A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities
Logo for A Tale of Two Cities
Music	Jill Santoriello
Lyrics	Jill Santoriello
Book	Jill Santoriello
Basis	A Tale of Two Cities, novel by Charles Dickens
Productions	2007 Sarasota 2008 Broadway 2009 Brighton Concert

A Tale of Two Cities is a musical with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens.

After tryouts at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, in October and November 2007, the show opened on Broadway on September 18, 2008, following previews from August 19 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The musical closed on November 9, 2008, after a run of 60 performances and 33 previews. The show received the 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Musical for its Broadway run.

A cast recording is scheduled to be released in late 2009.^[1]

Production history

Tale creator Santoriello worked on the music beginning in the late 1980s. In 1994, her brother, actor Alex Santoriello produced and starred in an invitation-only concert styling of the early beginnings of many of the songs, some which were eventually cut, in Indianapolis. It wasn't until 1999 that producers Barbara Russell and Ron Sharpe (both of whom had worked with Alex Santoriello in the original Broadway company of Les Miserables) that the musical officially began readings and workshops to attract producers. In 2002, Russell and Sharpe produced a concept album of the show that featured Alex Santoriello as Dr. Manette / Sydney Carton, Christiane Noll as Lucie Manette, Nick Wyman as John Barsad, Craig Bennett as Jerry Cruncher and Natalie Toro as Madame DeFarge.

On August 19 and 20, 2004, for two performances, Tale was again produced to an invite-only workshop reading in hopes of finding more backers. The production ran at the Little Shubert Theatre. It starred James Stacy Barbour as Sydney Carton, Jenny Powers as Lucie Manette, Gary Morris as Dr. Manette, Gavin Creel as Darnay, Alex Santoriello as Ernest DeFarge and Michelle Dawson as Mme. DeFarge. In late 2005, Santoriello and producers announced that the show planned an early winter try-out in Chicago, with Broadway plans for spring 2006. However, directing changes and insuffiecient funds postponed the production.

The following year in the spring, the show opened at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, for pre-Broadway tryouts in October and November 2007. The show sold out its entire run, won 10 Sarasota Magazine Awards out of 12 nominations, including for some performances and as "Best Musical". The show starred Barbour as Carton, Derek Keeling as Charles Darnay and Jessica Rush as Luci, with Natalie Toro as Madame DeFarge.^[2] It received mixed to positive notices. Michael Donald Edwards directed, Warren Carlyle choreographed and the creative team included Tony Walton (scenery), David Zinn (costumes), and Richard Pilbrow (lighting).

The producers announced on March 25, 2008 that the musical was booked at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with previews beginning from August 19, 2008. Officially opening on September 18, the show received mostly negative notices but some positive reviews, most notably from the Huffington Post, Connecticut Post and WGCH and WMNR Radio. Three days before the musical opened on Broadway, the U.S. stock market fell sharply. In spite of the reviews and while box office receipts for other Broadway shows were tumbling along with the world financial markets, Tale initially posted good box office receipts.^[3] But as the economy worsened, the show lost money and closed on November 9, 2008.^[4]

In the Summer of 2009, all sets, props, and costumes items were brought in from Secaucus, New Jersey to Cherry Hill High School East for a four show weekend.

Plot / Synopsis

Prologue

The musical opens with Lucie Manette as a child, being sent from France to England, from Mr. Jarvis Lorry's hands to the home of Miss Pross, who had once been her dead-mother's nanny as well. Mr. Lorry then returns to tell Lucie and Miss Pross that her father has been found - alive in the Bastille after 17 years (Prologue: The Shadows of the Night).

