He is saving innocent nobles from the daily executions and helping them to flee France. Although his daring rescue attempts are much talked about, he has been successful in keeping his identity concealed. Chauvelin, a member of the Committee of Public Safety of the French revolutionary government, is out to discover the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel, which means a red star-shaped flower in England.

Marguerite Saint-Just, star of Comédie Française, makes her final stage appearance before an audience-filled theater. She will quit the stage this evening and go to England to get married to her fiancé Percy. She radiantly greets the audience. All of a sudden Chauvelin stands up out in the audience and orders the performance to be stopped and the theater to be closed on the charge that Marguerite had criticized the revolutionary government. Marguerite and Chauvelin at one time were comrades fighting together for the revolution. However, these days she has been voicing opposition against the Republicans' atrocious acts. Chauvelin, who is excited by the discovery of the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel, threatenly offers to trade the license to reopen the theater for her information on the hide-out of the Marquis Saint-Cyr who opposes the Republicans. Although she initially refuses the offer, she ends up telling Chauvelin of Saint-Cyr's hide-out on the promise that he will never do the marquis any harm. Chauvelin is not at all a man of his word, sending the marquis to the guillotine.

A few days later, in England, Percy and Marguerite celebrate their wedding blessed by many friends. During their wedding, Percy stands in shock after learning from his friend Dewhurst that the Marquis Saint-Cyr, Percy's trustworthy partner in France, had been executed. Dewhurst tells him that Marguerite betrayed the marquis to the revolutionary government, consequently leading to the marquis' execution. Percy learns that Dewhurst was right. Despite the fact that he finds himself in a dilemma between his love for Marguerite and his doubts about her, he encourages himself to overcome this first trial of his married life. The next morning he decides to tell some reliable friends that he is the Scarlet Pimpernel and convince them to join in his fight against the atrocities the French revolutionary government is committing. Their ultimate goal is to rescue the French king's orphaned son Louis Charles de France. Shortly afterward Marguerite's younger brother Armand joins them. They all cross the Strait of Dover in high spirits.

The actions undertaken by Percy and his friends anger the revolutionary government. Percy, disguised as Belgian spy Grapin, becomes acquainted with Robespierre and Chauvelin and is successful in locating Prince Louis' whereabouts. Chauvelin goes to England as Ambassador extraordinaire and plenipotentiary of France with orders to arrest the Scarlet Pimpernel, who is said to be an aristocrat.

On arriving in England, Chauvelin orders Marguerite to collect information about the Scarlet Pimpernel by sounding out the friends of Percy, a social star. Scornful of Chauvelin's bold manner, she gives him a flat refusal. Percy learns that Chauvelin will attend a ball to be held by the Prince of Wales. He proposes to his friends that they go to the ball dressed in a most eccentric fashion in order to throw off any suspicions about the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. In Paris, Armand, who had been preparing a plan to rescue Prince Louis, is arrested by a member of the Committee for Public Safety on charges of being part of the Scarlet Pimpernel's plot. Marguerite is wondering why her husband Percy has suddenly turned cold towards her after the wedding ceremony. She supposes that Percy does not love her anymore and is about to make a painful decision to break off with him. Meanwhile, Percy is observing her in order to find out her real intentions.

At the ball, Percy and his friends dressed in unusual clothes behave in such manner as no one can suspect their identities. Chauvelin arrives as a guest. He comes to Marguerite and tells her that Armand was arrested. This time he offers to trade Armand's life for her cooperation with him. Utterly distracted at the news of Armand's arrest, she accepts Chauvelin's offer and gets certain information about the Scarlet Pimpernel. Percy and Marguerite each try to find out the truth, while Chauvelin wants to discover the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. All three of them return to Paris with the aim of realizing their respective purposes.

• The Scarlet Pimpernel premiered on Broadway in 1997, and has been performed around the world. For more information about the musical, visit the Official Scarlet Pimpernel Website.
• The songs "A Piece of Courage" and "Days of Glory" were written by Wildhorn and are unique to the Takarazuka version of the musical.
• Final performance for Yuuho Satoru, Minaho Sari and Hana Nonomi
• 6/29/08 - Kotoshiro Manaka will be absent from for the remainder of the Takarazuka run due to poor health. She will also be absent for the Takarazuka shinjin kouen.

Sumire Style Stage GRAPH

Awards:

• The show won an Excellence Award at the 16th annual Yomiuri Theater Awards.
• Yuzuki Reon won a "New Actor" award at the 30th Matsuo Entertainment Awards.
• The show won the "Grand Prize" award at the 34th Kikuta Kazuo Drama Awards, announced in early April 2009 and presented on 21 April.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (Star 2008) - reviewed by jenebi
Ekusudei's
Fyre's review

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