Image from www.newyorktheatre.com

Rating: 3 out of 5 masks

It’s been awhile since Broadway has seen a new musical that is well, huge.  Huge vocals, sets, storyline, etc.  And with the arrival of A Tale of Two Cities, we have it all.

If you’re not familiar with the story, I would suggest reading the book it’s based on first.  I doubt I could do justice to the book by doing a good summary.  But if you need something, it’s basically one of the most famous love triangles in all of literature set against the French Revolution.

Contrary to my process, I did my research of the show prior to seeing it.  The fact that a Charles Dickens novel is being made into a musical (other than A Christmas Carol) intrigued me.  I was sort of excited to see the set, which I knew would be moved by the actors themselves.  It reminded me of the musicals I saw when I was younger where the sets were moved around by people, rather than electronics.  You couldn’t get anymore “old school” than that.  I liked the backdrop and how it was lighted differently at various moments to help set the scene.  The most interesting was the lighting, especially the “cobblestone” effect onstage.  It really reminds you of when it takes place, although I thought there were a few scenes that really didn’t need it.

Image from www.maninchair.com

I thought James Barbour was excellent.  He was definitely the best of all the actors in terms of presence and singing.  I actually believed his growth and struggle as Sydney Carton.  The other actors were pretty good, expecially Natalie Toro.  I liked that there was some, but not too much, humor in the show as it helps one to absorb the dark subject matter easily.

I was glad I was able to understand the plot and the many characters’ roles.  Unfortunately, not one of the songs stuck with me long after it was over.  I do remember thinking that they were good and each were appropriate to whatever scene they were in.

Considering the subject matter, I would recomend this show only to teens and up.  It’s enjoyable for those who are fans of huge, grand musicals and Dickens.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes w/1 intermission