Act 1

As they come to France, they find the people oppressed and starving, and Madame DeFarge, sitting on a peak in a rocking chair knitting, seeking revenge, along with everyone else it seems except her husband, Ernest ("The Way It Ought to Be"). Lucie is escorted to her father by DeFarge, who had been taking care of him. Although mistaking her for his wife at first, the two realize they have found home in one another ("You'll Never Be Alone"). They sail back for England, where they run into Charles Darnay. He is promptly arrested upon setting foot—as spy papers (later to be found dropped by his uncle, the Marquis St. Evermonde's hunchman John Barsad) ("Dover"). Mr. Lorry agrees to Lucie's request to arrange for a lawyer to defend him. We are then taken to the office of Mr. Stryer and Sydney Carton - who comes in clearly intoxicated ("The Way It Ought to Be [Reprise]"). He then decides to attempt to blackmail Barsad with his friend, grave-robber Jerry Cruncher at several local taverns ("No Honest Way"). The next day the trial commences and Charles is off, after the blackmail attempt both succeeds and prompts the assertion that Darnay and Sydney look similar, and it could have been anyone with those papers ("The Trial"). Darnay takes Sydney and Stryver out for a drink at a tavern that Sydney calls "home" ("Round & Round"). After Darnay is disrespected and leaves, Sydney reflects on why he acted the way he did ("Reflection"). Several months have passed and Darnay now pursues to marry Lucie, and asks for her father's permission first ("The Promise"). It is now Christmas Eve, and Lucie attempts to convince Sydney to go to mass, but he declines; out of kindness, she invites him to dinner the following evening, which he must accept. Awakened by her kindness, Sydney realizes what he has been missing all along ("I Can't Recall"). The next day, Darnay asks Lucie to marry him. She accepts ("Now At Last"). Sydney then arrives and Lucie gives him his gift - a scarf. Sydney, unaware that he would be receiving one tells Lucie to close her eyes and kisses her. Shocked, she informs him that Mr. Darnay has asked her hand in marriage. Upset (& embarrassed), he leaves. He reflects on the life he has missed out on, and on the marriage and life of Darnay and Lucie together ("If Dreams Came True"). The action then switches over to France, where the king is expected to drive his carriage past DeFarge's wineshop; many children are very excited and one, Gaspard's son, is killed by the Marquis' carriage. Madame DeFarge, unaware of what they are waiting for and disgust for the murder the Marquis has caused, urges Gaspard to murder him ("Out of Sight, Out of Mind"). Charles receives a letter from a former house servant in France (Gabelle), and agrees to defend him in the courts on his behalf. In England, Stryer is telling the household (and Sydney) of these murders and outbreaks, and Sydney agrees to help put Little Lucie asleep. Meanwhile, a funeral is being held for Gaspard's son ("Little One"). At the funeral, officers come to arrest Gaspard, but Ernest DeFarge tells him not to move. Instead, the revolution begins ("Until Tomorrow"). Darnay is immediately arrested and Lucie, devastated, turns to Sydney for guidance.

Act 2

Act 2 opens with the storming of the Bastille. The DeFarges have found the note left by Doctor Manette so many years before, but the people of Paris are still unsatisfied ("Everything Stays the Same"). Charles is then put to face the trial set forth by Madame DeFarge, now with proof, in which she vows to denounce the Evermonde's and exterminate them all ("The Tale"). Sydney, upset over Lucie's depression, seems to realize that it would not be right to attempt to stroll her from Darnay, but rather help Darnay ("If Dreams Came True (Reprise)"). Lucie, although she wants to save him, realizes that her daughter may be in the same position she had been in, and vows to both save him and her family, but still questions why Darnay would leave them ("Without a Word"). Sydney sets up an appointment with Barsad to allow him entrance into the jail that is housing Darnay ("The Bluff"). Sydney, realizing that he cannot simply escape with Darnay, concocts a plan to save him, and to allow Little Lucie to have her father and the brilliant life in front of her ("Let Her Be a Child"). He switches places with Darnay in the prison, to Barsad's surprise. Barsad delivers Charles, unconscious, back to Telson's Bank, where his family is staying. Lucie, believing it is Carton, reads a letter from him. In the letter, he explains he had to do it and that she has meant more to him than anything else in his entire life ("The Letter"). With mixed emotions, both sadness for Sydney and joy for Charles, the family leaves France. However, Madame DeFarge vows to not let them leave—her and Miss Pross get into a fight and Madame is killed. Ernest, upset, calls off all of the people looking to murder the Evermonde's and mourns for his wife ("Lament for Madame"). Sydney is quickly recognized by a friendly and innocent seamstress to not be Darnay. However, she calls him an angel and the two console in each other. As she is called, Sydney says his final goodbye to her. He is next and begins to climb the stairs, realizing the good that he has done, for the woman who had opened his eyes to so much love ("Finale - I Can't Recall (Reprise)").

Casts

Original principals in the Sarasota and Broadway productions were as follows:

Musical numbers

The songs below were those that appeared during the opening preview performance and press preview. Changes have been noted below.

