A TALE OF TWO CITIES : The New Marquee, Concept CD & More.....- Page 2

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:23pm

Loved this one!
Its a shame there is only a symphonic recording of it, not a full cast recording. The symphonic is rather gorgeous to hear tho.
Saw it twice and its my fav of all the 'Les Mis', 'Pimpernel' etc etc pop opera/ musicals that Jaystarr dislikes. They all sound the same!

[Weez]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:27pm

'Pimpernel' is French Revolution (which I know we all know, but I felt like mentioning it). :3 I kinda enjoyed the Richard E. Grant TV adaptation of several years ago, but it never could have continued. The disgraceful treatment of Lord Tony was a problem for me! Poor Lord Tony. No wonder Jamie Bamber went to sci-fi, he didn't fare very well at all in 1700/1800s period dramas.

Jesus I get rambly at 3.30am. O_O

[philly03]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:27pm

"This is gonna pale in comparison to The Scarlet Pimpernel. "

AHAH Beat me to it!

Think they can top 4 different revisions? Techincally two down, unless the broadway version is exactly like the Florida one!

And this has always hit me as a crossover between Les Miserables & The Scarlet Pimpernel (definately costume wise!!), with a touch of Sweeney Todd! Luckily I like all 3 of them, so I'm excited for it!

And I'm with everyone else--I don't get the horse?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:28pm

SP teaches you more about the French Revolution, too.

Napoleonic Wars are counted as part of the French Revolution, AFAIK.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:30pm

I just want a stage door photo with James Barbour! hahaha!

J*
Updated On: 7/22/08 at 10:30 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:33pm

Is it possable for us to actually see the show before saying it is going to be bad. Personally I am not afraide to say a show is bad when it is bad. But, I do see it first before saying anything.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:33pm

I like to differentiate between the Revolution and the Napoleonics. The former didn't last for as long (1789-99), was totally land-based, and VERY French. The latter was a bit later (1803-15), included Britain a heckuva lot more, went on for longer, and had awesome naval battles. I mean, sure, the Napoleonics were a continuation of the Revolutionary theme, but the rest of Europe didn't really get involved while the brunt of the revolution was going on. I'll pay attention to the French Revolution, but there'd better be naval uniforms for my troubles! And I just like the 1800s better.

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 10:33 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:36pm

Wintson, I don't think anyone is bashing, but the show is just coming at a time where the pop-opera is old news. It seems like it's coming about a decade too late. It could be amazing, but it still has a lot of uphill battles to win before it can become a hit. Luckily the Les Miz revival closed earlier in the year.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:38pm

(I don't know if you can tell, but I'm genuinely interested in and enthused about this show. I enjoy a good pop opera, and it's mah time period. I might add the book to my summer reading list...)

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:39pm

Weez: I'm just saying what I learned in my French Revolution class. My professor said that the French Revolution basically lasted from 1789 until the 1815 Treaty of Vienna. But maybe not everyone would agree with her.

Though if you like to differentiate between the two, I can understand why.

I love the time period too, btw!

Updated On: 7/22/08 at 10:39 PM

[Weez]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:44pm

See, I never *officially* learned about this stuff, I just geeked out with glee when the Hornblower TV series appeared, so everything I know is mostly borne from whatever books came to hand while I was busy gleeing (quite a lot of non-fiction, in case anyone was concerned :3). So it's more than probable that people will define things differently to how I define 'em. It basically boils down to: I love the period, but am MUCH more interested in what our boys in the navy were up to than the Frogs.

Note to self: add your awesome Thomas Cochrane biography to your summer reading list too. :3

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:45pm

The pop opera is stale now.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:48pm

Interesting. My only experience with the British side of it is from Jane Austen novels!

My favorite period within the French Revolution is the Reign of Terror. Fascinating how the Jacobins used classical mythology and references to Rome etc in their propaganda to show how "enlightened" the new government was.

