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A Tale of Two Cities (musical)
Encyclopedia
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.
. Some of the numbers showcased in this styling were eventually cut from the show. It was not until 1999 that producers Barbara Russell
and Ron Sharpe (both of whom had worked with Alex Santoriello in the original Broadway company of Les Misérables
) 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 presented for an invitation-only workshop reading in hopes of finding more backers. The production ran at the Little Shubert Theatre
in New York City. 100 fans were invited to each performance of the first New York City public presentation. It starred James 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 insufficient funds, with one producer leaving, postponed the production.
The following year 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 and won ten Sarasota Magazine Awards out of twelve nominations, including for some perforers and as "Best Musical." The show starred Barbour as Carton, Derek Keeling as Charles Darnay
and Jessica Rush
as Lucie, with Natalie Toro
as Madame DeFarge. 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 musical premiered on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre
, with previews beginning August 19, 2008 and official opening on September 18. The show received mostly negative notices but some positive reviews, most notably from the Huffington Post, Connecticut Post
and radio stations WGCH
and WMNR
. 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. But as the economy worsened, the show lost money and closed November 9, 2008, although a previous announcement of closing was posted for November 16.
From February 16 to April 9, 2011, Hale Centre Theatre in Salt Lake City produced the regional premiere of the musical. Both Santoriello and her main producer from the New York production attended and stated being impressed with the theatre-in-the-round, declaring she found the production solved some of the issues of the Broadway version because of the unique theater and the set design of Kacey Udy.
In May 2011, Principia College
became the first college to perform Santoriello's musical.
after 17 years (Prologue: The Shadows of the Night).
We are then taken to the law office of Mr. Stryver and Sydney Carton - who arrives clearly intoxicated. Carton decides with his friend, grave-robber Jerry Cruncher, to attempt to blackmail Barsad by visiting several local taverns. The next day, the trial commences. Darnay is acquitted after the blackmail attempt succeeds and prompts the key witness to assert that Darnay and Sydney look similar after Sydney removes his barrister's wig and robe. The witness then admits it could have been either man-or anyone else-with those papers.
Darnay takes Sydney and Stryver out to celebrate at a tavern that Sydney calls "home." After Darnay is insulted by Sydney and leaves, Sydney reflects on why he acted this way.
Several months have passed and Darnay now desires Lucie's hand but asks her father's permission first. On Christmas Eve, Lucie attempts to convince Sydney to go to mass with her and Dr. Manette, 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 in his life.
The next day, Darnay asks Lucie to marry him and she accepts.Sydney arrives and Lucie gives him his gift - a scarf. Unaware that he would be receiving one, Sydney tells Lucie to close her eyes and kisses her. Shocked, she informs him that Mr. Darnay has asked her hand in marriage. Upset—and embarrassed—Sydney leaves and reflects on the life he now cannot attain, and on the marriage and life of Darnay and Lucie together.
The action then switches over to France, where the king is expected to drive his carriage past DeFarge's wine shop. Many children are very excited however near the road. One, the son of a man named Gaspard, is killed when the Marquis St. Evremonde's carriage passes. Madame DeFarge, who was unaware of what the children were waiting for, expresses disgust for the death the Marquis has caused and urges Gaspard to murder him.Gaspard later follows the Marquis to his chateau and does so.
Darnay receives a letter from Gabelle, a former house servant in France, and agrees to defend him in the courts and leaves. Stryver and Sydney visit the Manet household one evening and Stryver tells of the killings and other developments there. During their visit, Sydney agrees to help put Little Lucie to bed. Meanwhile, a funeral is being held for Gaspard's son. At the funeral, officers come to arrest Gaspard for murder, but Ernest DeFarge tells him to remain and the revolution begins Darnay is arrested when it is revealed that he is the Marquis' nephew. Lucie is devastated and turns to Sydney for guidance as Darnay left without explanation or revealing his true identity.
