Barbour to Remain in 'Tale of Two Cities' Despite Sex Scandal

Producers of the new big-budget musical A Tale of Two Cities, which had its world premiere in Sarasota, Florida in October 2007, reportedly do not have plans on dropping James Barbour from his lead role - despite his recent guilty-plea for sexually-abusing a minor.

Michael Riedel of the New York Post states A Tale of Two Cities will "open on Broadway with Barbour as Sydney Carton, a dissolute British lawyer who winds up rescuing a French aristocrat from the guillotine. Last Thursday, Barbour…admitted to piloting [a] girl back to his dressing room during the 2001 run of Jane Eyre for a down-and-dirty grope session" and later admitted to further sexual contact with the minor a month later in his apartment.

A Tale of Two Cities will likely play another out-of-town try-out (perhaps Chicago or San Francisco) before setting its sights on The Great White Way early 2009.  In the meantime, Barbour has two concerts anticipated concerts at the Asolo Repertory Theater this weekend.

As "guilty," Barbour may be sentenced for 60 days in jail and 3 years probation by the Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday, February 29, 2008. 

Because it is ruled as a misdemeanor crime, he will not need to register as a sex offender.  Barbour recently appeared in the national tour and Hollywood Bowl productions of Camelot.  His past Broadway credits include Beauty and the Beast and Jane Eyre.

A Tale of Two Cities opened in Sarasota's Asolo Repertory Theatre on October 26 & 27, 2007 with an exclusive engagement through November 18, 2007.

The musical features a book, music and lyrics by Santoriello; directed by Michael Donald Edwards, choreographed by Warren Carlyle and designed by Tony Walton (scenery), David Zinn (costumes), Richard Pilbrow (lights), Carl Casella and Domonic Sack (sound).

"Set against the epic backdrop of the French Revolution and based on the classic Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities is a musical about injustice, vengeance and the redemptive power of love," described press notes, "When Dr. Manette is released from the French Bastille after 17 years, he must be resurrected from the brink of madness by his daughter, Lucie. In England they meet two very different men: the exiled French aristocrat, Charles Darnay, whom Lucie marries, and the drunken cynic, Sydney Carton. Soon family secrets and political intrigue combine to draw Lucie and her family back to Paris. At the height of the Reign of Terror, the musical finds an unlikely hero in Carton, inspired by love to make an extraordinary sacrifice."

The cast starred James Barbour (Sydney Carton), Craig Bennett (Jerry Cruncher), Joe Cassidy (Ernest Defarge), Janine DiVita (Young French Woman), Kevin Greene (Gabelle), Tim Hartman (The Turnkey), Michael Hayward-Jones (Jarvis Lorry), Derek Keeling (Charles Darnay), Jodie Langel (Mrs. Cruncher), Jay Lusteck (Attorney General), Katherine McGrath (Miss Pross), Les Minski (Marquis St. Evremonde), Walter Winston Oneil (Cronie), Rob Richardson (Gaspard), Rebecca Robbins (Vengeance), Jessica Rush (Lucie Manette), Alex Santoriello (Dr. Manette), Wayne Schroder (C.J. Stryver), Natalie Toro (Madame Defarge) and Nick Wyman (John Barsad), and Alex Howley, Kim Fanok, Karis Danish, Amy E. Gray, Marcus Denard Johnson, Heather Kopp, , Julie Lachance, Jennifer Logue, Bruce Merkle, Catherine Missal, Stephen Missal and Owen Teague.