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A Tale of Two Cities Reviews
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| 46 |
A Tale of Two Cities - a definite MUST SEE Review by: , Sep 28, 2008 |
Please see this show for yourself. The music is wonderful. Jill Santoriello, the writer, composer and lyrist has done a brilliant job.
The actors are all exceptional. James Barbour, perhaps the greatest contemporary male voice on Broadway, is amazing.
Entertaining! Moving! And I will be going again! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Tourists, Adults
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| 47 |
Cirtics 0 -Audience 10 Review by: ld, Sep 28, 2008 |
Wow! This show has everything- plot (Thanks to Dickens),original music,wonderful costumes, a clever set,a full orchestra and an unforgettable performance by James Barbour. A Broadway Musical and then some! Only thing lacking- sterling reviews from our friends at the major newspapers. What a shame. They must have seen another show. When the curtain came down after Mr. Barbour spoke Dickens'final words, "Its a far, far better thing...", the ... read more audience was on their feet instantly!
Go, relax, enjoy. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Seniors, Tourists
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| 48 |
Absolutely wonderful! Review by: Chrissy, Sep 27, 2008 |
| I think this show is beyond incredible! I've seen it twice already and I still can't believe how powerful it is. Next time I have to remember to bring a box of tissues. I'm usually not one for dramas, but this is done so well and the acting is superb that I could honestly see it every night. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| 49 |
Enchanting. Review by: Bill, Sep 26, 2008 |
| We saw the show at the Asolo in Sarasota and thought it was brilliant. The music was magical as were the costumes, set and the entire production. The reviews since it opened in New York just don't give it justice. It is not an imitation of Les Miz and doesn't try to be. The only disappointing part was the ending which was a bit flat. Hopefully it was changed by the time it opened in New York. It is enchanting. A must see. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Romantic Date, Tourists, Adults
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Extraordinary show Review by: Les, Sep 24, 2008 |
| This show was one of the best musicals I've seen in years. Maybe not as good as Les Miz, but then again what is. I don't know what show the NY Times reviewer saw before writing his comments but he was way off base. I just hope that the show is not destroyed by the bad review. I would encourage everyone to see it. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 51 |
Review by: dengy, Sep 23, 2008 |
| I saw A Tale of Two Cities during previews and thought it was wonderful. I also heard from someone who saw it twice already that it just gets better. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family
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| 52 |
Review by: regularjoe, Sep 23, 2008 |
| Critics seem to collectively want this show to fail. Why? Because it is set during the same time as Les Mis? Please don't listen to grouchy critics who all have a chip on their shoulder for some reason. See the show yourself and then judge. The music is powerful, the story is a classic... The scenery is great and the performers are all very talented. Broadway needs an epic here and after the show, you'll give the cast a standing-O. Isn't ... read more that what the majority of the general paying public wants? To feel good about the story, enthusiastic about the entertainment and enjoy talented musical performers? I know I did (twice) and have not tired of it. Go see for yourself why this show belongs in Broadway. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Business Assoc.
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| 53 |
Terrific show; Times critic off the mark! Review by: Theater-gal, Sep 22, 2008 |
| We were enchanted by this show, thoroughly entertained. Cannot understand why the NY Times critic panned the show. Yes it is generically like Les Miz, but only if you cannot imagine another show based on French history. The audience loved the show and gave it a standing ovation. We enjoyed the story so much that we got our copy of Dickens off the shelf and reread it. She did a splendid job with this adaptation. The cast is very ... read more good and brought tears to our eyes. It's wonderful entertainment and shows that critics are out of touch with the publics' reception. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 54 |
Magical night at the theater Review by: GraceA, Sep 22, 2008 |
| I saw a Tale of Two Cities on Saturday and, in common with everyone else in the audience, I loved it. I am a major Dickens fan and can recite whole passages of my favorite novels by heart. I thought that "Tale" would be a particularly difficult narrative to pull off, but the playwright, director, librettist and performers did an outstanding job. The convoluted novel plot was not only easy to follow but the complex issue of a revolution ... read more with no heroes, just different types of victims, was moving and had a strong message for today's complicated political landscape. I strongly recommend that everyone see this play. It combines both thought provoking narrative, excellent acting and welcome distraction as we live through our own national "best and worst of times." |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Large Group
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Seniors
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| 55 |
What Talent!!!! Review by: , Sep 22, 2008 |
What were the critics thinking when they didn't give A Tale of Two cities the rave review it deserved?