Darnay is sent to trial because he is a member of the aristocracy. Madame DeFarge vows to denounce the Evremonde family using Dr. Manette's writings and exterminate them all (The Tale). Lucie is depressed that Darney has left without telling her why. Sydney at first is tempted to steal her from her husband, but realizes rather that the right thing would be to help Darnay (If Dreams Came True [Reprise]).
Word of Darnay's arrest and trial reaches Lucie and although she wants to save her husband, she realizes this may put her daughter in the same position she was in as a child. She vows to save both her husband and family yet still questions why Darnay left for France without telling her(Without a Word).
At Charles Darnay's trial, Madame DeFarge reads Dr. Manette's charges against the Marquis St. Evremonde and his brother, who is Charles' father. At the end of his journal, Manette condemns them and all their descendents. Manette himself makes an impassioned plea to recant this and say that Darnay is nothing like his father and uncle. He adds that Darnay's execution would inflict a further burden on him and Lucie who suffered so greatly during his imprisonment.
Manette's plea is denied and Darnay is sentenced to death. Sydney makes arrangements with his old acquaintance Barsad to allow him entrance into the prison where Darnay is held (The Bluff). Realizing that he cannot simply escape with Darnay, Sydney concocts a plan to save him, and to allow Little Lucie to have her father and a brilliant life ahead (Let Her Be a Child).
After a night of drinking in Darnay's prison, Sydney switches clothes with him to the surprise of Barsad. Barsad delivers the unconscious Charles to Telson's Bank, where his family is waiting. Lucie believes it is Sydney who has returned and reads a letter from him which is delivered by Barsad. In the letter, he explains he had to do this and that she has meant more to him than anything else in his entire life (The Letter).
With both sadness for Sydney and joy for the opportunity for her life with Charles, the family quickly leaves France. Madame DeFarge arrives armed and vows to not let any of the Evremonde family escape. She and Miss Pross struggle over the pistol and Madame is killed. Ernest learns of Madame's death and calls-off the massive hunt for the Evermondes to have the opportunity to mourn his wife (Lament for Madame).
On the way to the gallows, a friendly and innocent seamstress realizes that Sydney is not Darnay, with whom she was imprisoned. However instead of betraying him, she calls him an angel and the two console each other. When she is called to the guillotine, Sydney bids her a final goodbye. He is next and as he climbs the stairs, he realizes the good that he has done for the woman who opened his eyes to so much love (Finale - I Can't Recall [Reprise]).
Act I
Act II
√ Replaced with the Frank Wildhorn song "Never Say Goodbye" for the Brighton Concert.
Song Changes
(2009)
Outer Critics Circle Award
(2009)
Drama League Award
(2009)
Sarasota Magazine Theatre Awards (2008)
Florida's Curtain Call Awards (2008)
BroadwayWorld Fan-Choice Awards (2009)
A Tale of Two Cities: In Concert, starring James Barbour, Brandi Burkhardt, Natalie Toro and Kevin Earley of the Broadway company, with several other Americans and British ensemble and featured roles aired on television on PBS in December 2009, and is available on DVD. There is also a studio cast recording, an International Studio Cast of A Tale of Two Cities starring this cast, available.
Jill Santoriello
Jill Santoriello is an American musician, composer, lyricist, and author. She is a self-taught musician whose award winning first musical A Tale of Two Cities was an Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for Outstanding New Musical in 2009.Santoriello was born in Summit, New Jersey and grew up in...
based on the novel of the same name
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it ranks among the most famous works in the history of fictional literature....
by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
.
After tryouts at the Asolo Repertory Theatre
Asolo Repertory Theatre
The Asolo Repertory Theatre or Asolo Rep is a professional theater in Sarasota, Florida. It is the largest Equity theatre in Florida, and the largest Repertory theatre in the Southeastern United States. Asolo Rep is a resident regional theatre company which also invites in guest artists...
in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
, in October and November 2007, the show opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
on September 18, 2008, following previews from August 19 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 302 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh for vaudeville promoter Martin Beck, the theatre opened as the Martin Beck Theatre with a production of Madame Pompadour on November 11, 1924. It...
. 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
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
nomination for Outstanding New Musical for its Broadway run.