Song Changes

• "Prologue: The Shadows of the Night" changed throughout previews. What originally began by Dr. Manette singing about his letter ended with just him being shown being pulled off the stage by two guards. The opening night version featured only Lucie.
• "Resurrection Man" was cut after several previews, and was not featured for the opening night performance.
• "Let Her Be a Child" was edited to its original form during previews, no longer featuring Charles Darnay.

Awards and nominations

Drama Desk Award (2009)

• Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Nomination) - James Barbour
• Outstanding Orchestrations (Nomination) - Edward B. Kessel
• Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical (Nomination) - Richard Pilbrow

Outer Critics Circle Award (2009)

• Outstanding New Musical (Nomination)
• Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Nomination) - James Barbour

BroadwayWorld Fan-Choice Awards (2009)

(Only Applicable when in Top 5 Nominated)

• Best New Musical (Nomination)
• Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Nomination) - Natalie Toro (Runner-Up)
• Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Nomination) - James Barbour (Runner-Up)
• Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Nomination) - Brandi Burkhardt
• Best Lighting Design (Nomination) - Richard Pilbrow
• Best Costume Design (Nomination) - David Zinn (Runner-Up)
• Best Orchestrations (Nomination) - Edward B. Kessel
• Best Original Score (Nomination) - Jill Santoriello
• Best Scenic Design (Nomination) - Tony Walton (Runner-Up)
• Best Sound Design (Nomination)

Sarasota Magazine Theatre Awards (2008)

• Best Musical (WIN)
• Best Costume Design (WIN) - David Zinn
• Best Set Design (WIN) - Tony Walton
• Best Lighting Design (WIN) - Richard Pilbrow
• Best Music Direction (WIN) - Jerry Steichen
• Best Choreography (WIN) - Warren Carlyle
• Best Direction (WIN) - Michael Donald Edwards
• Best Supporting Actress (WIN) - Natalie Toro
• Best Supporting Actor (WIN) - Nick Wyman
• Best Actor (WIN-Tie) - James Barbour
• Best Actress (Nomination) - Jessica Rush
• Best Supporting Actor (Nomination) - Joe Cassidy

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2009)

• Jill Santoriello has said that the earliest song she wrote that was still in the show was "Everything Stays the Same," which despite not being on the concept album, has stayed with the show since its incarnation.
• Many of the shows stars stayed with the show for several years. Natalie Toro (Madame DeFarge), Nick Wyman (Barsad), Craig Bennett (Cruncher), Rob Richardson (performed Sydney Carton), Les Minski (Marquis / the Narrator in the Little Shubert Production), Rebecca Robbins and several others had stayed with the show as early as the first major NYC workshop in 1999. James Barbour joined along in 2004.
• James Barbour helped secure that Tale could receive its world premiere at the distinguished Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota.
• Brandi Burkhardt was persuaded by Barbour to audition for the role of Lucie, which had not been cast.
• The song "Ressurection Man" had made it from earlier readings & workshops until Broadway previews, when it was cut. Critics listed the song as stopping the plot, but was a nice fun-filling moment.
• Producers for the Broadway production included David Bryant, Alex Santoriello, Ron Sharpe & Barbra Russell and performer Natalie Toro, all of whom performed in the Broadway production of Les Misérables in its opening years, at the Broadway Theatre.
• Producer Ron Sharpe and performers William Thomas Evans, Michael Halling, and Jennifer Smith all appeared on Broadway in the musical The Scarlet Pimpernel. Furthermore, Tim Shew, who appeared as Dr. Manette in several of the tracks on the concept recording was also in The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway, and Aaron Lazar as well, with SP 4.0: The National Tour.

Recordings

In 2002, executive producers Sharpe & Russell released a concept recording, featuring Alex Santoriello as Sydney (and Dr Mannette), with Christiane Noll as Lucie, J. Mark McVey as Ernest DeFarge and Natalie Toro as Madame DeFarge.

As announced in 2009, there will be a new recording of the musical, which is rumored to star James Barbour, Brandi Burkhardt, Natalie Toro and Kevin Earley of the Broadway company, with several other Americans and British ensemble and featured roles. A DVD has also been recorded. Both the cast recording, hailed as an "International Studio Cast of A Tale of Two Cities" and the DVD will be available in December 2009, as well as a showing on PBS.

References

External links

• A Tale of Two Cities (musical) at the Internet Broadway Database
• Official site
• theatermania article, Apr 23, 2008
• Variety review of Florida production, Oct. 29, 2007
• HeraldTribune.com article, Oct. 7, 2007, Best of times for composer