Broadway's A Tale of Two Cities to Close November 16

A Tale of Two Cities, the $16 million musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel, will play its final performance on Sunday, November 16. At the time of closing, it will have played 33 preview and 68 regular performances.

Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, A Tale of Two Cities started previews at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre on August 19 and opened on September 18. Writing the music, lyrics and book, Jill Santoriello made her Broadway debut with the show. Featured in the cast are James Barbour as Sydney Carton, Brandi Burkhardt as Lucie Manette, Aaron Lazar as Charles Darnay, Gregg Edelman as Dr. Alexandre Manette, Kevin Earley as Earnest Defarge and Natalie Toro as Madame Therese Defarge.

Set against an epic backdrop of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities is a musical about injustice, vengeance and the redemptive power of love. 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.

Prior to playing on Broadway, A Tale of Two Cities was a sold-out hit at the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, Florida. Finding an audience on Broadway has been more difficult; last week, the show reported playing to a capacity of just 44.51%. With the closing notice, which painted the show as a victim of the recent recession and stock market decline, producers announced plans to prepare a national tour.

Broadway.com followed A Tale of Two Cities from rehearsals to opening night with a special video series.