In honor of Pride month, the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will stream for one week only Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City The Musical. Tickets, at varying prices, will be available to purchase online. The 2011 show will stream at Broadway On Demand’s National Theater Network.
Based on the first two novels – Tales of the City and More Tales of the City – in the much-beloved book series the 2011 musical to this day is still one of the A.C.T.’s highest grossing productions. With a book by Tony Award winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) and music and lyrics by the Scissors Sisters Jake Shears and John Garden, the musical is a love letter to San Francisco and the characters we know so well they feel like family. Directed by Jason Moore (Avenue Q, The Cher Show) the popular musical will stream as part of a 10th Anniversary event. Filmed in 2011 in front of a live audience the musical will stream from June 21- June 27th.
A.C.T. also mentions that “Tony Award nominee Mx. Justin Vivian Bond made history as the first actor who identifies as transgender to play a trans character on Broadway when they took on the role of Mrs. Madrigal for the one-night-only 2017 benefit concert of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The Musical.” Bond will join A.C.T. artistic director Pam MacKinnon in a conversation in conjunction with the streaming event. The discussion “will address the casting of cis-male and cis-female actors in trans roles in theater, the broadening evolution and practices over the past decade within the industry and will highlight the importance of trans representation and diversity in theater .”
So excited I saw history happen last night. Justin Vivian Bond Makes Broadway History with Tales of the City https://t.co/7Wk0wnnwDa
— Michael Barrett (@mbarrett_NY) March 28, 2017
The principal cast includes Betsy Wolfe as Mary Ann Singleton, Judy Kaye as Anna Madrigal, Wesley Taylor as Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, Mary Birdsong as Mona Ramsey, Manoel Felciano as Norman Neal Williams, Josh Breckenridge as Jon Fielding. Critic reviews of the show were mixed with The Guardian saying,
At its best, the evening exuberantly captures the sweeping current of transformation in Maupin’s work. As a portrait of the city at a particular time, however, Tales of the City is superficial.
Ticket prices begin at $19 with a Pride Party package available at $49. Tickets are available now here.
Sources: Theater Mania, American Conservatory Theater, The Guardian
