Tale of Two Cities PBS Tonight — Page 2

re: "The Michael York bits are also very confusing, especially when he keeps reading his text from cards behind the camera."
That's Mr. York reading off a teleprompter which is how narration is always filmed for television (it's also how the President of the US and everyone else says anything to a camera that they haven't memorized. pretty standard and i thought it was executed in the Tale show about as well as it's ever done. have to agree with you about the general editing though - could have been much better - looks like everything that was happening on the stage with the performers and the musicians was stellar but the tv people shooting and editing the thing - not so hot. - but still better to have some record of this show rather than nothing at all.

As for the 4 acts - public television pledge shows demand a certain format, 4 20 minute-ish sections with pledging breaks in between. So the Tale people had to cut down the show a bit and make it fit into that format - with hopefully big musical moments ending every break. That being said, i also think they did about as good a job working within the confines of that framework as they possibly could.

As for the 4 acts - public television pledge shows demand a certain format, 4 20 minute-ish sections with pledging breaks in between. So the Tale people had to cut down the show a bit and make it fit into that format - with hopefully big musical moments ending every break. That being said, i also think they did about as good a job working within the confines of that framework as they possibly could.

This is why they always tell you there's additional footage on the DVD when trying to entice you to pledge

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When will this be aired in DC? this is rediculous.

Here are the songs that end the acts:

End of Act 1 - I Can't Recall
End of Act 2 - Out of Sight, Out of Mind
End of Act 3 - Never Say Goodbye
End of Act 4 - I Can't Recall (reprise)/Finale

Are those the song titles or the thoughts that were going through your mind when you were writing that post, CyCo?

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Very funny, taz.

About an hour of material that was in the Broadway show is cut from the concert.

Another significant (at least for me)aspect missing from this concert was the presence of Nick Wyman, Katherine McGrath, and Michael Hayward-Jones. Irreplaceable! Craig Bennett's character seems to also have been left out, for brevity's sake, just like that of Hayward-Jones. I really will miss that on the DVD. Nick was really the ultimate Barsad!
It is sad that this show was not around enough for Tony nods to have been given to him and Natalie, as well. I think they really deserved them. But so much more did Barbour...

"I'm watching it in Boston right now. The music is FANTASTIC! How on earth did this show flop so badly? Were the book and the production THAT bad?"

As a huge fan of the show, the direction was horrendous. It was trying to make it Les Mis..it was bad. The rest of the show was great. Got a little slow, but plenty shows do.

Any thoughts on the new song Frank Wildhorn wrote for this one?

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Craig Bennett's character seems to also have been left out, for brevity's sake, just like that of Hayward-Jones.

Cruncher is there but not as much as he was in the show. Craig is in South Pacific now and probably couldn't get away.

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When are the CD and DVD being released?

The CD is already listed on the homepage of castalbumcollector, but there is no link to purchase the recording...

Watching the PBS airing right now...and while I'm thrilled that this was filmed, I'm mad that the Michael York commentary is pretty much replacing all the dialogue.

I hope that the DVD release has the option to watch with and without Michael York's comments.

Not to threadjack, but for the sake of avoiding having another one of the infamous James Barbour threads .... went to see his Holiday 2009 show last night at "Bill's 90's", and it was excellent--

Great venue. Anyway, James released an EP (2-songs) that they were selling at the restaurant (also on itunes) - contains
"O Holy Night"- (his version is amazing!) and "Twas the Night Before Xmas"-

"Is the show available at the Lincoln Center Archives?"

Haven't been there, but I do know that it was filmed the weekend of closing - that Friday I believe!