'A Tale of Two Cities' sings on Broadway Sept. 18
NEW YORK—Jill Santoriello has been working on her stage version of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" for a long time -- since Ronald Reagan was president.
"I'm not going to tell you which term," says the woman who wrote the book, music and lyrics for the lavish musical set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. The production, directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, opens Sept. 18 at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Preview performances begin Aug. 19.
"I had been an old movie nut," said Santoriello, a former Showtime executive who, as a child, redirected that fascination toward musical theater after coming into New York from her suburban New Jersey home to see shows.
She was first drawn to "Wuthering Heights" as a subject to musicalize but found the story too depressing. Better to focus on Dickens' epic adventure -- the stories of aristocratic Charles Darnay, played by Aaron Lazar, and the dissolute Sydney Carton, portrayed by James Barbour, and how they intertwine, particularly when it concerned their love for Lucie Manette, played here by Brandi Burkhardt.
"A Tale of Two Cities" was staged at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Fla., last fall before finding its way to New York. "It has been a long journey," Santoriello acknowledged, but she never thought of giving up. "It has meant too much to me. I always felt that one day we would succeed."
For tickets to "A Tale of Two Cities," call Telecharge, 212-239-6200, or go online at http://www.telecharge.com. For more information on the show, visit the Web site http://www.talemusical.com.
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Broadway ticket availability and capsule reviews of shows as of July 21. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are available at the theaters' box offices for the shows listed. Details about how to obtain tickets appear at the end.
--"A Catered Affair." Faith Prince, Tom Wopat and Harvey Fierstein star in a new musical by Fierstein and John Bucchino about the complications involved for the parents of the bride in planning their daughter's wedding. Walter Kerr. Telecharge. Closes July 27.
--"A Chorus Line." Michael Bennett's classic musical about dancers auditioning for a big Broadway show is back. Gerald Schoenfeld. Telecharge. Closes Aug. 17.
--"August: Osage County." Tracy Letts' drama, a hit for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, concerns a venomous mother and her dealings with three daughters. Winner of the 2008 Tony Award for best play. Music Box. Telecharge.
--"Avenue Q." Love blossoms among the 20-something set -- a group that includes puppets -- in this very funny, adult musical comedy. Golden. Telecharge.
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--"Grease." A revival of the venerable musical celebrating 1950s high school and featuring stars chosen during the recent NBC television reality series. Brooks Atkinson. Ticketmaster.
--"Gypsy." A powerhouse Patti LuPone stars as the mother of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee in a revival of one of the greatest of all Broadway musicals. St. James. Telecharge.
--"Hairspray." The cult John Waters movie set in 1960s Baltimore has been turned into a hilarious, tuneful musical. Neil Simon. Ticketmaster.
--"In the Heights." The lively off-Broadway musical about Latino residents in an area of upper Manhattan called Washington Heights moves to Broadway. Winner of the 2008 Tony Award for best musical. Richard Rodgers. Ticketmaster.
--"Jersey Boys." The musical story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Winner of four 2006 Tonys including best musical. August Wilson. Telecharge. Difficult.
--"Jungle Fantasy." Cirque Dreams' latest theatrical, acrobatic creation. Broadway. Telecharge.
--"Legally Blonde." Laura Bell Bundy stars in this musical version of the Reese Witherspoon movie about a determined young woman who goes to Harvard Law School. Palace. Ticketmaster.
--"Mamma Mia!" The London musical sensation featuring the pop songs of ABBA makes it to Broadway. Die-hard ABBA fans will like it best. Winter Garden. Telecharge.
--"Mary Poppins." The world's most famous nanny comes to the stage after her great success as a P.L. Travers book and a Disney movie. New Amsterdam. Ticketmaster, a special Disney hot line, 212-307-4747.
--"Monty Python's Spamalot." A musical inspired by that demented film comedy, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Shubert. Telecharge.
--"South Pacific." Kelli O'Hara is nurse Nellie Forbush and Paulo Szot is French plantation owner Emile de Becque in a revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on one of the short stories in James A. Michener's "Tales of the South Pacific." Vivian Beaumont. Telecharge. Difficult.
