This is Albany… This is Buffalo… This is Shirlington… Not an original planned stop on the train that Francesca took with Bud on their way to Winterset, Iowa. But The Bridges of Madison County is stopping in Shirlington, Virginia for a few weeks (through September 17th 2023) as the main-stage musical opener to their 23/24 season. Jason Robert Brown’s haunting score wending through the rolling book by Marsha Norman, based on the novel by Robert James Waller, is live in The Max at Signature Theatre as summer transitions into autumn this year. Directed by Ethan Heard, with Musical Direction by Laura Bergquist, and Choreography by Kelly Crandall D’Amboise, this tragically beautiful tale is staged to perfection and sheds light on the difficult decisions one must make when unhappiness meets the burdens of familial life.
Ever versatile in its staging capabilities, the space of The Max Theatre continues to impress and amaze, this time being arranged for ‘tennis-court’ seating (the stage cutting a horizontal line across the space with seating banks on either side) Scenic Designer Lee Savage has created a masterpiece in this set, almost immersive with the way the audience walks through the wooden screen-porch doors just to access the space. The large, red barn doors that flank either end of the stage with wooden-plank flooring that connects the two sets of doors immediately transplants the audience to bucolic middle-America in a time some 60 years in the past. The rolling scenic pieces mimic something you’d expect to see on Broadway, with the kitchen the slides into place or the table that track-rolls its way out to the midway point of the stage. If there’s a singular complaint to be had its that Savage does create the bridge— fully winched wooden-grid overlay that lowers itself from the ceiling whenever Francesca and Robert are at the bridge— it could stand to lower six inches further for a fuller, more identifying effect. But if the only complaint in the production is that the creation of the bridge doesn’t lower fully enough, then Signature’s production is well ahead of its game. Savage’s set is really breathtaking, particularly with the simplistic ease of the swivel benches— that serve not only as ‘truck/car’ pieces but also as storage spaces for quick change costumes and one-off props.
Jesse Belsky’s Lighting Design augments the beauty and wonder of Lee Savage’s scenic design, particularly when it comes to the lighting when Francesca and Robert are out at the bridge. Belsky also employs liberal use of the ‘heavenly angel’ light, streaming in almost a blinding white from the far-side barn (the one that involves scaling an old barn ladder as opposed to the one that has a staircase built into it) during “When I’m Gone.” It’s a heavy-handed smack of symbolism, but oddly enough its perfectly situated for its purpose in this show. Adding to the delights of the show’s overall aesthetic is Sound Designer Eric Norris, who delicately populates certain moments in the background with authentic soundscapes. There are countryside critter noises for scenes at the farm, there’s clanking of silverware and muffled chatter when they’re at the diner in Des Moines, and background bar-sounds when Bud calls from the state fair in Indianapolis. Norris understands how to assist a scene with these subtle background soundscapes without overbearing it, bringing the whole scenic experience into superb balance.
Costume Designer Kathleen Geldard and Wig Designer Danna Rosedahl bring their creative genius together to accurately portray countryside America in the mid 1960’s as well as Italy in the war some 25 years before. There are scenes in the production that feature flashbacks— both of the American Soldier in uniform as well as Italians on the docks in their trench coats. Geldard does a particularly impressive job with the Chiara costume featured in the flashback as does Rosedahl with the styled wig appropriate of the time. You get a good blend of country-life fashion in the ‘present day’ of the play both in sartorial selection and wig styles, giving both Geldard and Rosedahl a chance to display their creative prowess. Also worthy of praise is Dialect Coach Zach Campion. Francesca’s strong Italian accent overlaid upon her learned-English delivery is perfect and is maintained whenever she sings, not just when she speaks. The oddly traversed ‘west-coast’ sound on the Robert Kincaid character suits his nomadic background and the varied southern sounds, particularly on Bud and Charles, ground the show in its Iowa location.
Jason Robert Brown’s tantalizing score is in more than capable hands with Musical Director Laura Berquist at the helm. With just eight people in the cast (as the show was originally written and envisioned by Brown) Berquist manages musical magic, often times creating the swell of a much larger sized chorus when just six individuals are singing. Brown’s score is emotionally charged and musically complex; Berquist guides the cast of eight through its mellifluous, haunting journey with vigor and gusto, resulting in some of the most beautifully sung songs to hit the stage in quite some time. Adding to the wonder and grace of the show’s overall production value, Choreographer Kelly Crandall D’Amboise creates fluid movements as the characters, particularly the ensemble, dance their way through scenes. While there aren’t any splashy kick-lines or heavy, full-ensemble routines (it isn’t that kind of show) you can feel the intricacy of D’Amboise’s work all throughout the performance. Intimacy Consultant and Choreographer Chelsea Pace also brings a sensual dance to light; the show features a few scenes where the lingering, physical involvement of the Robert and Francesca characters is strikingly believable, with chemistry so intense that you can feel it radiating in waves out into the audience.
Director Ethan Heard has envisioned an almost cinematic quality to the production, with flashes of memory— particularly during “Almost Real”— playing like a cutaway in a film. Heard guides these moments in memory flawlessly into the live-time happening of the show, leaving the Robert character to watch it as if he’s absorbing the inner workings of Francesca’s mind and it’s a wonder to watch. The show moves in such a way that it feels like it’s happening both quickly and slowly; the more emotionally dense moments settling into a languid ebb and flow, pathos exchanging between characters with just the right level of perceived tension. And the more humorous and exciting moments happen with a frenetic urgency. Everything finds a mesmerizing balance under Heard’s skilled direction.
