Bridges of Madison County Previews — Page 6

What they need more than anything is a plot. There's no plot. There's really just a pull for O'hara's character. We see her family, we know they're returning, etc. But we don't know much about the man. We just know he's single and must return to NYC, but that's about it. I wish there was a pull in both directions for them, to add some drama to it. As it stands it's just a nice affair and then that's that.

I interpreted the book differently - it's about a woman who justifies adultery and the thought of abandoning her family by calling it "love."

Which is what makes the book so perfectly "suburban" - your average suburbanite will tart his/her baser drives up in Hallmark sentimentality, because they can't cope with the idea that, deep down, they might actually be as "dirty" as those about whom they love to gossip.

The opposite of suburban would be bohemian (that is, true bohemia), where baser drives are embraced/accepted as being more valid than mainstream-defined high-flown ones.

And then there's a middle ground.

^^^ Thanks for posting your thoughts. I saw the show on Tuesday, and I believe I saw most of the changes that you mention. I agree with you 100 percent that the stakes don't seem high enough to make the show that interesting or emotionally fulfilling. I don't feel I saw the true nature of Francesca's marriage, and so the affair didn't have the importance that the play intended to convey. The show didn't dig deep enough, for me.

I saw the show tonight and I thought it was mostly lovely. It is not, however, without its flaws, some of which are overarching, others which are isolated and fixable, but none that are so detrimental that they took away from the emotional impact of the piece.

Firstly, the score is lush and beautiful. It's so delicately interwoven into each sequence and needless to say it's sung to absolute perfection, particularly by the two leads. "To Build A Home," "Wondering," "Falling Into You," "Before & After/One Second & A Million Miles," and "It All Fades Away" are particularly stunning. Unfortunately though, the score is a bit one-note as the songs do have a similar sound. I think this is the show's major overarching problem. There are a few too many songs, scenes, and moments that feel very similar to the ones we just witnessed. And for some reason, Jason Robert Brown decided give a gorgeous 11:00 number to Robert, but Francesca doesn't get one...she doesn't even really get a big breakout number at any point. For the most part though, the score is restrained yet powerful, and features some impressive lyrical work.

The book is good, though as has been noted, there really isn't much plot to speak of. But we do get some very well-developed characters that we feel invested in, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. Though the story is simple, the book does a fine if entirely routine job of telling it. For the first 3/4 of the show, the book takes a more pensive, slow approach to the material and then somewhere after Bud and the kids return, it zooms through some crucial plot moments at breakneck speed. We really don't need the "When I'm Gone" number, which feels a bit awkward. The scene in the car after Bud and the kids come home is also bizarre and doesn't seem like it's a fully settled and situated sequence. Pacing is also an issue with the book, as there isn't much of a standard "plot," and instead just a simple yet touching love story, which can admittedly get monotonous and dull at moments, which I mentioned the score is guilty of doing here and there as well.

O'Hara and Pasquale are even better than I could have imagined they'd be. Their dynamic chemistry from FAR FROM HEAVEN has carried over to this show, and it's nice to see them playing characters who are actually in love this time around! I swear, O'Hara's voice sounds better and better every time I hear her sing. She nails the Italian accent and is completely believable in the role. And she looks gorgeous in that brown wig. Pasquale is every bit her equal. As I mentioned, his 11:00 number is a major highlight, and he too has never sounded better. He even gets a few bars to sing a capella and it's more stunning than you'd imagine. Hunter Foster and Derek Klena aren't as successful in their roles; Foster is giving another predictable performance and Klena, who I've liked in other shows, gives a new meaning to the word overacting.

Bart Sher's direction is strong, as usual, though I'm not quite sure I got the point of having the actors sit on the sides of the stage during most of the scenes. It's a fine directorial job, though it's nowhere near his best work. At times, there are a few too many moving pieces/people swirling around. The minimalist sets, beautiful costumes, and simple lighting are all noteworthy as well.

This is one of the more interesting musicals I've seen so far this season. Not all of it works, but when it does, it's pretty breathtaking and very moving. I'm interested to see what the critics think of it. I know it sounds like I had lots of issues with the show, and I did have some, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it. To quote Roger Ebert's review of the film version, "It is easy to analyze the mechanism, but more difficult to explain why this film is so deeply moving." The exact same could be said of the musical.

Random sidenote: I think the show would benefit from a more intimate space. Even the relatively intimate Jacobs Theater seems a bit big for the show and the story.

Updated On: 2/14/14 at 01:10 AM

"How old is Francesca in the book?"

She was twenty five when she met her actual husband. I want to say she's around 45 when she meets Robert. I have the book open now, and it says "After twenty years of living the close life, a life of circumscribed behavior and hidden feelings demanded by a rural culture, Francesca Johnson surprised herself by saying, 'I'll be glad to show it to you, if you want.' (Referring to her showing Robert the bridges he needed to photograph).

I'm guessing the "twenty years of […] the close life" is meant to refer to her twenty years of marriage so far?
At the point of them meeting, her son is 17 and her daughter is 16. Sounds about right to me. The book describes both characters as aging (even mentioning Roberts graying hair several times).

Updated On: 2/2/14 at 08:26 AM

It's about 2 hours and 40 minutes with intermission.

Updated On: 2/3/14 at 02:01 AM

I was in the rear mezzanine on Saturday night and there were lots of empty seats. There were only three other people in the last two rows of the mezzanine on my side. The other side looked a bit fuller.

I edited my original post to add a few lines about the the score and the book. After thinking on it, I think the main overarching problem with the show is that the music and scene work have quite a few too many similar sounding, looking, and feeling moments. This can certainly cause monotony to set in at times and there are moments that definitely feel a bit dull and repetitive.

Updated On: 2/4/14 at 02:02 AM

I agree; I wish they had retained that scene, in which she calls National Geographic to ascertain Robert's whereabouts, but he has left its employ and they have no forwarding information. Even though she still wouldn't have found him, it showed the intensity and sincerity of their connection.

Updated On: 2/4/14 at 12:49 PM

"How is this Steven Pasquale's musical Broadway debut?"

I saw Steven as Fab in Light in the Piazza when it originally ran in Seattle and thought he was very good--but I think he had to drop out before the Chicago (?) and then Broadway productions due to his commitment to Rescue Me.

If there are a lot of empty seats and the actors are upset seeing so many empty seats as mentioned in an earlier post, then they should give some comps to the comp sites. :)

I've avoided this thread, waiting to see the show myself, but finally skimmed it this morning after seeing last night's show. Count me among those with no connection to the source material, other than remembering that my grandmother really loved the book.

There have been definite changes during the preview period. Last night we were on the sidewalk at 10:45, so there've definitely been lots of cuts.

This score is glorious, and Kelli and Steven's voices are fantastic vehicles for the product. There were multiple goosebump moments throughout the his It All Fades Away was so powerful and beautifully showed the longing he felt for all those years. I couldn't pick a song that Kelli performed best - she was exquisite every time she opened her mouth.

The one piece that surprised me was how quickly they handled the time after their 4 day love affair. We spent at least an hour and a half on that and then ZOOM in ten minutes we wrapped up at least ten more years, if not more.

This was by far the best Broadway Week deal I got - as the show is definitely worth full ticket price.