--"Spring Awakening." A striking rock musical based on Frank Wedekind's classic drama about a dozen young people discovering their sexual identities. Music by Duncan Sheik. Book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Eugene O'Neill. Telecharge.
--"The 39 Steps." A stage adaptation by Patrick Barlow of Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 movie thriller about a man on the run. Four actors portray more than 150 roles. Cort. Telecharge.
--"The Lion King." Director Julie Taymor is a modern-day Merlin, creating a stage version of the Disney animated hit that makes you truly believe in the magic of theater. Minskoff. Ticketmaster, a special Disney hot line, 212-307-4747. Difficult on weekends.
--"The Little Mermaid." Disney's stage version of its popular animated film about a sea maiden who longs to live on land. Lunt-Fontanne. Ticketmaster, a special Disney hot line, 212-307-4747.
--"The Phantom of the Opera." The one with the chandelier. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical about a deformed composer who haunts the Paris Opera House is the prime, Grade A example of big Brit musical excess. But all the lavishness does have a purpose in Harold Prince's intelligent production, now the longest-running show in Broadway history. Majestic. Telecharge.
--"Thurgood." Laurence Fishburne stars as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in a one-man show written by George Stevens Jr. Booth. Telecharge. Closes Aug. 17.
--"title of show." Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell's little musical about writing a musical. An off-Broadway hit, the story has been expanded to include the show's move to Broadway. Lyceum. Telecharge.
--"Wicked." An ambitious, wildly popular musical about the witches in "The Wizard of Oz" as young women. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Gershwin. Ticketmaster. Difficult.
--"Xanadu." A fast, funny roller disco musical loosely adapted from the cult 1980s film. The cast features Kerry Butler, Cheyenne Jackson and Tony Roberts. Helen Hayes. Telecharge.
--"Young Frankenstein." Mel Brooks transfers his comedic monster mash of a movie from screen to stage -- only with more song and dance. Hilton. Ticketmaster.
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The Telecharge number is 212-239-6200 unless otherwise indicated. There is a $6.50 service charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies from $2.50 to $4 depending on method of delivery.
Ticketmaster is 212-307-4100. There is a $7 "convenience" charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies depending on method of delivery.
All theaters owned by Jujamcyn -- the St. James, Martin Beck, Virginia, Eugene O'Neill and the Walter Kerr -- have a $1.50 surcharge per ticket for theater restoration. Shows in Shubert theaters have a "facilities" surcharge of $1.25 per ticket.
Both Telecharge and Ticketmaster will provide information on specific seat locations. They also have toll-free numbers for theater ticket calls outside New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For Telecharge call 800-432-7250; for Ticketmaster call 800-755-4000.
The League of American Theaters and Producers has a special telephone line called the Broadway Line for information on most Broadway shows (except "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast") and how to purchase tickets. Calls must be made on a touch-tone phone. The number is 1-888-BROADWAY. The line also will provide information on Broadway touring productions. Consumers in the New York tri-state area may call 212-302-4111.
The TKTS booth in Times Square is currently in a temporary location just outside the New York Marriott Marquis hotel on West 46th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. It sells same-day discount tickets to Broadway, off-Broadway, music and dance productions. There is a $4 service charge per ticket. Cash or travelers checks only. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday evening performances, 3 p.m.-8 p.m.; matinees Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
The downtown TKTS booth is in the South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John Streets. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Credit cards are accepted at South Street.
Matinee tickets must be purchased at South Street Seaport the day before, meaning Wednesday matinee tickets are available Tuesday, Saturday matinee tickets are available Friday and Sunday matinee tickets are available Saturday.
A TKTS booth in downtown Brooklyn, located at 1 MetroTech Center (the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue), operates Monday through Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. for same-day evening performances and next-day matinee performances. Cash, credit cards and travelers checks accepted.
Full-price tickets and information on Broadway and off-Broadway shows are available at the Broadway Ticket Center, located on the east side of Broadway between 46th Street and 47th Street. There is a $4.50 service charge per ticket.