Napoleon continued to do the same, actually.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:56pm

'Napoleon' was another stinker that London had for a very short time that Broadway escaped from.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:57pm

Really? That's almost hilarious. :3 Actually, confession time: despite being a girl who loves books and lived in Bath for several years, I've never read a Jane Austen novel. XD Do they really cover the Revolution/Napoleonics? I'm mostly a C.S. Forester/Patrick O'Brian girl (with Naomi Novik on the side, but she's... less historical, shall we say), but if you're saying Austen actually covers this subject I am interested in, then I may have to give her a shot after all. :3

Oh man, my summer reading list is going to be so single-minded. It's been quite a while since I looked at this period properly, everything's gone fuzzy. ;_;

[philly03]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 10:57pm

Winston, I think we are all just kind of saying that it has the potential to be BROADWAY's "GONE WITH THE WIND" from this year type thing. Like people expect it to be bad, and will hopefully be suprised (didn't happen with GWTW apparently!).

And SPorkgoddess you're right! SP did actually "teach" a little bit of history from here and there (like Robespierre's parts!).

"I mean, this one is ACTUALLY about the French Revolution!

I think you made a good point, there! specially if you hear the 23 tracks score- they keep mentioning the word "Bastille" in the lyrics and I think that's gonna be a problem since most regular theater goer might IDENTIFY this whole concept and look to Les Miserables or worst compare it! (unfortunately)

J* "

If they're comparing it because of that, they'll be real advanced. Anyone who has seen Les Mis will go bananas when they realize both Act 1s end the same way! "Until Tomorrow" is practically a synonym for "One Day More"!!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/22/08 at 11:05pm

Yeah, the musical's fairly educational. Also, if you read the SP book series, you learn a LOT about the Revolution. Basically, the book series covers and heavily references general events from 1791 or so until the death of Robespierre. For instance, much is said about the murder of Marat.

Weez: They don't really cover it militaristically, but they reference it. For instance, Captain Wentworth in Persuasion gets rich from the Napoleonic Wars.

Les Mis is more involved in the French Revolution than people think, actually. Not that it's about it, of course, and I hate when people say it is, but, the novel basically surrounds it and many events in it result from it: Valjean was arrested during the Reign of Terror, Thenardier served in the Napoleonic Wars (the book has a CRAZY detailed account of the Battle of Waterloo) and that is how he met Marius's grandfather, the Bishop of Digne became known for his kindness to even former Committee members, etc.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:04am

In the CSR of Les Miserables there are a couple of lines about Thenardier in the war. "My host Thenardier he was there so they say in he feailds of Waterloo. God yes it's true when fight was all through but he knew just what to do. crawling through the mud. So I heard it said. Picking through the pockets of the english dead. He made a tiny score from he spoils of war."

I am not sure if the whole pop opera thing is a thing of the past. People still go to Phanom in droves and the Les Miserables revival sold pretty well. I have listend to the demo for Two Cities and it has a better score then something like GWTW. I don't think this will be Broadways Gone With The Wind. Keep in mind it did get good reviews out of town.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:08am

It's not just the CSR. It was in the show up until mid-2001.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 1:13am

Thanks Lizzie. I actually ment to type that it go edited out at some point. I have trouble keeping track of all the changes made to Les Miserables due to it being very long.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 1:18am

Jay, I couldn't agree more with you about the concept cast recording, it sounds like a compilation of LES MIZ trunk songs...and I'm not even a fan of the LES MIZ score. Doesn't the Act I finale use some variation of the word "tomorrow"? I remember it being something very reminiscent of "One Day More."
I think that marquee looks awful.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 4:36am

glad u like the pics. it's a hard marquee to shoot cuz of all the trees. plus there was a lot of crap piled up for load-in.

I havent been reading the boards or following the discussions about this show, but I just want to say that this is one of the few things I've sincerely been looking forward to for quite some time.

The only new musicals I've really loved recently have been HEIGHTS and PASSING STRANGE. Oh, and IRON CURTAIN but that was a few years ago. Didn't care for TOS, and the others are better left unmentioned.

I've been to two of the workshop readings, in 04 and 05, and always felt it had tremendous potential. I'm not ashamed that certain tracks on the concept album are among my most-played day-to-day. Sure a bunch of those songs need to go, but there are a surprising number of gems in there.