With just eight performers on stage, each person carries a significant portion of the story’s narrative, beyond just Francesca and Robert. One of the most endearing relationships to watch is that of Marge (Rayanne Gonzales) and Charlie (Christopher Bloch.) While Bloch plays the cooler, calmer, and less-fussed of the pair, the adorable, time-tested chemistry between the married couple is both earnest and endearing. Particularly when they have their little spat up on the balcony of the opposite barn (overlooking into the neighbor’s yard), it’s precious, humorous, and just utterly wholesome. Gonzales has the ‘nosy-neighbor’ routine down-pat too. Both Gonzales and Bloch have strong, melodious singing voices which blend perfectly into the ensemble choral sections of the show.
Relationships abound in this production, including the constant bickering of a brother and sister. Michael (Nolan Montgomery) and Carolyn (Julia Wheeler Lennon) have mastered the dynamic of bratty, tattling interactions between one another. Both have superb voices, which you get to hear in solo moments during “State Road 21/The Real World/Who We Are” medley at the top of the second act. Montgomery masterfully channels the angsty moodiness of a teenager boy who is stuck in a life he didn’t choose and doesn’t want, yet never does this emotional portrayal feel static or one-dimensional. Lennon really draws attention to the stakes her character faces, with her prize-hopeful steer at the state fair. Watching these two actors transition from the young teenagers to grown adults (over a quick montage-style series of scenes during “When I’m Gone” late in the second act) is an impressive feat.
Taking up a bunch of different roles, including the lone singer at the state fair, Marina Pires has a solid voice that kickstarts that “State Road 21” section of the Act-II opening medley. But where her vocal prowess truly shines is in the role of Marian, Robert’s ex-wife, when she sings “Another Life.” Pires sounds like Joni Mitchell straight out of Laurel Canyon when she swoons her way through this number, giving emotional gravitas to the folksy ballad, which really paints the picture of what life was like from her character’s perspective in that moment.
With a tried and true midwestern-middle-country drawl, Bud (Cullen R. Titmas) sits readily into the role of “Bud” Johnson as if he were born for it. There’s some sartorial slight-of-hand going on between when he appears in his overalls and when he appears in his army uniform, as the actor himself doesn’t change size but he goes from looking svelt-army-cut to more settled into farm-life ways (and back again as he reappears in the flashback song as his army-self) it’s a theatrically magical effect. His voice is hearty and solid, perfect for belting out his portion of “When I’m Gone” and for really jump-starting life into “Home Before You Know It”, the introductory number to Francesca’s family in Iowa. Calloused and set in his ways, Titmas’ Bud isn’t a bad guy, he’s just passively neglectful. (Which is why the progressive action of the plot becomes so morally tempestuous.) When the family returns home from the fair there is a striking moment of cuttable tension between Titmas’ Bud and the Francesca character which almost comes to a head, save for a scripted interruption; it’s a powerful moment to experience.
Dashing, suave yet simple, and far easier on the eyes than Clint Eastwood ever was, Mark Evans’ Robert Kincaid is picture perfect, pitch perfect, and just perfection all around. There’s an odd, almost Trans-Atlantic sound that filters its way into his singing voice, particularly when he’s arching into the upper edge of his tenor range, which gives him that ‘radio announcer sound’ like someone from a time long forgotten. It’s curious the way it blends with his more operatic ballad style singing and makes for a hypnotizing, enigmatic engagement whenever Robert is in song. He paints pictures with his voice, particularly with his opening bid of “Temporarily Lost” and certainly later with “Wondering.” There’s something tragically beautiful about the way Evans portrays Robert Kincaid, which garners him a great deal of sympathy from the audience, even though at first glance the label most apt for his character might be ‘homewrecker.’ There’s a striking moment where Evans sings completely acapella and its soul-bearing to hear him do so.
As the trapped housewife, Erin Davie’s Francesca is a complex delicacy that is both glorious and tortured, mesmerizing and haunted. The dynamic level of depth she brings to the front of her portrayal is astonishing. Beyond the extraordinary vocals and flawlessly maintained Italian-come-American accent she imbues Francesca with, Davie brings a subtle warmth and desperate yearning to Francesca. “Falling Into You” is a dizzying maelstrom of emotional swells where Davie and Evans perpetually crash into one another, both voices twining like waves frothing against the shore in ecstatic and forbidden bliss. Right from the opening number “To Build a Home” Davie’s voice possesses this eerie sense of longing that never quite leaves her sound, even when she’s singing blissfully opposite or with the Robert character. Watching her journey— the path she chooses and the way it ends— is its own spiral of tragic beauty. Erin Davie breathes a haunted, mysterious, desperate sense of life into Francesca, making for a remarkable performance, bar none.
While The Bridges of Madison County may not be a singular picture— as live theatre is ephemeral in a way that a photograph can never be— it will perhaps make a difference to somebody watching. It’s tragic and brilliant and beautiful. But the only way to see that difference is by getting your tickets before the run closes its doors.
The Bridges of Madison County plays through September 17th 2023 in the Max Theatre at Signature Theatre— 4200 Campbell Avenue in Shirlington, VA. For tickets call the box office at (703) 820-9771 or purchase them online.
To read the interview with Julia Wheeler Lennon, click here.
