W11, #3: Giving Voice to the Revolution

Along with several film adaptations over the years, Broadway has also given new life -- as a musical -- to the classic novel, "A Tale of Two Cities". Note: you can go to this link to see all of the Broadway musical's songs, read the lyrics, and listen to each song on the soundtrack.

Below are videos of 2 of the musical's songs taken from performer 'workshops' as the production prepared for its stage debut on Broadway. 

Challenge:

• Which song/lyrics best fits the 'character' -- Madame Defarge or Sydney Carton -- you read about and the overall themes each character represented? 
• 5+ sentences would be great.
• Note:  forgive the 'quality' of the videos.  Just listen; no need to watch.

The first clip -- showing performer Michelle Dawson as Madame Defarge -- is of a song entitled, "Out of Sight, Out of Mind":

The second clip -- showing performer James Barbour as Sydney Carton -- is of a song entitled, "Let Her Be a Child":

Comments

[Student #1]

In the song "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" Madme Defarge sings about her feelings of despair. This song fits Madame Defarges personality very well, this song talks about how the aristocrats only care about themselves. The song sounds very passionate and angry just like Madame Defarges feelings towards the Revolution. In this song Madame Defarges true feelings are being told. This song also says "here pain is never out of sight" Defarge feels that the peasants will always suffer unless they stand up for themselves. Defarge is planning a secret attack on the wealthy and some of the lyrics in this song talk about that.

[Student #2]

I have been to see only 2 musicals ever, one being Lion King when I was like 8 and it was great. Other being Avenue Q which was a raunchy kind of Sesame Street play with an adult humor, which was a lot better. So as far as musicals go I don' know much about them, but for me what stood out the most in Madame Degfarge’s song was Out of Sight, Out of Mind. After listening in class to it, and re-listening I found that this singer/ actress really put her heart and soul into the song. This makes this song catch my attention. It is as if the actresses put as much of her into the song as Madame Defarge puts herself into her knitting and the Revolution. If every actor could do this the way she puts her soul body and mind into the book and play, there would be a sold out house every night. I would be sure to go see that play then. (oh forgot to mention "multitude of faces" oh well he smiles)

[Student #3]

Madame Defarge's song "Out of Sight Out of Mind", in my opinion exactly replicates Madame Defarges' motives and mannerisms in the novel. Ms. Dawsons' voice fluxuated in volume and pitch which proved that some parts of the song might have been much more important than other parts. As I was listening to those certain spots of the song and reading those lyrics, I realized that those were the emotional high points in the story as well. Michelle Dawson understands and stresses upon the most important parts of the novel which portrays Madame Defarge well. Madame Defarge knew all that was going on considering she was sitting on the sidelines watching the game!

[Student #4]

I think the first song really shows Madame Defarge is a strong believer in the peasants and all the poor people to fight for respect. Through the song she is showing how the rich people don’t care where they live, adults or children, or where they sleep. The peasants aren’t even in the richer peoples thoughts and she doesn’t think that’s right, to live differently as well as being treated differently. She is saying they can’t just let them treat them how they are treating them. They are forced to live in a separate area and the rich act as if they don’t exsist and they shouldn’t take it. Madame Defarge says they are “out of sight out of mind” and shouldn’t be so to wait until they least expect it and fight and kill them. In the story Madame Defarge leads the revolutionaries by knitting the names and waiting until the moment she thinks is right to fight.

[Student #5]

I think the second clip represented Sydney Carton the best. The timing of this song was perfect and the lyrics fit well. “Let Her Be a Child” took place in Act II, where the audience has already taken note of the change of character that he goes through. Carton does love little Lucie and he only wants her to be happy and not to worry about the outside world that she has yet to experience. I think Carton feels that adults should be the ones to “wonder” and have grief. Lucie should enjoy her youth for now and “save grief for somewhere years from now just not today; not here.”

[Student #6]

Defarge's video seems more plausible. It starts off slowly, but both the music and her words increase in speed, force, and determination as the song progresses. This is in parallel with Tale of Two Cities' slow start leading to a hysterical revolution. Carton's revolves around innocence. While very true that the citizens ended up being as bloody and unfair as the oppressive upper class, I don't think it is a central point of the novel. Carton represented the "don't know, don't care" cynical mentality that vanished in him and the public as the story progressed. Defarge's represents the "awakening" of sorts.

[Student #7]

I think that Madame Defarge's song best describes her chracter rather than Carton's. Both of the lyrics fit each character in the sense of personality and development of the novel. But in Madame Defarge's solo the tone change of her voice and music helps show the audience her power in the revolution. My favorite lines in the song are IF WE DON'T COME TOO NEAR IT'S AS IF WE'RE NOT HERE.
AND THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR.
BUT OUT OF SIGHT WE HAVE THE ROOM TO PLAN
WE WATCH THEM FROM AFAR.
These lines are referring to the Jacques and women who knit that engrave the names and take notes. They always remain hidden to the Marquis and others giving them the advantage of being out of the Upper classes mind.

