Tales of the City: The Musical in San Fran

Posted: 3/11/11 at 1:24am

The only thread dedicated to this I could find was one about an early reading, so I hope it's ok to make a new thread...

Is anyone else planning to see the premier production of this musical at ATC in San Fransisco this May-July?

I had almost forgotten all about the musical, until I was booking a trip to San Fransisco the weekend of May 20, and saw a mention of it on a website. I live on the West Coast (Vancouver Island) and am flying down that weekend to see the Kylie Minogue concert (no judging :P ) on the 21, and lucky for me managed to get a great seat to the May 20th preview of City.

I'm a big fan of the books and miniseries, as well as a big fan of Jake Shears and the Scissor Sisters, who are doing the score, so am pretty excited. And I figure that even if it's a mess, I'll get to see Betty Buckley and have bragging rights about seeing a musical in its preview, pre-Broadway period (having still never even been to New York, something I've never had the chance to do before).

There isn't even a cast list up yet--has anyone heard any gossip or rumours--or anyone else planning to go? Basically all I know is it's based on the first two books...

[FlyingMonkey1223]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 1:34am

I have my tickets. They've been pretty quiet on the casting. I did hear that Betty Buckley, who was involved in the reading, would not actually be appearing in the musical though. Keep waiting for an official cast-list but nothing as of late.

Posted: 3/11/11 at 1:50am

Oh! That's kinda disappointing--I guess everything I read with her name in it was about the workshop... Still excited to see it though.

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 2:26am

It's funny as I thought I had read that Betty Buckley was appearing in the production after all (after participating in the workshop). But, I rechecked and cannot find any references to the production - just the workshop.

But, the cast has also not been announced. I wonder if they are holding out for her to agree and also trying to decide between the actors in the SF workshop and the actors that did it in CT.

In any event, it will fun to see what they do with the story and how much of it they do. I did read that Mother Mucca was one of the workshop characters. One really cool thing is Manoel Felciano (Tony nominated in Sweeney Todd) is an ACT rep member so he should be Norman (the creepy investigator) in the production. And Mary Birdsong as Mona (saw her in Love Loss and What I Wore). That story, put on stage, and to music is treat enough. And to do it here IN the City is really cool.

Now, lets just hope that Betty Buckley sees the quality in it and the possibility to star in a hot B'way show (assuming it goes that route) and decide to do the production in SF.

[Scottsacto]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 2:51am

Originally they had said she would be thre only for the Preview and the beginning of the run, Some other commitments at the end of June. Oh, Yeah-I will also be @ Kylie on the 21st and "Tales..." on the 28th. Looking forward to Both!

Posted: 3/11/11 at 2:53am

Nice to see someone else with taste My friends have already bugged me that it sounds like the gayest weekend ever--San Fran with Tales of the City the Musical and Kylie...

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 1:23pm

Heading up to see the show Memorial Day Weekend as well...Cannot wait to hear about the cast...love the books, the mini-series and LOVE Scissor Sisters....highly anticipated.

Lets keep this thread going - looking forward to hearing about who is in the cast...

[gcal]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 1:46pm

They go into rehearsals in just a few weeks- we'll be getting a casting announcement soon. Can't wait for this.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 2:15pm

Julie Reiber has a role in the production, though I don't know which.

She mentioned it on a Philadelphia TV station interview when she was in White Christmas.

[Hest882]

Posted: 3/11/11 at 11:42pm

I have my tickets too. And I agree...even if it ends up being a mess it will be fun to have seen it. :)

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 1:16pm

is WHitty still involved?

Posted: 3/16/11 at 3:26am

Dumb question, I'm sure, but what's a Whitty?

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 3/16/11 at 3:40am

Someone told me today that besides Julie Reiber three other "Wicked" members are in this play who performed in LA: Keith Bearden, Robert Pendilla and Kris Cusick. What roles they play I don't know.

Posted: 3/16/11 at 4:46am

I certainly could see Julie playing Mary Ann, and a couple of other roles...

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/16/11 at 10:46am

Many of the people who have been developing the show for years will be involved in this production, including Betsy Wolfe as Mary Anne and Mary Birdsong as Mona. Additionally, I know Wesley Taylor will be playing Mouse.

