SP: Interview with Nan Knighton

NR: Do they have a fan base like the League?

NK: They do have a fan base but I don't know if it could be anything like the League. Weren't some of the original actors very involved in the beginning of the League?

NR: No, not really, but a lot of people originally came from Jekyll & Hyde. The other point is that it was a lot easier and cheaper to get tickets for Scarlet Pimpernel than it is for Saturday Night Fever, so people could see it more often.

NK: That's true. They have to wait till it opens at the booth or something.

NR: For that reason, I don't think you're going to get the repeat visitors as much. It's also a very different crowd. I've only seen it once, but I've been outside of the Minskoff after the show a few times and it's a totally different dynamic than the Pimpernel audience. For one thing, 1700 hundred people walk out of the theater, and only about five or ten wait at the stage door. In Pimpernel, you could have 500 people coming out of the theater, and 80 waiting at the stage door. It's a very different crowd.

NK: Yeah, you're absolutely right. I get very interested in what the ushers and Helen have to say. Helen Rogers, who has been my backbone for three years, never saw Pimpernel.

NR: Did she tell you what the buzz was on the line?

NK: Oh, yeah. She would say to me, "The ladies love it. The ladies say it's very good. They really love it." Every couple of months, I would say, "Helen, have you seen it yet?" and she would say, "No." But Helen Rogers has been in to look at Saturday Night Fever a multitude of times. She said, "I'm always going in there. I like to watch that dancing." She's much more enthusiastic about Saturday Night Fever than she ever was about Pimpernel, and so are the ushers. It's fascinating. It's like the ushers and Helen loved Pimpernel because of the familial thing and all of the actors and the struggle we went through, and overcoming adversity, but the ushers and Helen are crazy about Saturday Night Fever. They are all in that theater. Any time they can get a moment, they're standing in the back watching it.

NR: Plus, it will probably keep their jobs longer.

NK: That's interesting to me though.

NR: How has the response been now that you have your public email address? (NanKnighton@yahoo.com)

NK: It's been wonderful. I'm really grateful for it. I try to answer them in the order they come in, so hopefully everyone will be patient. I still have about thirty letters in the yearbook that I haven't answered yet, and I have about thirty emails that came into the yahoo account that I haven't answered yet. To anybody who I haven't written back to yet - I'm sorry, forgive me, please be patient, and I will write back soon.

NR: Are you really going to work with Frank (Wildhorn) again?

NK: I'm working with Frank on two things. He has two albums coming out entitled The Romantics. It's his music and lyrics by different lyricists, of whom I'm one. Each lyricist chooses a couple from history or fiction and does a fifteen to twenty minute musical that will be on one of the albums. I'm doing Camille Claudel and Rodin. Then, he and I will be doing another full-length musical together, but I can't give any details yet.

NR: Tell me about your new play.

NK: It's entitled Man with Two Hearts Found on Moon and it's a comedy, although it has a serious side. It's basically about a group of people on an island who love to play games, and have trouble dealing with love. I hope to workshop it sometime this spring. I'm also going to be doing several nights at Sam's - The Songs of Nan Knighton. I'll give you more details on that when it gets closer.

NR: Is there anything else you want to talk about?

NK: I just want to express my gratitude again to the League and everyone involved with Pimpernel. We were a little nervous going into Pimpernel 3.0, wondering if the fans would accept the new cast, but everybody was so warm and welcoming. There weren't any negative posts on the Message Board about the new show.

NR: It's a great group. I think there's a real sense where people try not to post something that they wouldn't say to the person's face.

NK: I can really appreciate that now. Before all of this I used to read comments in the press about how someone had put on weight, or they didn't put in a good performance, and I would think, "Well, they're in the public eye. They should be able to handle it." Then when it happened to me, I realized that it's extremely painful. I don't care how successful you are, the negative stuff really hurts. So, I'm grateful for that and for all of the support that we've had. I'm glad the show is going on the road and will continue to have a life, and that many more people will be able to see it.

NR: I'm very happy about that too. Nan, thanks so much for everything.

NK: You're welcome.

At the risk of being horribly redundant, I have to say that anyone who has ever enjoyed The Scarlet Pimpernel, who has ever been inspired by "Into The Fire," who has ever laughed themselves silly during "The Creation of Man" or the now famous "spelling scene," owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Nan. Not only did she create the lines and lyrics, she stood by the show in those shaky early days and didn't give up. She's been there for me personally, and I am truly grateful for all of her support. I wish her nothing but the best with Saturday Night Fever and eagerly await her future projects.

Questions suggested by:

Kathleen Smith, Jan Combopiano, Jennifer Ahlborn, BarbaraAnne, Rebekah Sheffer, Beth Faunce, Amy Lovett, Andrew Reith, Anand Iyer, karen k., Di, Tom Robson, Vi Janaway, Rachael S.