One of the best shows to be seen on Broadway this season. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 56 |
Tremendous cast Review by: Theatermaniac, Sep 22, 2008 |
| I saw the show with my husband and son and we all enjoyed it. The actors were all good and James Barbour was excellent. The critics got it wrong. This is a good show. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| 57 |
A FAR BETTER SHOW THAN THE CRITICS FELT! Review by: Beth M, Sep 22, 2008 |
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
By Beth Mandelbaum
It was an odd feeling seeing the matinee of A Tale of Two Cities the day after it was “guillotined” by one critic after another. I was really routing for a cast which had just received such a blow.
While not a perfect or unflawed musical, I would like to sing its praises. First and foremost, I did not find it to be a pastiche or spin-off of Les Miserables, as the critics have been saying. ... read more Les Miz would have to be an inevitable point of comparison because these two musicals have many themes in common: both are set during a major revolution in France (though A Tale is partly set in England as well); both involve the theme of great social injustices and major class divisions, in which the wealthy held great power over the poorer people, who suffered abuse and cruelty. Both are about the fight for the rights of the common man and the overthrow the elite aristocracy; the themes of unrequited love; a major protagonist with a secret from his past; the need to put the fight for their cause above home and family; and both have “Christ like” heroes who do extraordinary things to keep families that they care deeply about together.
And while the critics essentially dismissed the 20 year effort on the part of newcomer to Broadway Jill Santoriello, who wrote the book, music and lyrics to A Tale of Two Cities, I felt that the work that she has done is both effective and courageous; and that she deserved far more respect and praise, despite the definite flaws that exist, because to me, they are outshined by a great deal of good.
My main criticism of the show is that the first act seemed too long. There were a few scenes that I feel should have been cut down and sharpened. I also found the opening of the second act, an odd dance in which large puppets representing King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette are captured and put to death, to be a weak spot, and actually made me think back for a moment to the worst show I think I have ever seen that I can remember, The Times They Are A Changin, which had bizarre circus like imagery integrated into dance. But I have to say that I find all of this forgivable
I should share that, unlike our current critics and some of the theater going public, I have always been a big fan of what is been criticized as being a “retro poperetta.” By this people are referring to the style of musical that goes back to the period in theater history, which began to flourish in the 1980’s, and which initially was defined by European imports such as Les Miserables itself, Miss Saigon, and Phantom of the Opera. Others such as The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jekyll and Hyde followed suit. These musicals tended to be large scale, multi-character epics, which were often dark and which had lush romantic scores. For many, musicals of this genre have fallen out of fashion and so a musical such as a Tale of Two Cities now seems like a throw-back to the 1980s, out of place, and essentially not welcome by many. I would say that I appreciated those critics who were very upfront about not being fans of Les Miserables, to which A Tale of Two Cities has been consistently compared.
Given its overall theme, A Tale of Two Cities is inevitably what I call a “populist” musical, a tale of about the people’s cause. And for me there seems to be an analogy in what I have read and overheard, which is that despite the negative reactions of the critics, the audiences generally seem to be very taken by this show. Many audience members at the performance that I attended, which was this past Saturday, the 20th, had extremely positive responses and many were extremely puzzled as to why the show had been, essentially, “panned.” When I spoke to several ushers, they confirmed that audiences have been giving the musical standing ovations and cheering the cast (as did the audience yesterday) and have seemed generally to love the show. So perhaps this is a musical of the people in more ways than one.
I feel extremely fortunate to have learned that a “concept” CD of nearly all of the songs had been released in 2002, as the show had begun in workshop and recording studio formats before it was ever turned into a full scale musical. I was able to purchase it in advance of seeing the show. I listened to this 23 track CD twice and found myself surprisingly enamored of much of this score, though a few of the songs that weren’t to my personal taste. But overall, I was quite impressed. Both times I listened, I found myself in tears during the latter tracks, as this story becomes increasingly dramatic, sad and dark, though it ends on a note of genuine light. A Tale of Two Cities includes quite a number of very moving, beautiful and stirring songs expressing a variety of emotions which touched my heart and which certainly carry the plot well. And since my third hearing of the songs while seeing the show, parts of them are happily floating in my mind.