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 in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Some of the numbers showcased in this styling were eventually cut from the show. It was not until 1999 that producers Barbara Russell
Barbara Russell
Barbra Russell is an American stage actor, singer, and Broadway producer. She is a classically trained vocalist majoring in Music Performance at the College of Saint Elizabeth at Covent Station, New Jersey where she won first place in the prestigious Florence Boughton Young Artist Competition...
and Ron Sharpe (both of whom had worked with Alex Santoriello in the original Broadway company of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
) that the musical officially began readings and workshops to attract producers. In 2002, Russell and Sharpe produced a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
of the show that featured Alex Santoriello as Dr. Manette / Sydney Carton, Christiane Noll
Christiane Noll
Christiane Noll is an American singer and actress known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde, as well as her roles in Urinetown and City of Angels.-Life and career:Noll was born in New...
as Lucie Manette, Nick Wyman as John Barsad, Craig Bennett as Jerry Cruncher
Jerry Cruncher
-Overview:Jerry Cruncher is employed as a porter for Tellson's Bank of London. He earns extra money as a 'resurrection man' removing bodies from their graves for sale to medical schools and students as cadavers. During the story, Jerry Cruncher accompanies Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette to Paris...
and Natalie Toro
Natalie Toro
Natalie Toro is an American singer and stage, television, and film actor.Natalie debuted at the Apollo Theater at age 5. She studied piano and voice at the Manhattan School of Music and the High School of Music and Art until the age of 18...
as Madame DeFarge.
On August 19 and 20, 2004, for two performances, Tale was again presented for an invitation-only workshop reading in hopes of finding more backers. The production ran at the Little Shubert Theatre
Little Shubert Theatre
The Little Shubert Theatre is located in New York City, near Broadway. Its address is 422 West 42nd Street between 9th Avenue and Dwyer Street. It was built in 2002 and has a seating capacity of 499....
in New York City. 100 fans were invited to each performance of the first New York City public presentation. It starred James Barbour
James Stacy Barbour
James Stacy Barbour , a.k.a. James Barbour, is a singer and Broadway actor. He graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Acting and a minor in Philosophy.- Theatre credits :...
as Sydney Carton
Sydney Carton
Sydney Carton is the central character in the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. He is a shrewd young Englishman and sometime junior to his fellow barrister C.J. Stryver. In the novel, he is seen to be a drunkard, self-indulgent and self-pitying because of his wasted life...
, Jenny Powers
Jenny Powers
Jennifer Diane Powers is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant contestant. She won the title of Miss Illinois in 2000, and has had major roles in Broadway productions such as Little Women and Grease....
as Lucie Manette
Lucie Manette
Lucie Manette is a character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.-Overview:She is the daughter of Dr. Alexander Manette. She is wise beyond her years; unfailingly kind and forgiving of people's faults. Her compassion for her father is what first attracts Charles Darnay to her. She...
, Gary Morris
Gary Morris
Gary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s....
as Dr. Manette, Gavin Creel
Gavin Creel
Gavin James Creel is an American actor, singer and song writer.Born in Findlay, Ohio, Creel received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre at the University of Michigan in 1998. Creel, who is openly gay, is a regular on the LGBT RFamilyVacations cruise with Rosie O'Donnell...
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
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, with Broadway plans for spring 2006. However, directing changes and insufficient funds, with one producer leaving, postponed the production.
The following year the show opened at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
, for pre-Broadway tryouts in October and November 2007. The show sold out its entire run and won ten Sarasota Magazine Awards out of twelve nominations, including for some perforers and as "Best Musical." The show starred Barbour as Carton, Derek Keeling as Charles Darnay
Charles Darnay
Charles Darnay, or Charles St. Evrémonde, is a fictional character in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.-Overview:A French aristocrat by birth, Darnay chooses to live in England because he cannot bear to be associated with the cruel injustices of the French social system...
and Jessica Rush
Jessica Rush
Jessica Rush is an American Broadway actress who was born in Beaumont, Texas, but grew up mostly in Orlando, Florida. She is perhaps best known for creating the role of Lucie Mannette in the 2007 world premiere of the Broadway-bound A Tale of Two Cities, by Jill Santoriello, opposite James Barbour...
