BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY Reviews — Page 7

"Soundtrack" release? I hope you meant Cast Recording, and the release of a Cast Recording doesn't boost ticket sales. The producers usually just end up losing more money because of it, although it eventually pays for itself in its licensing and subsidiary afterlife. Years and years later.

"I don't understand why people aren't seeing it."

I will gladly sound like a broken record and say it again: there are only so many middle aged housewives with money. It's a rather small demographic to cater to.

I'll be really sad if this show closes prematurely. Steven Pasquale has an amazing voice and his singing of that beautiful Jason Robert Brown score alone was worth the price of admission. I would think Pasquale & Brown are both very deserving Tony nominees. I think the marketing did it a disservice - and I truly think it appeals to a much wider base than middle aged housewives. I've seen all the new musicals (If/Then, Rocky, Bridges, etc) and this was my favorite because of the score and Pasquale's performance. If/Then's plot was more suited to my age demographic etc - but the score and the performance did not grab me the way Bridges did.

To try to stop the show from closing prematurely, I think what needs to be done is bringing friends to the show (2nd, 3rd, 4th time). I feel like this show is not one that will be successful through mass marketing. Word of mouth is more effective.

^

Yep.

I wouldn't say that Brantley was entirely negative. It was nearly a love letter to O'Hara: "But then Ms. O’Hara would sing. And the field of corn that is this production’s backdrop would seem to turn into a labyrinthine, richly hued forest where a woman, and an audience, can get lost in ecstasy."

He did have a point about the townspeople, though.

---

Kelli is indeed wonderful and I think will win the Tony but In typical fashion Brantley was blindsided by his diva worship and I think couldn't focus on much else.

And I think that the townspeople being a little creepy is sort of the point. You aren't supposed to be rooting for Francesca to stay THERE...

I also want to mention Whitney Bashor who took my breathe away-- where did SHE come from?

I think if you are going to call this score derivative of PIAZZA- then you in turn have to call pieces of that score derivative of PARADE and SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD-

I understand why some feel Brown and Guettel are stylistically similar but no-musically they really aren't.

Updated On: 3/28/14 at 10:46 AM

"I will gladly sound like a broken record and say it again: there are only so many middle aged housewives with money. It's a rather small demographic to cater to."

The book came out in 1992, so the "middle aged housewives" who originally fell for the story would now be in their 60's. I think the real problem with the story is that its time has passed. If this had come out shortly after the film, I think it would have been a hit. But hyper-romantic melodramas have a short shelf life. It's like a film you see that produces this big emotional response, but on re-watching you realize what manipulative drek it really is.

I thought Kelli O'Hara might be a big enough star to keep this playing for a good while, but I was wrong. If they'd had a bigger star or a better show (that got rave reviews and loads of Tonys), this probably would have succeeded. But for the show to pull out of the box office trough it's in will be very difficult indeed.

Updated On: 3/28/14 at 11:07 AM

Opening in late April or right before the cutoff would have helped immensely.

---

^ True that.

Most people aren't I don't think, just the people who have no idea what they are talking about. Like, people who haven't seen the show and are just assuming things.

^I know there are different perspectives. I think I'm talking about more in the way of people just assuming what it is rather than going to see it and understanding it.

Many times it is a simple dollars and cents issue

As stated above, no one has the money to see everything. This being the case, people may have to choose between one show or another. Sometimes economics and not critics kill a good show.

---

I already love the score and am seeing the show next week. But we're talking about how the general public seems to be reacting (or, to be more correct, not reacting) to the show. To the extent people remember "The Bridges of Madison County", I think they associate it with the hyper-romantic novel, which can turn off some people (including many book critics, if memory serves). The show's marketing campaign has never overcome that association.

Of course people who know about Broadway musicals and who love Kelli O'Hara--count me about them--will be lining up to see it and to hear JRB's wonderful score. But so far that's unfortunately not enough people to sustain the run.