Thoughts on A TALE OF TWO CITIES...the new musical

I don't have the frame of mind at the moment to craft one of my diatribes, so here are the notes I wrote down on the train ride home.

Score: unexciting, unmemorable, unmelodious. Lyrics simple and banal; most of the "songs" didn't sound like anything except people signing back-up to random chords.

Book: Banal. No fully drawn characters. Extremely confusing. One of the greatest novels ever written rendered totally incomprehensible. Had no idea what went on during the first act. Whose idea was it to give part of the final song to a character we've never met?

James Barbour - Excellent voice, characterization (proves that a good actor can somewhat overcome bad writing). Makes the most of utter SH*T, but can't necessarily make it look good.

Brandi Burkhardt - Serviceable in a part that belongs to Erin Davie, with which she would do wonders. 3 years ago, the role would have been cast with Kelli O'Hara.

Aaron Lazar, Gregg Edelman, Katherine McGrath, Nick Wyman - wasted.

Natalie Toro - Idina Menzel. Can't act, belts very well. Don't get the buzz.

Very well-sung production, but where are the melodies?

Set contains characteristics of any Tony Walton design - big and noisy. These happen to be ugly, too. And VERY noisy. They couldn't find a way to make the Barricades motorized?

Richard Pilbrow's lighting was a highlight; David Zinn's costumes are your average French Revolution garb.

Domonic Sack should be sacked for his atrocious sound design. Over amplified, unmodulated, it was like a rock concert of a band whose music really stinks.

Warren Carlyle's staging was solid - many striking moments (the horses, the bizarre stage show at the top of act 2, the gallows at the end). Trevor Nunn and John Caird should sue for his blatant stealing of the Les Miserables Act 1 finale.

Other comparisons to Les Miz are unfounded - Les Miz is by far a superior show in every way, shape, and form. Even if you hate it, there are memorable tunes and an involving story.

Place was packed (though I was able to move down in the mezz). Crowd on their feet before the bows started. What did I miss?

Updated On: 9/13/08 at 09:23 PM

Whoo, vicious. I like it a lot more than you but like hearing other opinions. While I disagree with some of your points, I agree on Natalie Toro: I did not believe her character for one second, which is poorly written and completely defanged (in the novel, let's be honest, she is a heartless bitch. Here, she's a victim too? Oh please.) She can belt to the rafters but doesn't know what to do with her part.

That's one heckova bitter pill to swallow...
I truly am sorry you didn't snejoy the show. Truly.
I'll be weighing-in on the show late-Monday / early-Tuesday.

I saw it Tuesday night, and have to agree with most of your comments. And why do all the male characters need to speak in falsely deep, booming voices? It's impossible to tell everyone apart, they all speak in the same stilted way.

Thanks for posting the link. I'll check it out.

Yes. They sit during each scene.

Do you think it has the power to stay until Nov. 12?

I'm with you yankeefan. Maybe I thought a little less of Brandi Burkhardt, and a little more of Natalie Toro, but pretty much have the exact same opinion. No other word for the sets but ugly, and I experienced a similar audience jumping to their feet for the ensemble. They seemed to respond to volume. Piece of junk.

I think that A Tale of Two Cities is boldly unnecessary. It's too like Les Miserables in story, premises, and even score and staging (though, obviously Les Miz has better quality music, story development, and the original staging credibility). There's only room for one crazy revolutionary France musical, and people love Les Miserables much more than A Tale of Two Cities. (Even though if you look at the original books, A Tale of Two Cities is much preferred)

I feel like I have to back myself up before I am called a shill in an unnecessary manor. I have been a member of this site long before Two Cities came to Broadway. I love this show and that is why I am defending it. And, I do feel that the word "shill" is thrown about a bit too lightly then it should be.

That being said, I respectfully disagree with what Yankeefan had to say about this show. I thought that the acting was well done. Toro and Barbour were the best acting wise of that show and the music was well done.

I know Les Miserables VERY well and can picture the blocking point for point when listing to any recording of the music. And, I must say that there is no blatant stealing of the act one closer from Les Miserables. Nor do they do anything that comes close to it.

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In what way do the Bastilles look exactly like the barricades from Les Miserables.

There are so many people on this forum who say things are exactly copied from Les Miserables to the point that the creators should sue when that isn't the case. And, that irks me to no end.

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All I am going to say is that what might seem as clear as day to some might not seem that way to others.

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What I meant was that I have read reviews where there were some people who said that some of the visual parts of the blocking were stolen from Les Miserables and that is a fact that is as bright as day. On the same token I have read reviews where people have said that they saw nothing in the blocking that was similar to Les Miserables at all.

What I meant by not everyone seeing the same thing was talking about some of the visual blocking of the show. I thought that was what you were talking about too and got confused until you clarified things in your last post.

I guess what bothers me the most is that because there seems to be more people who think that the blocking is a ripoff from Les Miserables then there are people who don't see it that way, they choose not to look at is as two different groups who have two different opinions. But, that they are right to say that Two Cities stole blocking from Les Miserables and that the people who don't see that are stupid to think otherwise. I feel like when it comes to art not everyone is going to see the same thing. That's what makes art art. But, you have to realize that people are going to have a different opinion then you are going to and just accept that and move on.

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