as Lucie, with Natalie Toro
Natalie Toro
Natalie Toro is an American singer and stage, television, and film actor.Natalie debuted at the Apollo Theater at age 5. She studied piano and voice at the Manhattan School of Music and the High School of Music and Art until the age of 18...
as Madame DeFarge. It received mixed to positive notices. Michael Donald Edwards directed, Warren Carlyle
Warren Carlyle
Warren Carlyle is a director and choreographer who was born in Norwich, Norfolk, England. He received Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Director of a Musical for Finian's Rainbow.-Biography:...
choreographed and the creative team included Tony Walton
Tony Walton
Tony Walton is an English set and costume designer.Walton was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, United Kingdom. He began his career in 1957 with the stage design for Noel Coward's Broadway production of Conversation Piece. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s he designed for the New...
(scenery), David Zinn (costumes), and Richard Pilbrow
Richard Pilbrow
Richard Pilbrow is an internationally renowned stage lighting designer, author, theatre consultant, and theatrical producer, film producer and television producer...
(lighting).
The musical premiered on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 302 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh for vaudeville promoter Martin Beck, the theatre opened as the Martin Beck Theatre with a production of Madame Pompadour on November 11, 1924. It...
, with previews beginning August 19, 2008 and official opening on September 18. The show received mostly negative notices but some positive reviews, most notably from the Huffington Post, Connecticut Post
Connecticut Post
The Connecticut Post is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves the greater Bridgeport area, Fairfield County, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Bridgeport, Ansonia,...
and radio stations WGCH
WGCH
WGCH is a radio station licensed to serve Greenwich, Connecticut. The station is owned by BTR Greenwich, Inc. It airs a News/Talk format.The station was assigned the WGCH call letters by the Federal Communications Commission....
and WMNR
WMNR
WMNR is a radio station licensed to serve Monroe, Connecticut. The station is municipally owned by the Town of Monroe...
. 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. But as the economy worsened, the show lost money and closed November 9, 2008, although a previous announcement of closing was posted for November 16.
From February 16 to April 9, 2011, Hale Centre Theatre in Salt Lake City produced the regional premiere of the musical. Both Santoriello and her main producer from the New York production attended and stated being impressed with the theatre-in-the-round, declaring she found the production solved some of the issues of the Broadway version because of the unique theater and the set design of Kacey Udy.
In May 2011, Principia College
Principia College
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
became the first college to perform Santoriello's musical.
Prologue
The musical opens with Lucie Manette as a child, en route from France to England. She is delivered by Mr. Jarvis Lorry, an employee of Tellson's Bank to the home of Miss Pross, who had been nanny to Lucie's now-deceased mother. Later, Mr. Lorry returns to the Pross household to tell the now-adult Lucie that her father, Dr. Alex Manette, has been found alive in the BastilleBastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
after 17 years (Prologue: The Shadows of the Night).
Act 1
Dr. Manette, Lucie and Lorry set sail for England and meet Charles Darnay. Upon arriving, Darnay is arrested as a spy as he is discovered in possession of papers showing British troop placements. It is later found that the papers were dropped by John Barsad, henchman of Darnay's uncle, the Marquis St. Evermonde's (Dover). Lucie requests that Mr. Lorry arrange for a lawyer to defend Darnay in exchange for the kindness he has shown her and her father during their journey and Lorry agrees.We are then taken to the law office of Mr. Stryver and Sydney Carton - who arrives clearly intoxicated. Carton decides with his friend, grave-robber Jerry Cruncher, to attempt to blackmail Barsad by visiting several local taverns. The next day, the trial commences. Darnay is acquitted after the blackmail attempt succeeds and prompts the key witness to assert that Darnay and Sydney look similar after Sydney removes his barrister's wig and robe. The witness then admits it could have been either man-or anyone else-with those papers.
