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Thanks to Gunn for pointing Man in Chair to the Sarasota Herald Tribune’s review of the Ansolo Theatre’s Broadway-bound musical, A Tale of Two Cities. A cursory internet search this morning seemed to indicate that this is the first (and only) review out there at the moment.
Jay Handelman’s overall take on the show is that it still needs some work before it will be a success on Broadway. But other than a need to be “more dramatically and emotionally compelling, mostly in the first act,” his review is pretty glowing:
“[Composer, Jill ] Santoriello has crafted some pretty melodies and a couple of comic patter songs, which are moving or fun and sometimes superfluous (like a tune about grave robbers, which doesn’t aid the story).”
“[James Barbour’s] rich baritone infuses every bit of whimsy, despair, hope and desire in the bitter “Reflection” and the tender “I Can’t Recall.” He captures your heart with his voice and his acting skills.”
“Natalie Toro, as the vengeful Madame Defarge…brings brute force and power to “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” and “The Tale,” which explains the bitterness she has been waiting years to unleash. Jessica Rush is the picture of a young ingenue with a sweet voice to match as Lucie, and Derek Keeling is dashing as Charles.”
“Nick Wyman as the dastardly John Barsad brings a touch of comic relief, as does Katherine McGrath as the heart-warming and sarcastic Miss Pross, Lucie’s caretaker.”
Look for more reviews (including mine) as they surface in the upcoming weeks.
Related Articles:
- Tale of Two Cities: The Barbour of Sarasota
- Tale of Two Cities: Sights, Sites & Sounds
- A Tale of Two Cities: Not a Trivial Pursuit
- Everyone Deserves a Second Chance...
I saw the play and loved it. The actors, sets, costumes were all amazing and at the conclusion of the play, many viewers were dabbing their eyes with kleenex (including me.)
The first act is long — a complicated story has to be set up, characters need to be established. Midway through the first act and through the entire second act, the story is emotionally engaging. I wish I could see it 10 more times; but alas I live on the southeast coast of Florida 3 hours from Sarasota. I have the concept recording. Some songs have been eliminated, some added, and some rearranged. I can’t wait to get the Broadway recording, mainly because James Barbour is utterly amazing as Sydney Carton. Go see this play!
Thanks for the comments, erdrag. I included a few of them here.
This magnificent and captivating production was performed with the utmost enthusiasm and passion! Talent and creativity take center stage, witty lyrics and unforgettable music guaranteed to stay with you weeks after you see it. This spectacular musical will never fall out of sight or out of mind.
I was at the evening performance on October 31, 2007 and I wanted to take a moment to say how very much I enjoyed the show. It was powerful and sweeping with many wonderful performances.
There were a few things I did not like and I’m sure may be looked into before the show moves to NYC. First off, while I enjoy the prologue behind the scrim at the beginning of the show I felt that projecting the name of the show on the black scrim is not something to be desired. It comes off as cheesy and not something one would see in a Broadway production. I would look into leaving that part out. The audience knows what show they’re there to see.
Secondly, while the song Resurrection Man is fun and very well performed it also seems jarring and an ill fit with the rest of the show. I completely understand the desire for a touch of levity in an otherwise heavy show but the number almost pops in out of nowhere. If you want to keep the song I would not only look into changing the design of the headstones (they appear almost cartoonish - especially when they begin to “dance”) and bring Mrs. Cruncher into the story some more. She’s in that number and then she’s gone. She’s never mentioned before the number and never mentioned after it’s over. She just pops in for a cameo appearance. A few lines of dialogue could easily rectify this. Have Jerry mention her once or twice. Just so that she doesn’t seem to appear out of nowhere. It could help if the audience already knows that Jerry has a wife who pesters him before the number begins.
Lastly, I felt that Jessica Rush took a bit too long to get into her character. While she is beautiful and has a voice to match there were many times I felt she was emotionally absent. The emotions of the songs were not being fully conveyed through the expressions on her face.
Now on to what I did like about the show. The score, the sets, and the costumes were very well done and I enjoyed them very much. The versatility of the sets made the show run very smoothly and one rarely really noticed that it was the cast moving the sets rather than some unseen stage crew. The score was beautiful and touching - truly fitting this piece of literature.
Of the performances there are a few I would like to highlight:
Natalie Toro - a fierce tigress. She makes the role her own and adds a sense of humanity to her character which is lacking in the book. Her voice is amazing and the energy with which she attacks her character is incomparable. This is her role and I can’t see anyone but her playing it on Broadway.
James Barbour - a wonder to behold. He brings the character of Sydney so much more compassion than Dickens allows him in the novel. His voice is absolutely tremendous and he captures the emotion of the show wonderfully. More than once he was able to bring a tear to my eye.
Derek Keeling - a great new talent. His portrayal of Charles is dashing and romantic. He’s able to play the loving husband and father with an ease that belies his young age. One would think that he actually was a father when watching his scenes with Little Lucie. The audience can feel how the decision on whether to save his friend or stay safe with his family is pulling him apart. He plays the perfect mirror image of Barbour’s Carton. The compassion with just a touch of naivete he brings adds so much to the production. He’s come such a long way since his days on Grease: You’re the One That I Want. As has his G:YTOTIW competitor Kevin Green who not only takes on the role of Gabelle but many others throughout the show.
Thank you Cloe and Kristen for the additional input.
Kristen also has a great myspace page about the show.