A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical (Broadway Version)

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical (Broadway Version)

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  5w, 9m, 1girl(s)

Book, Music and Lyrics by Jill Santoriello

Based on the novel by Charles Dickens

Based on Charles Dickens' masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities is a classic story about love, revolution and redemption. 

Image: 2008 Broadway Production (Carol Rosegg)

A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical (Broadway Version)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 9m, 1girl(s)
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences, Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: Three 2009 Drama Desk Awards
    Nominee: Two 2009 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding Broadway Musical
A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical (Broadway Version)

Details

Summary

Two men in love with the same woman. Two cities swept up in revolution. One last chance for a man to redeem his wasted life and change the world. Based on Charles Dickens' masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities is a musical that focuses on the love triangle between young beauty Lucie Manette, French aristocrat Charles Darnay and drunken English cynic Sydney Carton - all caught in the clutches of the bloody French Revolution. A Tale of Two Cities is the perfect addition to any theatre's season!

Appropriate for all ages and audiences, this classic story of love, revolution and redemption is what the Associated Press called “the return to the era of big blockbusters such as Les Misérables, Phantom and Miss Saigon.”

History
After its regional premiere the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida in October 2007, A Tale of Two Cities opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on September 18, 2008. Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, the production starred James Barbour and featured Brandi Burkhardt, Gregg Edelman, Aaron Lazar and Natalie Toro.

DR. ALEXANDRE MANETTE – French doctor unjustly imprisoned in the Bastille for 17 years. Father of Lucie (Bari/tenor, sings to a G)

LUCIE MANETTE – Manette's young daughter. Thought orphaned as a child. Loved by Darnay and Carton (Soprano, sings to Bb)

MR. JARVIS LORRY – English banker who adopts the Manettes as a surrogate family (non-singing)

MISS PROSS – Lucie Manette's no-nonsense English nanny and friend (singing optional)

JACQUES #1 AND 2/ ENSEMBLE – Two French peasants working toward revolution

GASPARD/ENSEMBLE – French peasant whose child is run down by the Marquis St. Evremonde (Baritone)

LITTLE GASPARD/ENSEMBLE – Gaspard's little boy, killed by the carriage of Marquis

MADAME THERESE DEFARGE – Patient wide of Defarge who supports his dream of revolution in France (Strong belt; must belt/mix to E)

ERNEST DEFARGE – Manette's old servant. Wine merchant and budding revolutionary (Bari-tenor, sings to G/optional A)

MARQUIS ST. EVREMONDE/ENSEMBLE – Predatory, immoral French aristocrat. Uncle to Darnay (Baritone, sings to F#)

GABELLE/ENSEMBLE – Servant to the Marquis. Friend to Darney (Baritone)

CHARLES DARNAY, aka EVREMONDE – Good-hearted, upstanding young French aristocrat. Marries Lucie (Bari-tenor, sings to Ab)

JOHN BARSAD – Turncoat English con-man and spy. In the pay of the Marquis (Baritone)

JERRY CRUNCHER – English off-job man for Mr. Lorry. Moonlights as a graverobber (Baritone)

SYDNEY CARTON – Drunken, careless English lawyer in love with Lucie Manette (Baritone, low G to G, 2 octaves)

STRYVER/ENSEMBLE – Blustering senior barrister; Carton's employer (Baritone)

ATTORNEY GENERAL/ENSEMBLE – Smug showman prosecuter in cahoots with Barsad against Darnay (Bass/Baritone)

CRONIES #1 AND #2/ENSEMBLE – Jerry Cruncher's shovel-wielding fellow graverobbers (solo singing)

MRS. CRUNCHER/ENSEMBLE – Jerry's prayerful, nervous spouse

LITTLE LUCIE – Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette's little girl (solo singing)

FRENCH PRESIDENT/ENSEMBLE – Presides over the Tribunal in Paris

YOUNG MAN/ENSEMBLE – Early to late teens, young peasant mortally wounded by the Marquis (Tenor, sings to A)

SEAMSTRESS/ENSEMBLE – Timid, young woman unjustly condemned to die on the guillotine (Lyric soprano, sings to D)

TRUNKEY/ENSEMBLE – Guard in the Parisian prison of La Force where Darnay is kept

In addition to the featured ensemble roles above, the following smaller roles should also be cast from the Ensemble:
BAILIFF, JUDGE, SOLDIER, YOUNG WOMAN, MARQUIS' BROTHER, MARQUISE DE GARON, CHILD, NUMBER KEEPER.