Darnay takes Sydney and Stryver out to celebrate at a tavern that Sydney calls "home." After Darnay is insulted by Sydney and leaves, Sydney reflects on why he acted this way.
Several months have passed and Darnay now desires Lucie's hand but asks her father's permission first. On Christmas Eve, Lucie attempts to convince Sydney to go to mass with her and Dr. Manette, 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 in his life.
The next day, Darnay asks Lucie to marry him and she accepts.Sydney arrives and Lucie gives him his gift - a scarf. Unaware that he would be receiving one, Sydney tells Lucie to close her eyes and kisses her. Shocked, she informs him that Mr. Darnay has asked her hand in marriage. Upset—and embarrassed—Sydney leaves and reflects on the life he now cannot attain, and on the marriage and life of Darnay and Lucie together.
The action then switches over to France, where the king is expected to drive his carriage past DeFarge's wine shop. Many children are very excited however near the road. One, the son of a man named Gaspard, is killed when the Marquis St. Evremonde's carriage passes. Madame DeFarge, who was unaware of what the children were waiting for, expresses disgust for the death the Marquis has caused and urges Gaspard to murder him.Gaspard later follows the Marquis to his chateau and does so.
Darnay receives a letter from Gabelle, a former house servant in France, and agrees to defend him in the courts and leaves. Stryver and Sydney visit the Manet household one evening and Stryver tells of the killings and other developments there. During their visit, Sydney agrees to help put Little Lucie to bed. Meanwhile, a funeral is being held for Gaspard's son. At the funeral, officers come to arrest Gaspard for murder, but Ernest DeFarge tells him to remain and the revolution begins Darnay is arrested when it is revealed that he is the Marquis' nephew. Lucie is devastated and turns to Sydney for guidance as Darnay left without explanation or revealing his true identity.
Act 2
Act 2 opens with the storming of the Bastille. The DeFarges have found the notes left by Dr. Manette in his cell so many years before, but the people of Paris are still unsatisfied after the prison's fall (Everything Stays the Same).Darnay is sent to trial because he is a member of the aristocracy. Madame DeFarge vows to denounce the Evremonde family using Dr. Manette's writings and exterminate them all (The Tale). Lucie is depressed that Darney has left without telling her why. Sydney at first is tempted to steal her from her husband, but realizes rather that the right thing would be to help Darnay (If Dreams Came True [Reprise]).
Word of Darnay's arrest and trial reaches Lucie and although she wants to save her husband, she realizes this may put her daughter in the same position she was in as a child. She vows to save both her husband and family yet still questions why Darnay left for France without telling her(Without a Word).
At Charles Darnay's trial, Madame DeFarge reads Dr. Manette's charges against the Marquis St. Evremonde and his brother, who is Charles' father. At the end of his journal, Manette condemns them and all their descendents. Manette himself makes an impassioned plea to recant this and say that Darnay is nothing like his father and uncle. He adds that Darnay's execution would inflict a further burden on him and Lucie who suffered so greatly during his imprisonment.
Manette's plea is denied and Darnay is sentenced to death. Sydney makes arrangements with his old acquaintance Barsad to allow him entrance into the prison where Darnay is held (The Bluff). Realizing that he cannot simply escape with Darnay, Sydney concocts a plan to save him, and to allow Little Lucie to have her father and a brilliant life ahead (Let Her Be a Child).
After a night of drinking in Darnay's prison, Sydney switches clothes with him to the surprise of Barsad. Barsad delivers the unconscious Charles to Telson's Bank, where his family is waiting. Lucie believes it is Sydney who has returned and reads a letter from him which is delivered by Barsad. In the letter, he explains he had to do this and that she has meant more to him than anything else in his entire life (The Letter).
With both sadness for Sydney and joy for the opportunity for her life with Charles, the family quickly leaves France. Madame DeFarge arrives armed and vows to not let any of the Evremonde family escape. She and Miss Pross struggle over the pistol and Madame is killed. Ernest learns of Madame's death and calls-off the massive hunt for the Evermondes to have the opportunity to mourn his wife (Lament for Madame).
