RIALTO CHATTER: 'Until Tomorrow' - 'TALE' Set for PBS Concert Staging?

The news today that the musical "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" will be presented in concert form at the Theater Royal in Brighton, England, in preparation for a future CD and broadcast on the PBS station WGBH-Boston would at present seem premature.

BWW received many phone calls today after the information began circulating around the rialto that 'TALE' was set to make a return for future broadcast and recording.

Since there was no official release that our office received we shook a few theatrical trees and found out that this is not yet confirmed and very early in the process to be taken for serious in relation to actual dates and such. Both WGBH-Boston and Brighton's Theater Royal had no confirmation of the actual concert taking place. While there would seem to be much excitement spinning around the idea of any potential performance, BWW cannot confirm any aspect of the event at this time. We'll of course keep you posted the minute we hear concrete facts on the matter.

Executive Producers Barbra Russell and Ron Sharpe closed Jill Santoriello's sweeping musical epic, "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" on Broadway on Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES played 33 previews and 60 regular performances during its short Broadway run. The musical starred James Barbour, Craig Bennett, Brandi Burkhardt, Kevin Earley, Gregg Edelman, Michael Hayward-Jones, Miles Kath, Aaron Lazar, Katherine McGrath, Les Minski, Catherine Missal, Natalie Toro and Nick Wyman.

Featured in the cast were Drew Aber, Catherine Brunell, Alison Cimmet, Jennifer Evans, William Thomas Evans, Randy Glass, Kevin Greene, Michael Halling, Tim Hartman, Fred Inkley, Georgi James, Miles Kath, Jay Lusteck, Raymond Jaramillo McLeod, Catherine Missal, James Moye, Walter Winston Oneil, Dan Petrotta, Devin Richards, Rob Richardson, Rebecca Robbins, Jennifer Smith, Anne Tolpegin, Eric Van Tielen, Mollie Vogt-Welch, and Alison Walla.

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.

The show's book, music and lyrics are by Jill Santoriello. Warren Carlyle directed and choreographed the musical on Broadway.

The designers wereTony Walton (scenery), David Zinn (costumes), Richard Pilbrow (lights), Carl Casella and Domonic Sack (sound), Tom Watson (Hair), Jon Carter (Makeup) and Gregory Meeh (Special Effects Design). Orchestrations and arrangements were by Edward B. Kessel with additional arrangements by Bob Krogstad, Wendy Bobbitt Cavett and Kevin Stites.

Originally produced in an out-of-town tryout at the Asolo Repertory Theatre where it played to standing-room-only audiences, "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" was produced on Broadway by Barbra Russell, Ron Sharpe Bernard Brogan, Sharon A. Fordham, Theatre Associates David Sonnenberg/Rami Evar, The Monagle Group, Joseph J. Grano, Fanok Entertainment, Mary E. Laminack, Nancy & Paul Audet, Jim Barry, Gasperino Entertainment, Vincent Russell, William M. Broderick, Alex Santoriello in association with David Bryant, Spencer Brody, Harry Casey.

Brimming with history, the Theatre Royal Bath is one of the oldest and most beautiful theatres in Britain. Comprising three auditoria, the Main House, Ustinov and the egg theatre for children and young people, a wonderfully varied programme of top quality entertainment is on offer all year round.

WGBH first hit the airwaves with a live 1951 radio performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Today, WGBH informs, inspires, and entertains millions of people not only in Boston, but across the country and around the world. WGBH is public service media for New England--on TV, radio, the Web, and out in the community. WGBH is the single largest producer of PBS prime-time and online programming, and a major source of programs heard on public radio from coast to coast. It is considered apioneer in educational multimedia and in media access technologies for people with hearing or vision loss.

Photo by Carol Rosegg.