Debut Set for ‘Tales of the City’ Musical

By PATRICK HEALY
March 31, 2010, 10:51 am

The world premiere of the musical “Tales of the City,” adapted from two books by Armistead Maupin, will take place next spring at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, the theater has announced.

Drawing on the exploits of the characters Mary Ann, Mouse, Anna Madrigal, and others from “Tales of the City” and “More Tales of the City,” set in 1970s San Francisco, the musical features a score and lyrics by Jake Shears and John Garden of the rock band Scissor Sisters and a book by Jeff Whitty (a Tony Award winner for “Avenue Q”), and will be directed by Jason Moore (“Shrek the Musical,” “Avenue Q”).

The production is scheduled to run May 17-July 10, 2011. According to a statement from the theater, the creative team has been working on the musical for more than two years, with Mr. Maupin’s blessing.

“I’ve always believed that a theatrical version of Tales should be homegrown in San Francisco, just the way the story itself was back in 1976,” Mr. Maupin said in the statement. “I trust this company to be faithful to the spirit of the material and to transfer it to another medium with charm and inventiveness.”

“Tales of the City” is the first musical project of Mr. Shears, the front man of Scissor Sisters, who said in the statement that the books are a rite of passage for many teenagers and that “I so identify the ‘Tales’ with my youth.”

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/debut-set-for-tales-of-the-city-musical/