On the way to the gallows, a friendly and innocent seamstress realizes that Sydney is not Darnay, with whom she was imprisoned. However instead of betraying him, she calls him an angel and the two console each other. When she is called to the guillotine, Sydney bids her a final goodbye. He is next and as he climbs the stairs, he realizes the good that he has done for the woman who 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:| Character | Indianapolis Concerts | Sarasota | Broadway | Brighton Cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Carton Sydney Carton Sydney Carton is the central character in the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. He is a shrewd young Englishman and sometime junior to his fellow barrister C.J. Stryver. In the novel, he is seen to be a drunkard, self-indulgent and self-pitying because of his wasted life... |
Alex Santoriello | James Barbour James Stacy Barbour James Stacy Barbour , a.k.a. James Barbour, is a singer and Broadway actor. He graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Acting and a minor in Philosophy.- Theatre credits :... |
James Barbour | James Barbour |
| Charles Darnay Charles Darnay Charles Darnay, or Charles St. Evrémonde, is a fictional character in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.-Overview:A French aristocrat by birth, Darnay chooses to live in England because he cannot bear to be associated with the cruel injustices of the French social system... |
Andrew Verala | Derek Keeling | Aaron Lazar Aaron Lazar -Early life and education:Lazar was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to a Jewish family. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West in 1994. Lazar attended Duke University where he earned a BA in music in 1998, while completing the prerequisite classes for medical school and taking the MCAT... |
Simon Thomas Simon Thomas Simon Thomas is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician. He was Member of Parliament for Ceredigion from 2000 to 2005, after winning the seat at a by-election in January 2000 caused by the resignation of Plaid Cymru MP Cynog Dafis... |
| Lucie Manette Lucie Manette Lucie Manette is a character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.-Overview:She is the daughter of Dr. Alexander Manette. She is wise beyond her years; unfailingly kind and forgiving of people's faults. Her compassion for her father is what first attracts Charles Darnay to her. She... |
Christiane Noll Christiane Noll Christiane Noll is an American singer and actress known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde, as well as her roles in Urinetown and City of Angels.-Life and career:Noll was born in New... |
Jessica Rush Jessica Rush Jessica Rush is an American Broadway actress who was born in Beaumont, Texas, but grew up mostly in Orlando, Florida. She is perhaps best known for creating the role of Lucie Mannette in the 2007 world premiere of the Broadway-bound A Tale of Two Cities, by Jill Santoriello, opposite James Barbour... |
Brandi Burkhardt Brandi Burkhardt Brandi Lynn Burkhardt is an American vocalist, actress and beauty queen. She grew up in Pasadena, Maryland but currently lives in Los Angeles.-Education:... |
Brandi Burkhardt |
| Dr. Alexandre Manette | Timothy Shew | Alex Santoriello | Gregg Edelman Gregg Edelman Gregg Edelman is an American movie, television and theatre actor.Edelman was born in Chicago, Illinois, attended Niles North High School, where he starred as Lil' Abner opposite future soap star Nancy Lee Grahn, and was trained at Northwestern University... |
J. Mark McVey |
| Jerry Cruncher Jerry Cruncher -Overview:Jerry Cruncher is employed as a porter for Tellson's Bank of London. He earns extra money as a 'resurrection man' removing bodies from their graves for sale to medical schools and students as cadavers. During the story, Jerry Cruncher accompanies Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette to Paris... |
Craig Bennett Craig Bennett Craig Bennett is an American singer and stage actor.Bennett has been cast as Jerry Cruncher in the Broadway musical adaptation of 'A Tale of Two Cities' opening for preview on August 19, 2008 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York.-Stage Credits:... |
Craig Bennett | Craig Bennett | Howard Samuels |
| Ernest Defarge Ernest Defarge Ernest Defarge is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.-Overview:Defarge is the owner of a wine shop in the slum of Saint Antoine in Paris. He and his wife Madame Therese Defarge are passionate advocates for revolution and regularly dispense and gather information... |
