is Francesca sick in 'Bridges?'

(SPOILERS)

I just saw the tour last night (and was very excited to meet Jason Robert Brown!). I'm pretty sure that Francesca is not supposed to be sick. Bud wants to know if Francesca went to the doctor because she is acting strangely, and Francesca's reply is sharp because she knows there's nothing wrong with her and she is being weird because of Robert. She feels a little guilty about Bud's concern about her and wants to shut down that line of questioning quickly. I don't remember a lab test reference, but I might have missed it, too.



I found the timeline in the musical after Francesca decides to stay to be confusing. Bud passed away before their son graduated from medical school, which was probably about 10 - 15 years after the main storyline was completed. But after he passed away and their two kids were grown and had lives of their own, why didn't Francesca contact Robert? It didn't seem that Robert had already died at that point, although it was not clear. If Robert was alive, why didn't she call him?

Updated On: 7/5/16 at 12:14 AM

Beautiful score, one of the most exquisite but to me the last 12 minutes or so undermine all that's come before. This telescoping of timelines and life events feels rushed and sucks the air out of the love story, leaving the audience nothing to consider or speculate. I've never seen a show so tied up in a bow, albeit a dark one, at the end. We gain nothing, and it feels forced and unsettling. I've always thought the ending was one reason the word of mouth wasn't stronger. The film at least ends with potent images and a real scene. This coda in the musical is unsatisfying, ironic considering how it's designed to answer all of our questions -- including those best kept to the discussion on our ride home.