Moreover, A Tale of Two Cities is an ideal book to adapt for the stage and to musicalize, as it has an extremely compelling, and actually rather timely story, with an abundance of plot detail (perhaps a bit too much!), and many diverse and intriguing characters. Ms. Santoriello has done a very fine job of telling the story in a way that is comprehensible rather than confusing. I was especially struck by her technique of integrating both “flash backs” and “re-enactments” of significant scenes within present ones, which really made this highly complicated story easier to follow and also added dramatic flair. This musical offers a fine exposure to one of the masterpieces of English literature. I think that it would be excellent if teachers brought classes studying Dickens or The French Revolution to see the show.
A Tale has an exceptionally fine cast, including the magnetic baritone James Barbour, whose work as the leading man in the musical Jane Eyre and in a supporting role in Assassins I greatly admired. Other fine cast members include Aaron Laazar, who I saw in The Light in the Piazza and the 2006 revival of Les Miserables, Brandi Burkhardt who is making her Broadway debut, Gregg Edelman, who was wonderful in Wonderful Town, Natalie Turo, who is on the concept CD playing the famous revolutionary Madame Defarge, a role which she powerfully repeats in the current production, and the character actress Katherine McGrath, who played Marian Paroo’s mother in the revival of The Music Man.
No one can know what the fate of A Tale of Two Cities will be on Broadway. It remains to be seen whether positive word of mouth and postings by audience members can help this musical to run.
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Seniors, Tourists
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| 58 |
Amazing show! A classic sweeping epic done well to music! Review by: stagedoor22, Sep 21, 2008 |
| I saw this show Friday night. I LOVED it! It's a great story. To see it come alive on stage was my Broadway highlight for this year. Wonderfully talented cast..beautiful voices, great comedic moments. I laughed, I cried, and I felt for the characters. The songs moved the story and provided so much to the emotion of the characters. Really enjoyed Barbour, Toro, Berkhardt, McGrath and Wyman. The set is one of the most imaginative I've seen. ... read more I don't know how many pieces there were, but it looked like there were just a few that were turned and connected to the others to create different scene venues. I liked how they moved with the characters in the transitions! Gorgeous period costumes! This is without a doubt, one of my all time favorite shows. I will definitely be seeing it again. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Business Assoc.
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| 59 |
Absolutely superb Review by: Sandy, Sep 21, 2008 |
| This was an absolutely incredible evening's theatre.All eight of us thoroughly enjoyed it. The story, the music, the acting, the singing, the design and the costumes are simply superb. Don't miss this extraordinary TALE.A must see and a show to bring your friends too. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
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| 60 |
What show were they reviewing?? Review by: Tony, Sep 21, 2008 |
| SO glad we bought our tickets for 'Tale' before the reviews came out! We would have missed out on a great evening of theater had we listened to the critics. Completely off the mark, in my opinion. One said the music was 'recitative.' Is he kidding? Perhaps some of these 'critics' have forgotten what beautiful new melodies are like, being that so few shows on Broadway these days have any. Great music and equally great performances. Is it perfect? ... read more No. What show is? Is it better than most of the shows on Broadway these days? Definitely! Well worth my money. That's for sure. My thanks to Ms. Santoriello for breathing new life into the 'stale' NYC theater. I've seen enough revivals here to last a lifetime. Just look to your left! How many shows are 'new' or not a movie made into a musical? Many are even based on movie musicals using the same music! This is a show with NEW melodic and very powerful music! Wow! What a concept! The show got a spontaneous standing ovation the night I saw it and I've heard that it has had one every night. Incredible, isn't it? Maybe the critics are just not in touch with the hearts of the people these days. Hmmm...sounds like our politicians! Judging from my observation, I can only guess that Ms. Santoriello didn't pay anybody off! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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