A Tale of Two Cities to close on 16 Nov

The Broadway musical, A Tale of Two Cities, based on Charles Dickens' classic novel, featuring book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello, has posted early closing notices, and will play its final performance on 16 Nov 2008.

When the show closes it will have played 33 previews and 68 regular performances.

The musical opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 18 Sep 2008, following previews from 19 Aug and was originally booking through to 1 Mar 2009.

The show opened to mostly negative reviews: "To say it could have been worse is not a cause for rejoicing." (NY Times); "An uneventful 2 3/4 hours of your time." (NY Daily News); "IT was the worst of times ." (NY Post); "A workmanlike but uninspired musical." (Star-Leder); "It is a far, far better musical than many of the unmemorable ones that are still running." (NY Theatre Guide).

The show's producers say the closure has been caused by the "recent recession and stock market decline."

A Tale of Two Cities: 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.

Directed and Choreographed by Warren Carlyle, A Tale of Two Cities features James Barbour (Sydney Carton), Craig Bennett (Jerry Cruncher), Joe Cassidy (Ernest Defarge), Michael Hayward-Jones (Jarvis Lorry), Derek Keeling (Charles Darnay), Katherine McGrath (Miss Pross), Jessica Rush (Lucie Manette), Alex Santoriello (Dr. Manette), Natalie Toro (Madame Defarge) and Nick Wyman (John Barsad).

The musical's ensemble features Janine DiVita, Kevin Greene, Tim Hartman, Jodie Langel, Jay Lusteck, Les Minski, Walter Winston Oneil, Rob Richardson, Rebecca Robbins and Wayne Schroder.

Warren Carlyle choreographed the musicals world premiere at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, where it ran from 13 Oct - 18 Oct 2008. That production was directed by Michael Donald Edwards, the Asolo Repertory Theatre's artistic director. The musical is designed by Tony Walton (scenery), David Zinn (costumes), Richard Pilbrow (lights) and, Carl Casella and Domonic Sack (sound).