A.C.T. to present special screening of Armistead Maupin’s TALES OF THE CITY, THE MUSICAL

Photo credit: Kevin Berne

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will present a special online screening of the record-breaking musical, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The Musical for one week only from 21-27 June 2021.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of its world premiere, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The Musical will stream on Broadway On Demand’s National Theater Network during San Francisco Pride Week.

On the bustling streets of 1970s San Francisco, neon lights pierce through the fog-drenched skies, disco music explodes from crowded nightclubs, and a wide- eyed Midwestern girl finds a new home—and creates a new kind of family—with the characters at 28 Barbary Lane.

With a libretto by Tony Award winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), the piece has music and lyrics by the Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears and John Garden, choreography by Larry Keigwin, and direction by Jason Moore (The Cher Show).

The show opened in June 2011 to critical and audience acclaim and became the highest-grossing musical production in A.C.T.’s history. Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The Musical is based on the first two novels in Armistead Maupin’s series—Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City and More Tales of the City.

Seen for the first time in its entirety, the fully-staged production (captured during its original 2011 run with multiple cameras before a live audience) features a cast of 21, including Tony Award winner Judy Kaye (Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera), Betsy Wolfe (Waitress, Falsettos), Wesley Taylor (Rock of Ages, SpongeBob SquarePants), Mary Birdsong (“The Descendants,” “Reno 911!”), Tony Award nominee Manoel Felciano (To Kill a Mockingbird, Sweeney Todd), and Josh Breckenridge (Come From Away, Scottsboro Boys).

Completing the cast are: Keith A. Bearden, Jessica Coker, Kristoffer Cusick, Diane J. Findlay, Alex Hsu, Kimberly Jensen, Patrick Lane, Stuart Marland, Jeff McLean, Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone, Pamela Myers, Richard Poe, Julie Reiber, Andrew Samonsky, and Josh Walden.

In addition to the online screening, A.C.T. is filming a special conversation with Pam MacKinnon and Tony Award nominee Mx. Justin Vivian Bond, who made history as the first actor who identifies as transgender to play a trans character on Broadway during the one-night-only 2017 benefit concert of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The Musical in the role of Mrs. Madrigal. The discussion will be free and available to ticket holders. The conversation will discuss the changes in casting over the past 10 years and highlight the importance of representation and diversity in theater.

Artistic Director Pam McKinnon said: “As San Francisco returns and we celebrate Pride anew this month, I’m thrilled to have A.C.T.’s beloved musical and Armistead Maupin’s characters be part of the celebration. This is a show that deserved a longer life. We’re grateful to have this simple but beautiful archival capture that represents the city, where we were, and who we can be.”

The creative team for Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, The Musical includes set designer Douglas W. Schmidt, costume designer Beaver Bauer, lighting designer Robert Wierzel, sound designer John Shivers, orchestrator Bruce Coughlin, musical supervisor Carmel Dean, arrangers Stephen Oremus and Carmel Dean, and musical director Cian McCarthy.

For more information and to book, please click here.