Note: There are 11 principle roles (7 men, 3 women, 1 little girl) and 9 featured ensemble roles. A minimum of 4 men and women are required for the ensemble (6 men and 6 women preferred for three-part singing in places).

A Tale of Two Cities can be performed with either a large cast or a smaller cast utilizing creative doubling. The Broadway cast featured 38 actors, but the show could be done effectively with as few as 15.

There are 11 Principle Roles (7 Men, 3 Women, 1 Little Girl) and 9 featured Ensemble roles. A minimum of 4 Men and Women are required for ensemble, 6 Men and 6 Women preferred for 3-part singing in places.

A Tale of Two Cities can be performed with either a large cast
or a smaller cast utilizing creative doubling. The Broadway cast
featured 38 actors, but the show could be done effectively with as few
as 15.

  • Time Period 18th Century
  • Setting London and Paris. 1775-1792.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Gun Shots
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“A Broadway must see! Everything is here to stir the soul—young love, purity, vengeance, villainy, valor—all played out against that historic revolution.” – The Connecticut Post

“The return to the era of big blockbusters such as Les Miserables, Phantom and Miss Saigon.” – The Associated Press

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

A Far, Far Better Show: Directing A Tale of Two Cities at the Hale Centre
by John J. Sweeney
February 4, 2020

Music, Tragedy, Love: The Story of A Tale of Two Cities
by Courtney Kochuba
August 13, 2019

27 Plays & Musicals for Book Lovers
by Annette Storckman
August 2, 2019

Music, Tragedy, Love: The Story of A TALE OF TWO CITIES
by Courtney Kochuba with Elizabeth Minski
March 13, 2015

Videos

  • JILL SANTORIELLO creates A TALE OF TWO CITIES ON BROADWAY youtube thumbnail

    JILL SANTORIELLO creates A TALE OF TWO CITIES ON BROADWAY

  • A Tale of Two Cities, The Musical Cast Interviews youtube thumbnail

    A Tale of Two Cities, The Musical Cast Interviews

  • A Tale Of Two Cities (Broadway) - Highlights from the PBS Special youtube thumbnail

    A Tale Of Two Cities (Broadway) - Highlights from the PBS Special

Music

Music Samples

ACT I

1 & 1A. “Prologue / Opening Act I, Part 1 and 2” – Dr. Manette, Lucie
1B. “Way It Ought to Be” – Madame Defarge, Ernest Defarge, Men and Women
2. “You’ll Never Be Alone” – Dr. Manette, Lucie
2A. “Transition to Marquis” – Instrumental
3. “The Argument” – Marquis, Darnay
4. “Dover” – Sailors, Pross, Cruncher
5. “Way It Ought to Be - London” – Sydney Carton
6. “No Honest Way" (SHO Ending) – Carton, Cruncher, Barsad, Ensemble
[6 ALT. “No Honest Way" (ALT with Button Ending) – Carton, Cruncher, Barsad, Ensemble]
7. “The Trial” – Attorney General, Stryver, Barsad, Ensemble
8. “Round and Round #1” – Ensemble
9. “Reflection” – Carton
9A. “Way it Ought to Be (Reprise)” – Madame
10. “Letter from Uncle” – Marquis
11. “The Promise” – Manette, Darnay
12. “Round & Round / Christmas Eve” – Carolers
13. “I Can’t Recall” – Carton
13A. “Into Graveyard” – Instrumental
14. “Resurrection Man” – Cruncher, Crony #1, Crony #2
14A. “Resurrection Man Playoff & Scene Change” – Instrumental
15. “Now At Last” – Darnay, Lucie
15A. “Wedding Underscore” – Instrumental
16. “If Dreams Came True” – Darnay, Carton
17. “King Louis’ Last Hurrah” – Instrumental
18. “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” – Madame Defarge
18A. “Transition to London” – Instrumental
19. “Gabelle’s Letter/I Always Knew" – Gabelle, Darnay
20. “Prayer / Little One" – Little Lucie, Carton, Gaspard, Defarge, Men
21. “Until Tomorrow” – Defarge, Carton, Ensemble