J. Mark McVey | Joe Cassidy | Kevin Earley Kevin Earley Kevin Earley is an American stage, film, and television actor.Kevin Earley was trained at the Webster Conservatory in St. Louis, Missouri where he earned his B.F.A... |
Kevin Earley |
| Jarvis Lorry Jarvis Lorry -Cinematic and Theatrical Portrayals:In the 2008 Broadway musical adaptation of 'A Tale of Two Cities,' Jarvis Lorry is played by Michael Hayward-Jones.-External links:*... |
(Not Applicable) | Michael Hayward-Jones | Michael Hayward-Jones | (Not Applicable) |
| The Seamstress The Seamstress (A Tale of Two Cities) The seamstress is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.-Overview:The seamstress is an unnamed twenty-year-old woman featured as a desperately poor peasant accused of plotting against the French Republic by Robespierre's Committee of Public Safety during the Terror of the... |
Bryce Dallas Howard Bryce Dallas Howard Bryce Dallas Howard is an American film actress and daughter of director Ron Howard. She made her acting debut in her father's 1989 movie Parenthood and went on to have small roles in films and make stage appearances for the next several years... |
Alexandria Howley | Mackenzie Mauzy MacKenzie Mauzy MacKenzie Grace Mauzy is an American actress.-Career:Mauzy played the role of Phoebe Forrester on CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful until December 2008 .... |
Kelley Dorney |
| Miss Pross Miss Pross Miss Pross is a character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.Miss Pross is Lucie Manette's no-nonsense governess and friend. She accompanies Lucie to Dover when Lucie goes to France to retrieve her father, Dr. Alexandre Manette, after his release from the Bastille, but her stout... |
(Not Applicable) | Katherine McGrath Katherine McGrath Katherine McGrath is an American singer and stage and television actress.McGrath has been cast as Miss Pross in the Broadway musical adaptation of 'A Tale of Two Cities' opening for preview on August 19, 2008 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York.... |
Katherine McGrath | Rosemary Leach Rosemary Leach Rosemary Leach is a British stage, television and film actress.She was born at Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Her parents were teachers related to Edmund Leach. She attended grammar school and RADA... |
| Marquis St. Evremonde Marquis St. Evremonde The Marquis St. Evrémonde is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.-Overview:The Marquis St. Evrémonde is Charles Darnay's uncle and is of the noble class in France. He is very cruel and is also slightly disliked by the other nobility. He runs over and kills the child of... |
(Not Applicable) | Les Minski Les Minski Les Minski is an American singer and stage actor.Minski has been cast as the Marquis St. Evremonde in the Broadway musical adaptation of 'A Tale of Two Cities' opening for preview on August 19, 2008 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York.-Theatre Credits:... |
Les Minski | Paul Baker Paul Baker David Paul Baker is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:A centre-forward, Baker was a member of the famous Wallsend Boys Club as a youngster, and was subsequently spotted playing for Bishop Auckland, turning professional with Southampton in June 1984 at a cost of £4,000 to... |
| Madame Therese Defarge Madame Defarge Madame Thérèse Defarge is a fictional character in the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. She is a tricoteuse, a tireless worker for the French Revolution and the wife of Ernest Defarge.... |
Mary Gutzi | Natalie Toro Natalie Toro Natalie Toro is an American singer and stage, television, and film actor.Natalie debuted at the Apollo Theater at age 5. She studied piano and voice at the Manhattan School of Music and the High School of Music and Art until the age of 18... |
Natalie Toro | Natalie Toro |
| John Barsad John Barsad -Overview:Barsad is a turncoat English con-man and spy. In the pay of the Marquis St. Evremonde he initially frames the Marquis' nephew, Charles Darnay by planting evidence on him on a voyage across the English Channel to England. He unwittingly shows his hand to the lawyer Sydney Carton drinking... |
Nick Wyman Nick Wyman Nick Wyman is an American stage, television, and film actor, and is the President of the Actors' Equity Association.-Career:... |
