O'Hara & Pasquale lead 'The Bridges of Madison County' on Broadway- Page 2

[matineeidol2591]

Posted: 6/27/13 at 11:29am

Thank you for posting, somethingwicked. the song is certainly pretty, but I literally have no clue what is going on in the song after that listen. And I am somewhat familiar with the original source material. Perhaps its just me; but if this song shows a clear model of the basis of the score and the way songs will fit into/further the plot; I can't say I have much hope.

[iWannaBEaSedaris]

Posted: 7/30/13 at 9:39am

The song 'Another Life' is not sung by the character of Francesca in the musical, which might be the reason chose to cover it on her album, since she won't be singing it nightly, or have a duplicate recording on the Cast Album.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 8/3/13 at 7:09pm

Kelli O' Hara is a great singer. She was terrific and perfectly cast as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific. . She is great at playing middle Americans such as Nellie Forbush and the Far From Heaven women. She is kind of like Doris Day and Florence Henderson and Shirley Jones and none of those women should have ever played Italian housewive; and to my knowledge they didn't. They simply don't have the essence. Kelli didn't have the acting chops to make her work in Nice Work if you can get it totally believable. She is simply not a character actress nor does she have the Italian essence and this makes it an odd choice. She has Bartlett Sherr on her side who is a great director (but even he errs Women on the Verge anyone?) but I will be surprised if she pulls this off. I'm willing to be surprised. Why not cast someone who is right? Donna Murphy anyone? I thought Stephen Pasquale was deadly dull in Far From Heaven. So it's gonna be an uphill battle.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 8/3/13 at 7:39pm

I'm very excited and curious to see how it works on stage after having recently just seen the film. Kelli will be great, but anyone else think Laura Benanti could make a great Francesca down the road?

[Caleb]

Posted: 8/3/13 at 8:23pm

I saw the show last night. I heard that it was only their second time running the show since they finished tech the night before, so I don't feel right commenting on the piece as a whole.

But I will say that I thought Elena Shaddow was breathtaking in the role. I had seen her in other roles before and enjoyed her, but I had never seen her in something like this. Her acting was assured but so sensitive, she is staggeringly beautiful, completely convincing as an Italian, and her voice is glorious. It's a wonderful role, and it's a bit of a shame that she'll have to relinquish it after this tryout when she's doing such incredible work, and on only the second run. I can only imagine how much it will deepen over the course of its run. She does read as quite young. I wasn't familiar with the material, although I knew that she was supposed to be middle aged, so perhaps that's why it didn't bother me. But honestly I think it was simply that after ten or fifteen minutes the character, as portrayed by Shaddow, spoke to me and touched me, so if I was supposed to believe that she was 40, I went with it.

Interestingly, Kelli O'Hara was in the audience last night. I can imagine that must have been an odd experience for her and Elena Shaddow. Honestly, after seeing it, I have a bit of trouble imagining O'Hara in the role. I'm sure it will just be different, not better or worse per se, but Shaddow really made an impression on me. At the very least I hope it will raise her profile and make others in the industry see her differently. There's no reason she shouldn't be among the go-to women for leading soprano roles on Broadway along with O'Hara, Laura Osnes, Laura Benanti, Jill Paice, Kate Burton, and the like.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/3/13 at 9:28pm

Caleb, I agree that Elena Shaddow should be among the go-to women for the soprano roles on Broadway, and after her heartbreaking turn in Fanny, I'm surprised more producers didn't realize this.

Also, I think you meant another Kate B: Kate Baldwin.

[Caleb]

Posted: 8/3/13 at 9:41pm

HAHAHAHA, indeed I did mean Kate Baldwin.

Posted: 8/4/13 at 1:49pm

can't wait

[DeNada]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 4:08pm

Thanks for the review, caleb. There are a few others out there who think the show's too long and one who's clearly a big fan of the novel who thinks it's butchered it a bit, but nothing too unsurprising.

