Love is always better at Utah Rep's "The Bridges of Madison County"

Utah Repertory Theater Company’s production of The Bridges of Madison County packs a punch through a powerful story and engaging music. This is the first time this show has been done in Utah and the first time that Utah Rep has done a show in the Regent Street Black Box at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City. With a book by Marsha Norman (The Color Purple) and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Last Five Years), I knew I was in for an moving show.

The Bridges of Madison County is a story about Francesca Johnson, a bored Italian housewife in Iowa and the day she meets Robert Kincaid, a photographer for National Geographic. Francesca and Robert spend 4 days together in 1965 while Francesca’s husband and two children (Michael and Carolyn) are at the state fair in Indianapolis. Through this chance meeting - Robert asks for directions to a local bride - Francesca and Robert develop a romantic relationship and both come to realize the things they are missing in their lives.

Kevin Goertzen, who played Robert, has a beautiful voice and played his part well. The chemistry between Erin Royall Carlson (Francesca) and Goertzen was apparent and their voices sounded great together. Carlson’s Italian accent was very consistent both in singing and speaking and it was easy to believe that she was from Italy, but had been living in the states for the last 18 years. Like any other Jason Robert Brown show, this music is difficult to sing, but the payoff is worth it if done right and Goertzen and Carlson proved that to be true.

One of my favorite characters in the show was Francesca’s husband Bud, played by Josh Richardson. Based on Francesca’s apparent desire to escape her life on the farm, you might assume that Bud is dull or maybe a bully, but Richardson played Bud as a genuinely kind farmer who maybe gets fed up with his angsty teenager son from time to time, but ultimately wants to be a good father, neighbor and husband. I really enjoyed “Something from a Dream” - it was a perfect encapsulation of Bud’s feelings for Francesca and her feelings for him:

“And to me she’s still like something from a dream.

And to her, I’m like the guy who keeps the lights turned on.”

Poor Bud.

Marge, played by Elizabeth Hansen, was the lovable, but nosey neighbor to Francesca. Hansen’s comedic timing throughout the show and during her number “Get Closer” had the audience laughing and her relationship with her husband Charlie, played by Gary Pimentel reminded me of those classic sitcoms with the busy body wife and the adoring, helpless husband. Pimentel’s duet with Richardson in “When I’m Gone” made me smile because both actors seemed to be enjoying themselves and it was a great song used to jump the story forward in time. I think everyone can relate to a song about the legacy they want to leave when their life is over. A small, but mighty ensemble helped to add color to each scene - I especially enjoyed “State Road 21”/“The Real World” where Michael, played by Nic Thomas, bemoans having a father who just doesn’t understand and Carolyn, played by Rilee Crump, fears being written off as a "dumb little girl.”

Having live accompaniment for musicals is a rare thing today, but it was beautifully done by music director Jeanne McGuire and orchestra. I think it was the right choice for this show. The opening notes are played on a lone cello and it was really powerful to hear it live. I think live accompaniment afforded the actors some freedom in their phrasing of certain songs - no one seemed rushed especially for the two songs that Goertzen had to start a cappella.

I was impressed with the inventive use of the space. The Regent Street Black Box is a beautiful space, but doesn’t afford the comfort that a true “backstage” can offer actors for quick changes or spaces to store set pieces, but I think that having movable set pieces by set designer Chase Ramsey that could be used for various scenes was wise and helped the pacing to continue. Sometimes pesky scene changes can get in the way of the story and that wasn’t a problem in this production. I particularly liked the use of a small framed window that could rotate to either form part of the Johnson home or Marge’s window she could spy out with her trusty binoculars.

The costumes looked great and were very appropriate for the time period of the show. The lighting and sound design was, save for a few microphone issues, effective and aided in telling the story.

This was a really strong show from a company and director, Johnny Hebda, known for bringing new and rarely done pieces to Utah. If you love Jason Robert Brown musicals, great singing and acting or the movie The Bridges of Madison County it is well worth a visit, but you’ll have to hurry. Their last show is December 10th. You can buy tickets here.

And if you can’t make it to this show, be sure to check out the upcoming 2018 season for Utah Rep, including the first regional premiere of American Psycho.

*It’s worth noting that due to the themes in this show, it’s for mature audiences.