A TALE OF TWO CITIES: Invited Dress

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/18/08 at 11:32pm

Well, it's not the worst of all musicals but it is certainly not (at this early point) the best either.
I think this musical will have it's fans, it's a strong story line, not really handeled that well, a lot of the dialogue seems stilted, the pace is slow and some of the scenes sound too modern.
The first act is extremely long and lacks much drama.
My biggest complaint is the music itself, I missed any sweeping melodies, sometimes there is a crescendo but nothing before it to build from.
A lot of it sounds like other stuff, a few Lerner/Lowe sound alike lines here and there, but generally I found the score boring.
Most of the performers are terrific, the stand outs for me are Gregg Edelman, Aaron Lazar and the feisty Natalie Toro, who if her material were stronger would be even better, the lyrics to her big number are abysmal.
Brandi Burkehardt is pretty and sings well, but her acting is drab and again the material holds her bsck.
David Zinn's costumes are real stand-outs, Tony Walton's set is pretty at times, but very busy and cumbersome.
I hope they get rid of the visual stage hands pushing it around and sitting on stage for whole scenes. (I am sure they will work that out).
Richard Pilbrow's lighting was iffy, but it should get better.

Warren Carlyle has a big job on his hands and if he can cut a half hour of the first act that should help.
The second act is much stronger.

Personally I found it dull and without good music it just didn't cut it for me, but as I said, I think it will have it's fans, I'm just not one of them.

Big Mistake, besides "Call Me Ishmial" this book has the most famous opening line, which NEEDS to open the show!






Updated On: 8/19/08 at 11:32 PM

[esparza 333]

Posted: 8/18/08 at 11:49pm

what about Barbour?

[philly03]

Posted: 8/18/08 at 11:54pm

Did Lazor and/or Barbour change their look at all to look more similar?

And LOL isn't Brandi Burkhardt an actual TV actress!?

And I didn't attend tonight (obviously) but am going in previews and I must say...I feel like it's going to be like the Pimpernel. More people will talk about the costumes then the boring plotline LOL.

None-the-less, I'm excited & can't wait to see it!

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/18/08 at 11:59pm

I'm not sure you understand the application of the word "crescendo" in the musical world.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 12:06am

Since I'm seeing a real preview on Wednesday, I won't say much.

Loved James Barbour. Natalie Toro and Aaron Lazar don't have enough good material to shine. Edelman was bland and underused. Brandi Burkhardt should be replaced by Christiane Noll.

The sets, costumes and lighting were excellent.

Act 1 needs some serious trimming and the book needs to be tightened up.

Act 2 was fantastic.

I was lucky enough to meet Jill Santoriello both before and after the show and she signed my TOTC concept recording and was so nice.

Overall not good but not awful either. I saw/heard parts of Les Mis, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Scarlet Pimpernel in the show. Looking forward to seeing it again on Wednesday.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 12:07am

Ok, well some of the songs have a big open sung ending that I would call a cresendo.
I'm not a musician and maybe I am not saying it correctly.
The two male leads look nothing alike.
And the accents are weird, there a few English accents, No French accents and near the end when Lucy's Lady says to Madame DeFarge, "I don't understand a word you said"
I said WTF?

[HollyImposter]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 12:24am

James Barbour makes this show work. There needed to be more of him.

The music is the weakest part of the show. There's no theme, there's nothing memorable, I feel like th show could have been just as strong if it was a straight play.

The cast is strong... I agree that the show should open with its famous line and the "far far better" line at the end should be sung out and not spoken.

The ending is not as moving as it should be because of all of the gruesome things happening. I mean it's obvious that people are gonna get their heads chopped off but too much was going on when we're supposed to be focusing on Sydney making this strong change in himself at the end. Too many kids deaths. I had to detach myself at the end because it was just too disturbing.

Otherwise a pretty strong production.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 12:35am

Big Mistake, besides "Call Me Ishmial" this book has the most famous opening line, which NEEDS to open the show

WAIT...those lines DON'T open the show?????????? Why, pray tell, do they not? That seems like a no-brainer to me. Does that famous line EVER appear in the show???

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 12:37am

Yes, that line does appear in the show...a couple of times I think.

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." Updated On: 8/19/08 at 12:37 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 1:00am

I heard one of the colorful whores sing it in the second act.

[philly03]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 1:20am

Presuming that "The Way It Ought To Be" is still the first number inthe show, the song ends with Sydney Carton (James Barbour's character) saying "It was the best of times," but I "can't recall" how many other times it was said.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 1:36am

Sydney does not appear till much later in the first Act.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 1:39am

Well, spelling police says it's "crescendo"...

I wasn't aware that Christiane Noll was replaced by Brandi Burkhardt (who is just a soap opera actress... and we all know how great soap opera actors are). Either way, I certainly have no high expectations for this show, nor do I think people are gonna buy this story as a musical. Then again, that's probably how about of people fell about LES MIZ, but we'll see.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 1:45am

The show begins with The Shadow of the Night...

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 8:14am

How long is each act? Sounds like Act I is REALLY long, esp. compared to act II if you think you can cut a whole half hour from it.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 8:37am

Act 1 is around 1.5 hours...Act 2 is about an hour.

[barcelona20]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 9:33am

How did y'all get invited?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 9:46am

Shadow of the Night opens the show? Ugh, that song is oh so very boring.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 9:50am

That's what I remember, yes.

Well, actually, there is a weird prologue that opens the show (which Warren Carlyle said he had restaged the day before!) and I think it needs work. After they project the logo of A Tale of Two Cities onto the scrim, when the prologue is over and the actual show begins, that's when Shadow of the Night begins...I think.

I think this is the type of show I will need to see a few times to fully understand all of it (probably since I haven't read the book).

[cdawg2]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 11:26am

can I ask--how was MacKenzie Mauzy (Seamstress)? Thanks!

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 11:33am

WAT, thats how you can tell it will not be that good of a show. If you need to have read the source material to understand the show after at least 1 viewing, you can tell it needs major work. A show should be able to be understood when you watch it. You shouldn't have to know background material just to understand it.

Updated On: 8/19/08 at 11:33 AM

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 11:34am

I haven't seen it (obviously) but people's comments, so far, are deterring me from going altogether. Sounds awful.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 11:48am

I feel that if a show is based on a novel it should make you want to read the original source material. Not, because the show itself is done in a poor manor. That the show should get you so into the story that you would want to go out and read the original novel.

Les Miserables did that for me. Even though I got a great understanding of the story from watching the show. I was very interested in the story so much so that I read the book.

Personally, I am very much looking forward to this show. Despite the fact that I am an optimist, I enjoyed the last mega musical to come through Broadway. Yes, despite all its flaws I still enjoyed The Pirate Queen.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 11:52am

"WAT, thats how you can tell it will not b that good of a show. If you need to have read the source material to understand the show after at least 1 viewing, you can tell it needs major work. A show should be able to be understood when you watch it. You shouldn't have to know background material just to understand it."

Or maybe I'm just stupid...

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 8/19/08 at 11:53am

Haha, I doubt that.