I Finally Saw "Bridges Of Madison County"- Page 4

[Melissa25]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 12:11am

Hey jdrye, I completely agree with you about Whitney. I too hope she's nominated but that would be a long shot. I can't wait to hear more from this woman.

[musikman]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 10:40am

At the show on Tuesday night, you could definitely hear some throat clearing and minor coughs from Steven, so perhaps they're sharing/both getting colds. Hey, it's life.


Would never have known, though. They both sounded as glorious and pristine as they did in previews.

[fionaandcake]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 11:23am

Elena was incredible in the show last night! She didn't miss a beat, even with all the changes to the show since she played the role in Williamstown. Looking around, if anyone was initially disappointed that Kelli was out for the night, they weren't by the end of the first act, and the tears streaming down many faces by the end of the show solidified it. Elena can not only carry a Broadway show, but absolutely transform herself, leaving an audience heartbroken and in love at the same time. Her voice sounds better than ever, and her comedic timing is on point. The chemistry she has with Steven is palpable, it's like they've been playing opposite one another from the beginning of the show's run. I can't help but think that more tickets would be sold with Elena in this role permanently.

[thebeautyis3]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 11:37am

I'm sure Elena was great, but if four-time Tony nominee/Broadway favorite Kelli O'Hara isn't selling tickets in a role written specifically for her, then a woman whose biggest role to date has been "nun to the left of Audra McDonald in that Sound of Music live mess" certainly would not sell tickets. (For the record, I've been a fan of Shaddow's since La Cage, but come on.)

[fionaandcake]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 11:53am

If you really are a "fan" you'd know that just because it was on TV, that was hardly her biggest role to date. I'm beginning to think that die hard fans of Kelli are just blinded by their devotion to her, and don't like to hear that someone could actually play a role as well as, if not better than she can. Maybe the shine is off this diamond. Time to make room for new talent.

[nicnyc]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 12:05pm

I've already seen Kelli i the role - but had I not had surgery this Tuesday, I would have run down to see the show again when it was announced Elena was going on. I've heard great things about the Williamstown production so I would actually really have like the chance to see Elena opposite Steven Pasquale (who for me was the more crucial performance in my first viewing).

Updated On: 4/25/14 at 12:05 PM

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 12:08pm

I have never seen Kelli in anything else, so I think I went into “Bridges” with a fairly blank slate in regards to her, and found her performance to be absolutely wonderful. One of the most moving performances by an actress I have seen in a long time. I certainly don’t think that there is any “shine off this diamond.”

And, considering the rave reviews by both critics and audience members that Kelli has received, I don’t think it’s her performance that is keeping ticket sales low (in fact, I think it is likely the excellent word of mouth about her and Steven’s performances that are the reasons people are coming to the show). I am sure that Elena is great in the role, but I think it’s a little ridiculous to assert that she would boost ticket sales when someone with a bigger Broadway name is currently getting raves in the role. It’d be one thing if many were thinking the show would be good if it weren’t for its leading lady, but it’s actually quite the opposite: many feel that it’s O’Hara’s performance that elevates the show so much.

[thebeautyis3]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 12:09pm

Calm down. I didn't say she couldn't play the role as well. I'm just saying that if Kelli (who is a much bigger "name" than Elena, whether that's fair or not) isn't putting butts in seats, Elena wouldn't be either.

[fionaandcake]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 12:17pm

All I'm saying is, with the core group of leading ladies who have covered most of the leading roles on Broadway over the past 5-10 years, it would be nice to see some fresh faces dominating the stage. Not speculating on sales boosts, just a nice change of pace and talent.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 12:18pm

Elena Shadow would not have made ticket sales any better. One of the major draws is Kelli O'Hara. One is a Broadway star, one is not.

"Maybe the shine is off this diamond. Time to make room for new talent."

Her getting universal critical praise, and getting nominated for every possible theater award says much, much differently. Kelli is incredible, shiny, and IS one of the major talents on Broadway.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 1:54pm

I also went into the show never hearing Kelli O'Hara live andi downloaded her solo albums immediately after. Her voice is pure gold. That's not saying that no one is better, but not only is Kelli a leading lady, she actually has the vocal talent to back up her name.

[fionaandcake]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:03pm

Updated On: 4/25/14 at 02:03 PM

[fionaandcake]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:30pm

For the record, I'm not trying to hate on Miss O'Hara in any way, I just think there are other equally talented performers out there who for whatever reason haven't had the exposure she has yet. Now look at these awesome pictures of slugs and have a great weekend.
http://www.boredpanda.com/snail-macro-photography-vyacheslav-mishchenko/

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 2:33pm

Kelli O'Hara Tony nominations: 5 (counting this year)
Elena Shaddow Tony nominations: 0

[BD80]

Posted: 4/25/14 at 8:15pm

This was simply the best musical I've seen in years.

