[yasr_overall_rating]
Photographer Robert Kincaid wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson, for four days in the 1960s.
Based on the best-selling Novel by Robert James Walker, “The Bridges of Madison County” tells the story of Italian immigrant and Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson and her life-changing, four-day whirlwind romance with traveling photographer Robert Kincaid. The story of two people caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter, becomes a second chance at so much more.
Tony award-winning for best original score and best orchestrations makes its North Texas debut at the Musical Hall at Fair Park Feb. 2 – 14, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals. Musical adaptation of the best selling novel and popular film stars Elizabeth Stanley as Francesca and Andrew Samonsky as Robert. Joining them are Cullen Titmas as Bud, Mary Callanan as Marge, David Hess as Charlie, John Campione as Michael, Caitlin Houlahn as Carolyn and Katie Klaus as Marian Chiara and State Fair singer.
The critically acclaimed musical features one of Broadway’s most accomplished creative teams with music and lyrics by three time Tony award winning composer Jason Robert Brown, (“The Last Five Years”), book by Pulitzer prize winning writer Marsha Norman (“Secret Garden,” “Color Purple,” “‘Night Mother”) and direction by Bartlett Sher (“South Pacific,” “The King And I,” and “The Light In The Piazza”).
The score itself is an almost frantically ambitious sampling of genres from opera to country to the blues. There’s a souring duet for every step the couple takes toward the bedroom. Robert and Fancesca pause often, mid-kiss, for introspective solos that left me wanting to yell out to them – “Get on with it already!”. The melodies are lush and inventive, but none are exceptionally catchy. I left the theater without a single melody from the show on my mind or lips. Further failure was heaped upon opening night when the orchestra microphones were potted up WAY too high. Regardless of how well the performers projected their voices, it was very hard to hear them over the orchestra.
And while on the subject of “hard to hear and understand”…Although Elizabeth Stanley’s perfect Italian accent delivers a lush and believable portrayal of Francesca, it also makes it nearly impossible to understand anything when she sings, and about 1/3 of what she says. At intermission I overheard more than 10 patrons complaining that they couldn’t understand Francesca at all. The opening song was completely impossible to comprehend. I was left frustrated and at a loss. The opening song was very obviously the background information on why and how Francesca came to be in the life she was in. Although visually stunning, dramatic set design and choreography can only take an audience so far.
Francesca’s counterpart Robert is completely understood, I don’t believe his character at all. With the story set in the mid 60’s, Robert is written as a free spirit photographer “hippie.” Sadly, I never saw this in Samonsky’s performance. He relied on his smokey baritone voice to portray feelings of love and desire for Francesca. A wider range of emotion and physicalization would have taken the character much further.
Please note, the above statement on the set design only being able to take an audience “so far,” is not a reflection on a sub-standard set. I need to stop here for a moment and elaborate on just how absolutely brilliant Michael Yeargan’s set design truly is. It is a spectacular, color-changing sky above a flat golden prairie, with deconstructed pieces of buildings. This gives an open exposed feeling to the character’s lives. It’s explained in song and staging that no one is ever alone in the small Iowa community. Norman lets us know that no matter how isolated Francesca feels, she’s surrounded by the eyes of a close-knit community. The company, as in “Our Town,” is always onstage. They remain to the sides of the scene and perform all of the set changes in a beautifully fluid ballet style of choreography. In case we miss the point, they join Francesca’s husband Bud in a farewell song to Francesca before he loads up the truck to leave for the State Fair at the beginning of the show in “You’re Never Alone,” which is more menacing than consoling.
Sadly, no matter how amazing the set is, enchanting the score or beautifully choreographed, the story falls flat and the performances of Stanley and Samonsky never deliver a believable, intelligible or interesting story. It was painfully obvious that many of the audience members shared my sentiment, when after intermission, many seats that were formerly filled – were vacant.
Having a personal knowledge of how much time, effort and funding goes into a show of this magnitude, I hate writing an unfavorable review. I hesitate to encourage theater viewers to attend this show, but do so with hopes that perhaps opening night gremlins will be swept away in remaining performances.
“The Bridges of Madison County” will be at the Dallas Summer Musical Fair Park Music Hall Feb 2 – Feb 14 with tickets starting at $20. Pricing subject to change). Now on sale online at DallasSummerMusicals.org or by phone at (800) 514-3849 and at the box office, 5959 Royal Lane, suite 542 in Dallas Texas.
I was excited to see John Campione in this production. I remember him from local productions. Sadly his part was minimal and the show was, well, boring. I couldn’t understand most of what the star sung because of her semi-opera tremble in her voice. Actually I was nudged by my girlfriend right before the end of the 1st act as I had dozed off. Lori has this show spot on.