It Was The Best Of Times…

Recently while reading an email from playbill.com, I discovered that Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities has been made into a new musical. This is not the first time one of the at least seventeen novels has been musically staged. The Pickwick Papers was staged in London as Pickwick in 1965 and was most notable for the song, “If I Ruled the World.” A Christmas Carol has had several incarnations over the years. Dickens’ unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, also enjoyed success on Broadway in the 1980s. Drood is interesting because, like the novel, it was left unfinished leaving the audience to cast their votes upon whom the murderer is (another possibility for audience participation in theatre productions). Of course, the most popular musical based on a Dickens’ novel is Oliver!

It has been sometime since I have read A Tale of Two Cities. I do remember the character of Madame DeFarge (by name alone but she must be a memorable character). But, like Les Miserables, it is set during the time of the French Revolution. Reading some of the reviews from premiere stagings at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida it sounds like it could enjoy a decent run in New York (if not it will be “the worst of times” for those involved). You can read a synopsis of the show and listen to songs from the show at the website.

You can get tickets to see the new musical or other shows at TicketsNow Homepage

Jamy Shaffer