Broadway Review: The Bridges of Madison County - "One of the best pieces of theatre I have ever seen"

The Bridges of Madison County
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Reviewed on Saturday 5th April 2014 (matinee)

As I arrived at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre I was very excited to be seeing my first ever Broadway show, but I must admit I had absolutely no idea what to expect - I had never read the book or seen the movie and I knew very little about Jason Robert Brown's work. After taking my seat it didn't take long to absorb the simplistic set, I feared it was going to be a cheap and cheerful show but, my oh my, I have never been so wrong.

For a very long time I have found myself moaning that not enough risks are taken in mainstream, commercial theatre as creative teams would rather play things safe. So often I see wonderful, bold and daring productions staged in fringe and off-West End venues, but never have I seen a stylish, risk taking musical in a big West End theatre. So when Kelli O'Hara and the company performed the opening 'To Build a Home' while slowly creating the world of the piece with such creativity my jaw quite literally fell to the ground and I found myself overwhelmed with emotion. Despite knowing nothing about it, The Bridges of Madison County turned out to be the show I have been waiting to see for a very long time.

For those who aren't familiar with the story, Bridges tells one of the most beautiful love stories ever written. Francesca Johnson is looking forward to a rare four days alone when her two children and husband go away to the 1965 state fair. But when National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid pulls into her driveway seeking directions everything changes and those four days reshape the course of her life.

When I saw 'Once' last year I looked around the theatre to see numerous people left in floods of tears whilst I sat there totally dry-eyed. I feared I was lacking in human emotion, but thankfully Bridges has restored my faith in myself. I became absolutely enthralled in the story from beginning to end. It is exciting, moving, exhilarating, thought-provoking and heartbreaking. 

Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale

Kelli O'Hara (Francesca) has the most perfect voice I have ever heard. Her vocals effortlessly soar through the auditorium. Interestingly (and perhaps controversially) I'm not always the biggest fan of soprano voices, but I am officially a convert. If I had to listen to O'Hara sing for ever more I would live the rest of my life in bliss.

Not only was she note perfect throughout, but O'Hara injected so much pain and emotion into every lyric. She allows the audience to see through Francesca's outer composure as inside she is vulnerable and fighting a tough battle.  

Steven Pasquale (Robert) gives a sterling performance, I would never have guessed that this is his first musical theatre role on Broadway. He is bursting with charisma.

Pasquale's vocal tone is very unique, at times it sounds more traditional, but there are also almost country-like influences as he delivers smooth and impressive vocal tricks whilst pouring his heart out during every number. Robert is a fascinating character and Pasquale's performance is three dimensional, I think most of the women in the audience fell in love.

The chemistry between O'Hara and Pasquale is unbreakable and I felt very safe when they shared the stage. Jason Robert Brown has written what I think is my new, all-time favourite musical score which redefines the definition of stunning. The breathtaking ballads are broken up with lively company numbers - there is not one weak song which I have skipped whilst listening to the cast recording on repeat. It works so well as not only are Pasquale and O'Hara's vocals so different to each other, but both are different to Brown's writing style and together they create something new and incredibly refreshing. 

One of my favourite moments was Whitney Bashor's rendition of 'Another Life'. The actress portrays Robert's ex-wife and there's a moment when she walks between Robert and Francesca stylistically - not in a spooky or cringey way. She simply picks up a guitar and then walks to the other side of the stage and performs the number. It is a beautiful moment. 

Stand out numbers include 'Wondering' - which I found myself humming the following morning (it took me a while to work out where I knew the song from), the joyful 'Who We Are and Who We Want To Be', the delicate 'Before and After You' and the harrowing 'It All Fades Away', as well as the final number 'Always Better' which is particularly moving in context.

Many will have already heard about 'Falling Into You' which is set to become a musical theatre classic, but the biggest musical number is 'One Second and a Million Miles'. The song starts with Pasquale singing alone without musical accompaniment before he is joined by the band and O'Hara. It builds and builds and the pair give all they have - I don't think I could physically move. The moment in the song which really got to me was the short reprise of 'Falling Into You' which is embedded into the final chorus - its familiarity brought back everything the pair had been through in such a short space of time. There were few dry eyes in the audience.

Cass Morgan and Michael X. Martin

As well as pulling at heartstrings, Marsha Norman's writing is also very warm and funny. Cass Morgan is hilarious as Francesca's nosey next door neighbour (her number is great fun) whilst particularly strong performances come from Hunter Foster as Francesca's husband and Caitlin Kinnunen and Derek Klena who play their children. The kids grow up a considerable amount throughout the piece - something Kinnunen and Klena portray effortlessly.

The story progression is very clever, the four days dominate the majority of the piece, scenes are intense and I actually found the story unpredictable - but perhaps that's because when the show started I didn't even know it centred around this tremendous love story! Suddenly as the show concludes time flies past and I just wanted to pick up a remote, press rewind and go back to when Francesca and Robert first met.

The Bridges of Madison County isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea - during the interval I listened to two men who were clearly disappointed by the lack of tap dancing, big production numbers and high kicks - but for those who want to see something different, become swept up with the story and be taken on a remarkable journey with the aid of a stunning score you must do everything you can to get to New York to see this show (or pray it finds its way to London - it's the kind of show which could begin at the Menier Chocolate Factory, a renowned off-West End theatre, and then transfer to the West End).

The show is utterly transfixing, at a glance it is simple, but when you look deeper it is a detailed show which doesn't spoon feed its audience. You can feel the cast's team vibe, when they perform together hypnotic harmonies are produced. As the show ended the entire audience jumped to their feet.

I'm very fortunate to see lots of very good theatre that I enjoy immensely, but only very rarely do I fall in love with a piece of theatre in the way that I have with this show. Not only is it very unusual for me to feel emotional while watching a show, but this is the first time I have ever felt emotional whilst writing a review. The Bridges of Madison County is one of the best pieces of theatre I have ever seen. I didn't want it to end.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor).

Click here to visit our Broadway Week 2014 homepage

Please visit www.bridgesofmadisoncountymusical.com for further information and tickets.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Follow @West_End_Frame