[Student #8]

I feel that Madame Defarge’s song fits her character better. It sort of reminds me of the scene when she was talking about exterminating the Manette’s and Darnay. She is a very powerful character and the song makes her seem that way if not more MANLY! The voice of the singer even as a woman seems very deep and masculine and if one was to imagine what Madame Defarge would sound like then this voice would fit perfectly. I don’t really know though if she would spend time singing while on a killing rampage. The song, voice, and lyrics sort of also reminded me about Defarge when the Marquis ran over Gaspard’s son. Defarge had said that it was better for the child to have died than lived a horrible life. As for Defarge’s wife, she is out of her mind but may not be out of sight (until she dies).

[Student #9]

I think the song and the lyrics represent Madame Defarge and her ascension throughout the play perfectly. The way the song starts off you might consider it to be a love or romance song, which I consider is how Madame Defarge seems to be innocent and not very harmful at the begging. Also how they’re spikes between the strong lyrics and the strong trumpets, which can mean a strong sense of patriotism, is like Madame Defarge. She constantly comes out of no where and steps up into control for a minute, then goes back into the shadows as a non important person. I have not completed the book but I plan on doing it tonight, so the way the song ends with the singer singing mind so softly after singing it strong twice makes me eager and curious how she plays a part in the end.

[Student #10]

The song and lyrics of "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" best fit the character of Madame Defarge. Defarge being a women of the revolution is best able to empathize with the poor. The song takes actual events from A Tale of Two Cities and translates them in to lyrics. When the Monseigneur runs over a poor child and acts as if he did a good deed lyricits tranlated it into
"GRIND THEM INTO THE GROUND
IT'S THE KIND THING TO DO
DEATH IS WELCOME RETREAT FROM THE SORROW THEY FIND"
Dawson sings passionatly about her hatred of the aristocracy just as Defarge passionatly acts out against them, refusing to help Lucy or her family because she married the aristocrat, Darnay. Defarge knits together pieces of the revolution as she sits whatching others being executed which is sung as
BUT OUT OF SIGHT WE HAVE THE ROOM TO PLAN
WE WATCH THEM FROM AFAR.
THEY WON'T SUSPECT
THAT SOON WE'LL SEE A DAY
WHEN THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE.
Defarge is determined for the revolution to occur and doesn't care if she is there to see it because she has no doubt that one day it will happen.

[Student #11]

I feel as if both of these songs really show the true mindeset of both of these characters. Madame Defarges song fits her character to perfection. Her song shows that she is willing to die for the sake of the revolution and as longs as the lower classes are out of sight thier dreams of a better world will finally become a reality. While Sydney Cartons song conveys exactly what the characters true feelings are of the world. He views the young girl as a beacon of hope for a better world. She symbolizes the future that Carton ultimatley sacrifices himself for, and I beleive that this song truly conveys the emotion that Carton feels as he realizes what he must do to make this world a better place for her.

[Student #12]

I think that the lyrics chosen for Madame Defarge's song fit more towards her character rather than those for Sydney Carton. As it begins I imagine a woman who is at peace with herself and shares compassion to those in the same situation she is in, but as the tempo speeds up I imagine a more powerful woman who could lead a revolutionary movement much like Madame Defarge does. The song shows how Madame Defarge changes throughout the novel, using a length of a few short lines. Slow and calm as it starts and fast and rapid as it ends is kind of how Madame Defarge was. She wasn't always calm, but she wasn't always vengeful either.

[Student #13]

I think Madam Defarge's song/lyrics work really well for her character. As she sings, her voice at first sounds smooth and calm, just as in the story she is first portrayed as a collected woman who is confident about her surroundings and from the lyrics you can tell she is wise and knowledgeable of the "best of times/worst of times" that they live in, as in the story she has this same personality. But as the song progresses you can see that she is passionate about the peasants and how they are being undermined by the wealthy. Her voice changes (As her personality is revealed and brought out more in the story) and becomes strong and determined. This really portrays her character well as it does in the story.

[Student #14]

I think that Madame Defarge’s song best suits her personality throughout the novel. Her character is very angry at the aristocrats and in the song it shows her singing about how one day they will notice them. In listening to Michelle Dawson’s voice, you can tell that she is very angry. The tone of her voice is exactly how you would expect Madame Defarge to sound. The song is all about misery and how she feels. This song shows much of what Madame Defarge is planning in this book.