Last I heard, Betty Buckley was still set to play Anna.

Updated On: 3/16/11 at 10:46 AM

[eventjp]

Posted: 3/16/11 at 12:40pm

On 3/14 Betty Buckley tweeted that she won't be appearing in the production at ACT: @BettyBuckley For you who have asked re. my participation n "Tales o the City" n SF: I will not be moving forward w the ACT prod. Wishing them the best!

[JRybka]

Posted: 3/16/11 at 1:24pm

i got the tweet too...
Shame. She was cut from a few big things in the past.....
Brothers & Sisters
Parenthood
and now Tales of the City

[gcal]

Posted: 3/16/11 at 1:27pm

EDIT: Betty turned down the offer- she wasn't "cut" from the production.

It's too bad that Betty won't be involved-- she was a great Anna Madrigal in the workshop.

I'd love to see Judy Kaye take over the role- I think she'll bring the charm and the chops to the character.
Updated On: 3/16/11 at 01:27 PM

[JRybka]

Posted: 3/16/11 at 1:36pm

potato, potatoe... we know BB has had probs in the past maybe they said she could just say.. yes yes yes you left.
Don't get my wrong. I ADORE HER! But Imma just sayin'

Posted: 3/17/11 at 3:01am

Kaye would be a great fit too--it definitely isn't an easy role to cast.

[Scottsacto]

Posted: 3/18/11 at 4:37am

It has been announced!!!! Yeah for Judy Kaye!!
Tales of The City Cast

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/18/11 at 5:18am

at one point i thought Jeff Whitty was one of the creatives

Posted: 3/18/11 at 6:43am

He certainly was... (which I can't help typing out without sounding like a Tenn Williams drag queen)

I like the cast!

Posted: 3/18/11 at 6:45am

Don't shoot me if this isn't allowed;

Kaye (The Phantom of the Opera, On the Twentieth Century, Souvenir) will portray pot-smoking landlady Anna Madrigal, with Wolfe (Everyday Rapture, Into the Woods) as Midwestern transplant Mary Ann Singleton, Birdsong (Martin Short Fame Becomes Me, "Reno 911") as the free-spirited Mona Ramsay and Taylor (Rock of Ages, The Addams Family) as Michael "Mouse" Tollivar. Both Wolf and Birdsong have been part of Tales of the City since its early development during the 2009 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Musical Theater Conference.



The premiere cast will also include Tony Award nominee Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd) as Norman Neal Williams, Matthew Saldivar (Grease) as Brian Hawkins, Richard Poe (Cry-Baby) as Edgar Halcyon, Kathleen Monteleone (Legally Blonde) as Dede Halcyon-Day, Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific) as Beauchamp Day, Josh Breckenridge (Scottsboro Boys) as Jon Fielding, Diane J. Findlay as Mother Mucca and Alex Hsu as Lionel.

The ensemble will include Keith Bearden, Kris Cusick, Kimberly Jensen, Stuart Marland, Pamela Myers, Julie Reiber and Josh Walden.

Here's how ACT bills the work: "On the bustling streets of 1970s San Francisco, neon lights pierce through the fog-drenched skies, disco music explodes from crowded nightclubs, and a wide-eyed Midwestern girl finds a new home — and creates a new kind of family — with the characters at 28 Barbary Lane. Three decades after Armistead Maupin mesmerized millions with his daily column in the city's newspapers, detailing the lives and (multiple) loves of Mary Ann, Mouse, Mona, Brian, and their beloved but mysterious landlady Mrs. Madrigal, his iconic San Francisco saga comes home as a momentous new musical."

[choitoy]

Posted: 3/18/11 at 1:26pm

I'm actually pretty excited about the cast for this now (even without Betty Buckley, as I am still awaiting the change to see her in something). A pretty good cast (though I know my sister will say "who?" to a lot of them...)

For some strange reason though, for the longest time I kept thinking Mary Birdsong was African-American. I don't know why. So everytime I see her name I think to myself "really?" and then I remember...

I can't wait to see it though. I got my tickets for June 7th.

P.S. EricMontreal22, were you on the Sondheim message boards. Your avatar looks familliar.