ACT II

22. “Everything Stays the Same” – Defarge, Madame, Ensemble
22A. “Into Barsad/Cruncher” – Instrumental
23. “No Honest (Reprise)” – Barsad
23A. “Pre-Tale” – Instrumental
24. “The Tale” – Madame, Manette, Young Man, Marquis, Ensemble
24A. “Post Tale” – Instrumental
24B. “Act 2 / Scene 4 Underscore” – Instrumental
25. “If Dreams Came True (Reprise #1)” – Carton, Darnay
25A. “Without a Word” – Lucie
[There is no 25B]
25C. “Bloody Pope” – Instrumental
26. “The Bluff” – Carton, Barsad
26A. “Madame Waltz” – Instrumental
26B. “Wind and Fire” – Instrumental
26C. “Act 2 Scene 8 Underscore” – Instrumental
27. “Way it Ought to Be (Reprise)/ Let Her Be a Child” – Carton, Little Lucie, Darnay +C17
27A. “Act II, Scene 9 Underscore” – Instrumental
27B. “If Dreams Prison Underscore” – Instrumental
27BB. “Conciergerie” – Instrumental
27C. “Seamstress Underscore” – Instrumental
27D. “After Seamstress Underscore” – Instrumental
28. “If Dreams Came True (Reprise #2: Carton’s Letter)” – Carton
28A. “Madame Murder” – Instrumental
28B. “Defarge/Madame Goodbye” – Defarge
28C. “Transition to Concorde” – Instrumental
29. “Finale: I Can’t Recall” – Seamstress, Carton, Ensemble
30. “Bows: Until Tomorrow” – Instrumental

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Operetta
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Large
  • Chorus Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
25   Vocal Books
1   Piano-Vocal (rehearsal)
1   Full Score (stick conductor)

1   Reed 1 – Piccolo & Flute
1   Reed 2 – Oboe & English Horn
1   Reed 3 – Clarinet & Bass Clarinet
1   Reed 4 – Clarinet & Bass Clarinet
1   Reed 5 – Bassoon & Contrabassoon
1   Trumpet 1 – dbl. Piccolo Trumpet & Flügelhorn
1   Trumpet 2 – dbl. Flügelhorn
1   Horn 1
1   Horn 2
1   Tuba/Tbn.
1   Trombone 2
1   Percussion 1 – Drum Kit, Low Field Snare, Triangle, Suspended Cymbal, Piatti, Tambourine, Splash Cymbal, Cowbell, Guiro, Castanets, Woodblock (low & high), Slapstick, Mark Tree, Sleigh Bells, 17" Cymbal, Ride Bell, Finger Cymbals, Bell tree, Bass Drum, Bells, Chimes, Claves & China Cymbal
1   Percussion 2 – Timpani, Suspended Cymbal, Triangle, Crash Cymbal, Tambourine, Ratchet, Vibraslap, Woodblock, Splash Cymbal, Slide Whistle, Slapstick, Mark Tree, Chimes, Bells, Piatti, Castanets, Bell Tree & Finger Cymbals
1   Keyboard 1
1   Keyboard 2
1   Violin 1
1   Violin 2
1   Viola
1   Cello
1   Bass

PERFORMANCE TRACKS AVAILABLE:
There are optional performance tracks available for an additional fee. Please contact your licensing representative for additional information.
25   Vocal Books
1   Piano-Vocal (rehearsal & performance)

Add-Ons

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Authors

Jill Santoriello

Jill Santoriello is the award-winning author of the Broadway musical A Tale of Two Cities (2008 Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding New Broadway Musical) and It Happened in Key West (London cast recording now available). A Tale of Two Cities also earned an Outer C ...

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Author

Charles Dickens

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