Heartbreaking, moving, and performed to absolute perfection. It's head and shoulder above EVERY other show this season IMO. And the score is just sublime. I just hope it survives longer.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 1:10am

I saw the show tonight and loved everything about it. I thought Elena Shaddow was absolutely wonderful. Her voice is glorious, and her acting and chemistry with Steven were both incredible. Steven Pasquale was also great. His voice is so gorgeous, and everything he did seemed effortless. I also loved Hunter Foster and Whitney Bashor...I had seen Whitney sing "Another Life" back when JRB played 54 Below in November and I fell in love with the song then, and she sang it just as beautifully and emotionally tonight.

I honestly didn't expect to have as strong a reaction to the piece as I did, but I really adored every second of it. The score reminded me why I love Jason Robert Brown so much, it's intimate and emotional and feels so authentic to the setting and tone of the show as a whole. I hope they're able to rally and somehow find an audience because it really deserves to be seen (although it seemed pretty full tonight, at least downstairs).

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 1:19am

I also saw it tonight and actually really hated it. The first act started well but once the lovers met it became song after song of vamping on the will they/won't they/we know they will theme. Another Life was the highlight of the show, but otherwise I was very bored. I can't account for my complete inability to warm up to the characters, but I just really didn't care what happened to them. Most likely because I'm not all that into romances. But it becomes incredibly tedious to watch them kiss and have sex and declare their love for one another for most of the middle of the show. And then when Francesca's family finally returned I just couldn't care about whether she chose to stay with them or not. To me, the catalyst for the family's big fight seemed incredibly shoehorned in, and I found myself rolling my eyes at "Dontchu sass me, boy."

I can see why people will have loved it - it's in the vein of The Light in the Piazza, which I enjoyed. In both cases I wasn't as blown away by the score as everyone else was, which I suppose speaks to my taste. All in all for me it was just a tremendously boring, irritating show.

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 1:00pm

Haven't seen BRIDGES yet - but intriqued with the early comments re: not liking country or religious music? Violet has both of those & doesn't seem to be stopping it's popularity - but I understand what the postings are trying to express. I grew up with lots of country & gospel & there are certainly plenty of audience that are looking for Bway to represent a certain urban sophistication - not to mention a liberal base & Jewish crowd that may be wary of faulty Christian ethics? There have certainly been successful shows that have operated from these genres though. From what I have picked up, BRIDGES score is NOT very countrified - or am I wrong?

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 2:47pm

^You're not wrong. Some of the songs are folksy and Hunter Foster has a bit of a country twang, but like I said before it's not redneck country. They live in Iowa so of course some of them will have that accent. I'd say the values of family that come up are more southern than anything. The whole "You're Never Alone" song I feel like has a southern 'charm' to it, but never once did I hear pure country or even outright religious sounds from it.

I live in a country part of VA (unfortunately) and I 100% despise country music which is played here all the fricken time. This score doesn't turn me off at all. (:

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 2:53pm

There are many threads on here discussing the music, and the music is available for streaming and for sale on digital release. The music is beautiful, and there is only one song that deals with Jesus/God.

"Jewish crowd that may be wary of faulty Christian ethics?" Um...what?

[avyrocks]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 5:28pm

The music is gorgeous. There are only a few songs with a bit of a country-feel to it, but it is not really country (having lived in Nashville for a few years). It's more operatic, if anything. I'm atheist, and I've never liked country music. I didn't have even the slightest problem with the music from Bridges; in fact, it is one of my favorite scores! I had more of a problem with the music from Violet - too country/gospel for me.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 5:45pm

Kevin Kern made his debut today as Richard. Steven Pasquale's first absence and Kelli had returned.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 6:28pm

Hello gorgeous!

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 6:30pm

GAH!!!! I really want to see Kevin go on, but I can't make it tonight. Such a bummer.

ETA: I don't even know if he's going on tonight or if Stephen will be back, but if Kevin is on, someone PLEASE go and report back. Updated On: 4/26/14 at 06:30 PM

[mamaleh]

Posted: 4/27/14 at 1:05am

A friend who attended tonight's performance said Steven Pasquale performed this evening as usual and looked/sounded fine. She hadn't even known he'd been out this afternoon.