A Tale of Two Cities the Musical (Broadway version)

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

A Tale of Two Cities the Musical (Broadway version)

Jill Santoriello, Charles Dickens

Full Length Musical, Drama

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

Photo: Carol Rosegg

A Tale of Two Cities the Musical (Broadway version)

by  Jill Santoriello Charles Dickens

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A Tale of Two Cities the Musical (Broadway version)

OVERVIEW

  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature), Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    • Appropriate for all audiences
    • Adult
    • Teen (Age 14 - 18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding Broadway Musical
    Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
    Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
    Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Orchestrations
    Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical
Description
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 Miserables, Phantom, and Miss Saigon.
Keywords

Considerations

Performing Groups
  • High School/Secondary
  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre
  • Dinner Theatre
  • Professional Theatre
  • Outdoor
  • Large Stage
  • Church / Religious Groups
Cautions
  • Gun Shots
  • Mild Adult Themes

Licence details

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.


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Specifics

Details

  • Time Period: 18th Century
  • Duration: More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Additional Features: Not Applicable
  • Features / Contains: Period Costumes
Cast Attributes
  • Non-Traditional casting
  • Cross gender casting
  • Reduced casting (Doubling Possible)
  • Roles for Children
  • Room for Extras
  • Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)

DR. ALEXANDRE MANETTE - French docotor unjustly imprisoned in the Bastille for 17 years. Father of Lucie (Bari/tenow sings to a G)

LUCIE MANETTE - Manette's young daughter. Thought orphaned as a child. Loved by Darnay and Carton (Soprano sints 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 - 2 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 sing 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.

Casting Notes

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 ensmeble, 6 Men and 6 Women preferred for 3-part singing in places.

Music

  • Musical Style: Classic Broadway, Operetta
  • Vocal Demands: Moderate
  • Orchestra Size: Large
  • Chorus Size: Medium
Piano-Conductor

1 Reed I (Flute, Piccolo)
1 Reed II (Oboe, English Horn)
1 Reed III (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)
1 Reed IV (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)
1 Reed V (Bassoon, Contrabassoon)
1 Trumpet I (Doubling Piccolo Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
1 Trumpet II (Doubling Flugelhorn)
1 Horn I
1 Horn II
1 Tuba/Tbn.
1 Trombone 2
1 Percussion I (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 II (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 I
1 Keyboard II
1 Violin I
1 Violin II
1 Viola
1 Cello
1 Bass

Materials

Scripts

FORMATS AVAILABLE:
A Tale of Two Cities the Musical (Broadway version)

Want the full script?

Rent a digital perusal

Rehearsal Resources

Music Material Rental Packages Glyphs / UI / Tooltip

Full Package:

1 Conductor’s Score Act 1
1 Conductor's Score Act 2
1 Piano Vocal Score
30 Vocal Chorus Books

1 Reed I
1 Reed II
1 Reed III
1 Reed IV
1 Reed V
1 Trumpet I
1 Trumpet II
1 Horn I
1 Horn II
1 Tuba/Tbn.
1 Trombone 2
1 Percussion I
1 Percussion II
1 Keyboard I
1 Keyboard II
1 Violin I
1 Violin II
1 Viola
1 Cello
1 Bass

Piano Only Package:
1 Piano Vocal Score
30 Vocal Chorus Books

PERFORMANCE TRACKS AVAILABLE:
There are optional performance tracks available for an additional fee. Please contact your licensing representative for additional information. 


Additional Resources And Services Available

Digital Perusals

Media

Press

"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

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

Music Samples

Videos

  • JILL SANTORIELLO creates A TALE OF TWO CITIES ON BROADWAY

  • A Tale of Two Cities, The Musical Cast Interviews

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

More videos +

More

Authors

Jill Santoriello

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. A Tale of Two Cities also earned an Outer Critics nomination for the acclaim ...

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Author

Charles Dickens

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