Nick Wyman | Nick Wyman | Ed Dixon Ed Dixon Ed Dixon is an American character actor, playwright and composer, who has appeared in numerous Broadway shows, including No, No, Nanette, King of Schnorrers, The Three Musketeers, Les Misérables, Cyrano, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Iceman Cometh, The Best Man, How the Grinch Stole Christmas ,... |
| Little Lucie | Samantha Sharpe | Catherine Missal | Catherine Missal | Catherine Missal |
| Gabelle | (Not Applicable) | Kevin Greene Kevin Greene Kevin Darwin Greene is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years and who retired after the 1999 NFL season... |
Kevin Greene | Lincoln Stone |
Musical numbers
The songs below were those that appeared during the opening preview performance and press preview. Changes have been noted below.Act I
- Prologue: The Shadows of the Night – Dr. Alexandre Manette and Lucie Manette
- The Way It Ought to Be – Madame Therese Defarge, Ernest Defarge and Ensemble
- You'll Never Be Alone – Dr. Alexandre Manette and Lucie Manette
- Argument – Marquis St. Evremonde and Charles Darnay
- Dover – Miss Pross, Jerry Cruncher and Sailors
- The Way It Ought to Be – Sydney Carton
- No Honest Way — John Barsad, Jerry Cruncher, Sydney Carton and Scoundrels
- The Trial — Attorney General, Stryver, Jerry Cruncher, John Barsad, Sydney Carton and Ensemble
- Round and Round — Tavern Folk
- Reflection — Sydney Carton
- The Way It Ought to Be (Reprise) — Madame Therese Defarge
- Letter From Uncle — Marquis St. Evremonde
- The Promise — Dr. Alexandre Manette and Charles Darnay
- I Can't Recall — Sydney Carton
- Resurrection Man — Jerry Cruncher and Cronies
- Now at Last — Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette
- If Dreams Came True — Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton
- Out of Sight, Out of Mind — Madame Therese Defarge
- I Always Knew — Gabelle and Charles Darnay
- Little One — Gaspard, Little Lucie, Sydney Carton, Ernest Defarge and Men
- Until Tomorrow — Ernest Defarge, Madame Therese Defarge, Sydney Carton and Ensemble
Act II
- Everything Stays the Same — Madame Therese Defarge, Ernest Defarge and Ensemble
- No Honest Way (Reprise) — John Barsad and Jerry Cruncher
- The Tale — Madame Therese Defarge, Dr. Alexandre Manette, The Young Man, Marquis St. Evremonde and Ensemble
- If Dreams Came True (Reprise) — Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay
- Without a Word √ — Lucie Manette
- The Bluff — Sydney Carton and John Barsad
- Let Her Be a Child — Sydney Carton, Little Lucie and Charles Darnay
- The Letter — Sydney Carton
- Lament — Ernest Defarge
- Finale: I Can't Recall — Seamstress, Sydney Carton and Ensemble
√ Replaced with the Frank Wildhorn song "Never Say Goodbye" for the Brighton Concert.
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 AwardDrama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
(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
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
(2009)
- Outstanding New Musical (Nomination)
- Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Nomination) - James Barbour
Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
(2009)
- Distinguished Performance by a Leading Actor (WIN) - James Barbour
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
Florida's Curtain Call Awards (2008)
- Best Musical (WIN)
- Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Nick Wyman (WIN)
BroadwayWorld Fan-Choice Awards (2009)
- 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 Scenic Design (Nomination) - Tony Walton (Runner-Up)
Production
- The hardest role to cast for the Broadway production was Lucie Mannette. Brandi Burkhardt was persuaded by Barbour at a dinner outing to audition, which had not been cast. With many hopeful Lucies, Barbour had to arrange for Burkhardt to be seen in between auditions.
- 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.
- The song "Ressurrection 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. It returned for the Brighton concert.
- 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 together, at the Broadway TheatreBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
.
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.A Tale of Two Cities: In Concert, starring James Barbour, Brandi Burkhardt, Natalie Toro and Kevin Earley of the Broadway company, with several other Americans and British ensemble and featured roles aired on television on PBS in December 2009, and is available on DVD. There is also a studio cast recording, an International Studio Cast of A Tale of Two Cities starring this cast, available.