A Tale of Two Cities (musical)

This article is about the 2007 stage musical by Jill Santoriello. For the 2006 stage musical by Howard Goodall, see Two Cities (musical).

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

A Tale of Two Cities is an award-winning musical with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. The musical had its world premiere full-staging at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, in October and November 2007, as a limited engagement. James Stacy Barbour played Sydney Carton, Derek Keeling played Charles Darnay and Jessica Rush played Lucie Manette. The show received its official Broadway bow 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 two 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, one for a lead performance by James Barbour, and the other for Outstanding New Musical for it's Broadway run.

Production history

Tale creator Santoriello had been working on the music since the late 1980s. In 1994, her brother, Broadway 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 (musical)) that the musical officially began readings & workshops, gaining a loyal base of producers. In 2002, Russell & Sharpe produced a concept recording which was released (and still in print) of the show which featured Alex Santoriello as Dr. Mannette / Sydney Carton, Christiane Noll as Lucie Mannette, Nick Wyman as John Barsad, Craig Bennett as Jerry Cruncher and Natalie Toro as Madame DeFarge, many of whom stayed with the musical throughout the years. During the summer of 2004, for two-select performances, Tale was once again produced to an invite-only workshop reading in hopes of finding more backers and to be more aimed towards Broadway. The production ran from August 19 - August 20 at the Little Shubert Theatre. It starred James Barbour as Sydney Carton, Jenny Powers as Lucie, Gary Morris as Dr. Mannette, 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 that spring in 2006. However, directing changes and insuffiecient funds postponed the production. Plans were as far as an opening on April 27, 2006, following previews from April 11.

The following year in the spring, Santoriello announced that the show had scheduled its world premiere at the Asolo Repetory Theatre in Sarasota, FL, for October & November 2007. The show sold out its entire run, garnered 10 Sarasota Magazine Awards, winning several, including for some performances and as "Best Musical." The show starred Keeling, Barbour, Rush, Alex Santoriello as Dr. Mannette, Natalie Toro as Madame DeFarge and Joe Cassidy as DeFarge. The show received mixed to positive notices. Warren Carlyle was credited as the director-choreographer and the creative team included Tony Walton (scenery), David Zinn (costumes), and Richard Pilbrow (lighting). Following complications with James Barbour's personal life, the show announced it would move to Broadway during the 2008-2009 season in the fall.

The Broadway production announced on March 25, 2008 that it had booked the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with previews beginning from August 19. Officially opening on September 18, the show received mostly negative notices. On November 4, during the night of the presidential election, Tale quietly announced it would close on November 16, 2008. Three days later, on November 7, the show announced that due to poor ticket sales the following week, it would actually close on November 9, 2008.

Plot / Synopsis

Prologue

The musical opens with Lucie Mannette 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 miserable and depressed, 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"). 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 Stryer 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 song ("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 DeFarge's have found the note left by Doctor Mannette 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)").

Broadway cast

Original principals

Character	Performer
Sydney Carton	James Barbour
Charles Darnay	Aaron Lazar
Lucie Manette	Brandi Burkhardt
Dr. Alexandre Manette	Gregg Edelman
Jerry Cruncher	Craig Bennett
Ernest Defarge	Kevin Earley
Jarvis Lorry	Michael Hayward-Jones
The Seamstress	Mackenzie Mauzy
Miss Pross	Katherine McGrath
Marquis St. Evremonde	Les Minski
Madame Therese Defarge	Natalie Toro
John Barsad	Nick Wyman

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
• Without a Word — Charles Darnay and 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

Song Changes

• "Prologue: The Shadows of the Night" changed throughout previews. What originally began by Dr. Mannette 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

Outer Critics Circle Award

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

Trivia

• 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 it's 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 Sarasota Repetory Theatre.
• 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 Miserables 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 (musical). Furthermore, Tim Shew, who appeared as Dr. Mannette 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.

External links

• ​A Tale of Two Cities​ 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