Chapter Text
“Can I run to you? Are you true to me?”
Even though it's gonna make me sound like an old person, I will confess: I love physical CD cases. I do. I will mayyybe concede that their contents are a bit gratuitous (.... very much like this fifth chapter..... shhhh). But even so, I just really like the little glimpses they provide into the creation of beloved albums, those extra images and liner notes for a medium that is now a thing of the past. And I think I should start by saying that, although I've gotten rid of many of mine over the years, my current collection does actually include the one for that peerless work, that prince of theater, that perfect paradigm of the '90s musical: The Scarlet Pimpernel.
“Don't be afraid; it's only love...”
In case it hasn't been made abundantly clear.... I love this show??? It is such a work of beauty (*raps on mic* furthermore Douglas Sills will forever be my personal Percy Blakeney thank you for your time) and tbh so is its CD case. I'm serious. The insert has marvelous art (as bastardized above... I am extremely embarrassed and don't want to talk about it though. listen I was working on this fic for a long time); production notes and photos; and of course, all of the lyrics printed, which objectively include some of the most GOmensy lines of any musical ever. Some of them are quoted here for your pleasure.
“That Heaven I'd forgotten eases through... In you.”
(^^^ HELLO????)
So yeah. Given my appreciation for the two original canons, I was obviously going to jump at the chance to write this. Again, I want to be super clear that I do NOT deserve credit for the idea. Many weeks ago now, drawlight mentioned that he wanted to see more GO fic with the concept of Crowley as the Scarlet Pimpernel. My reaction was pretty much "oh please oh please may I write this for you," and he was EXTREMELY gracious and let me steal the plot seed that would consume me for about two months -- yes, actually two months! I was trying to figure out when I had started this beast (OK yes, I know that it's not that long, but it's long for me! Also it got very plotty and demanded at least one hefty rewrite!) and found a series of messages from 2/23/20 that made me laugh. I missed at least one round of trivia tonight in the bathroom typing a Pimpernel excerpt frantically, I wrote. Draw messaged back that he did not want to ruin my trivia.... but also yessss. (By the way, he and racketghost have been darlings over the course of this project and I adore them with my whole heart.)
“Yes, it's into the fire we fly, and the Devil will burn!”
To be fair to us both, it was a brilliant and addictive idea (nor are we the first two people to think of the marriage, and I hope like hell, not the last either). The story just lends itself so easily to Good Omens. Marguerite is a disillusioned idealist who can't see the man she loves for who he really is. Her [ineffable*cough*] husband Percy does his best to conceal his true noble self from her (in the very first literary manifestation of the secret identity trope, may I add!). So, okay. If that's not an Aziraphale / Crowley parallel ripe on the vine, I don't know what is. And of course, a few other characters appear here as well.... the Prince is more intuitive, closer to his book self, if I remember correctly.... Chauvelin is diminished... and the League is not a company of men after all, but... well. You know what I tried to do. And ofc there are several nods to those wonderful lyrics, embedded throughout (dear fans of the musical, I would love to know how many you found. there are A Lot. Like. A lot a lot).
“We were cut from the same surly star: like two jewels in the sky sharing fire....”
But I am very nearly coming to the point of all of this. As I was writing this and immersing myself over the course of the last several weeks, I discovered that the wonderful CD and its insert are full of BTS stories that I instantly and desperately wanted to share with the fandom (hence me deciding to write these notes, too, and make my own lil gratuitous cd insert). Most specifically, what I really wanted to tell y'all was that Nan Knighton, lyricist, has some particularly wonderful memories inked in her pages. I'll conclude with an excerpt of her own closing remarks, written about the recording of the cast album. In her own words:
“Doug and I put on our coats to walk out into the cold November night. Frank and the guys will work later into the night, and for the next few weeks, comping, mixing, editing. I will write the liner notes for the album. And the Scarlet Pimpernel? He waves goodbye on the street and heads home, to Soho...”
Thanks for reading, friends. As always, it’s an honor.