Call me crazy, but there aren't a lot of things better than Noll singing "Without A Word," a monster of a song that I just can't hear sung by anyone else. Jenny Powers handled it nobly in workshop but Noll treats it like it's nothing. Does anyone realize how hard that song is? And how about "Up in the Garret?" I don't even know if it's still in the show (it was left out of the workshops) but on the CD, that's a money song if ever there was one. When you have a Valjean in every male role, you can make every song ridiculously difficult.

But I do have a soft spot for these epic pop period musicals that I grew up with, and I don't think it's a genre that needs to be put out to pasture if someone can do it well. Problem is, they are very hard to get right and they can be pretty ugly when done poorly.

I'd say it's a guilty pleasure, but I'm not guilty about it. Of course we all throw around our Sondheims and Finns and Tesoris but I happen to appreciate a big catchy score and some largeness in my historical fiction. I love MISS SAIGON and was at one time a huge PIMPERNEL fan and a JEKKIE. It's a flexible genre capable of some truly explosive theatrical moments. There have just been so few real successes and so many misfires over the years, it's hard to believe in a new one.

Yes the music sounds A LOT like LES MIZ but is that so bad? TALE is a show happily following in LM's footsteps, quite capably IMHO- written by the sister of a former LES MIZ-er (and original CHESS cast member), set in a similar time in history, employing a cast full of LES MIZ alumni. It integrates some of the better elements of the early Wildhorn scores, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. These shows have given us "pop" music written for legit voices. Dynamic, tuneful, exciting, and not dependent on one's ability to belt as high as possible or to rock out. Not everyone's cup of tea, but why not aspire for the next LES MIZ rather than the next MAMMA MIA? The failure rate seems to be about the same but the former will at least generate a few new songs. Why not give the kids some new audition songs that won't screw up their voices?

I'm also just happy anytime there are new roles for ex-Valjeans (of which this show has many). Broadway hasn't had much for them in awhile. And now that people want their Valjeans young and hunky, it's all the more important to get these men some exposure!

Just my two cents cuz I can't sleep and have secretly been pulling for this show since 2004. Interesting to see how the casting has evolved. I think Burkhart is as good a choice as any for a very hard vocal role. Aaron Lazar is pretty perfect in a role we've previously heard Gavin Creel and Andrew Varela in- the right type and with a real legit voice. Always good to see Edelmann onstage. And, say what you will (though it's all been said) James Barbour is simply made for this role, perfect. The same may be said for the incredible Natalie Toro in the vocally abusive role of Madame Defarge, who has grown so wonderfully since her EVITA/LES MIZ days and was excellent in the US premiere of THE FIX somewhere in between. If the show makes it, I predict Tony nods for both.

You never know, it just might turn out to be one of the best new things to come along in awhile and I would be jubilant if it somehow was a creative and commercial success. Could happen. I'm just glad they're trying something large and risky and new, to this millennium at least.

Updated On: 7/23/08 at 04:36 AM

[morningglory]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 7:00am

I was following the conversation, then went back and looked at the marquis.... Now, not the huge red - but, the window card (I think that's what it is) in the second picture - the black one with 'a tale of two cities' on it - now THAT looked just like one of the Scarlet Pimpernal cards- had to look twice..
Updated On: 7/23/08 at 07:00 AM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 7:53am

ray- you bet me to it... I was thinking about the same thing about the song "Until Tommorow"!

btw- I changed the title of the thread which is more appropriate to the flow of the discussion! and JOIN THE REVOLUTION! ~I think I have seen that before somewhere!

J*

Updated On: 7/23/08 at 07:53 AM

[p.s.]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 10:12am

In the CSR of Les Miserables there are a couple of lines about Thenardier in the war. "My host Thenardier he was there so they say in he feailds of Waterloo. God yes it's true when fight was all through but he knew just what to do. crawling through the mud. So I heard it said. Picking through the pockets of the english dead. He made a tiny score from he spoils of war."

It's not just the CSR. It was in the show up until mid-2001.


Included in the present Walnut Street Theatre production, too.



p.s. I'm looking forward to this show. The theater is closer to where I park my car than the Broadhurst is.