I'm unashamed to admit that I, along with probably a billion other (just about) twenty somethings, am a bit of a JRB fan, and I've watched the Sitzprobe video from Williamstown more times than I care to mention. Elena Shaddow sounds glorious and I hope she gets some recognition from this, although I'm sure Kelli O'Hara will sound great too.

The act one closer duet that Shaddow and Pasquale sing ("Falling Into You"?) is going to get a lot of repeat play once the album comes out...

I mean, I'm never going to see the show (the trials of being British), so I'll take whatever I can get :)

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 11:58pm

I saw the show tonight at Williamstown, and I felt similarly to Caleb regarding Elena Shaddow's performance. She was absolutely fabulous. After seeing her as Francesca, it's also difficult for me to imagine Kelli O'Hara in the role. I'm glad I saw it here at Williamstown. I loved the show and can see it doing well on Broadway; the music is gorgeous. I also enjoyed Steven Pasquale very much, so I'm glad he's transferring to Broadway with it.

[nycmusical]

Posted: 8/12/13 at 11:47am

The show made for Kelli.
so its decided...

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 8/12/13 at 12:39pm

It really disappoints me that Elena Shaddow is being cast aside for Kelli O'Hara, especially since she seems to be doing such strong work very early on in the process. Like givesmevoice, I too think she is wonderful (I also saw her in Fanny and loved her performance in that) and she should be a "go-to" for soprano roles in New York and it surprises me that she isn't.

To be honest, I've found a lot of O'Hara's work over the past few years to be rather boring and too similar...she doesn't really seem to transform with each role she inhabits, and I'm not inclined to think she'll suddenly start with this just because they'll be slapping a brown wig on her. It's true that Meryl Streep doesn't exactly look Italian either, but Meryl Streep also transforms for every single role and can be convincing at just about anything (including playing an elderly male rabbi in Angels in America).

[thebeautyis3]

Posted: 8/12/13 at 12:51pm

I don't know why everyone is under the assumption that Elena Shaddow is being "cast aside" in favor of Kelli O'Hara. The musical was written for O'Hara. She's been involved with readings of the musical for years. She was initially announced for the WTF run but had to drop out because of her pregnancy. Everyone involved, including Shaddow, knew that O'Hara would be continuing with the production. I'm sure Shaddow is great, but no one has even seen O'Hara perform it yet. How can we know how great or how not-great she will be? Didn't everyone have reservations when she was cast as Nellie Forbush? At least Shaddow is getting a lot of recognition and exposure thanks to this run, and hopefully that will mean good things for her future.

[QMAN032]

Posted: 8/12/13 at 2:41pm

I’m a bit baffled by all this skepticism regarding Kelli. To those bemoaning her being cast in too many musicals: perhaps she’s cast in so many because she’s just that talented. Has anyone ever actually been disappointed by one of her performances? There’s a reason she has four Tony nominations to her name. After such an impressive career, I think Ms. O’Hara deserves the benefit of the doubt until we can actually see her in the role.

[jas1234]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:34pm

Agree with QMAN032-- have heard generally positive word about this show (biggest problem seems to be its length) and can't wait to see Kelli in the leading role. After 4 Tony nominations, maybe this show is the one that catapults her to the winner's circle.

[iWannaBEaSedaris]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 11:26pm

Addressing the length question, the guy playing the son makes a good point.

http://berkshirefinearts.com/08-07-2013_the-bridges-of-madison-county-in-williamstown.htm

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 11:28pm

Kelli O'Hara's character in LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA was not Italian. Just sayin'...

[broadwaybabytn]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 12:43am

The character she originally played before Broadway was in fact Italian.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 8:59am

I spent a total of 8-1/2 hours in the car yesterday driving to and from Williamstown, and every minute was worth it. I absolutely loved 75 percent of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. This is the role I've been waiting for Steven Pasquale to do. His sensitive acting, eye-candy physicality and above all soaring, sonorous voice ("Falling into You") that encompasses an amazing range are the stuff of award nominations (OK, not the physicality, though that doesn't hurt, LOL). His is a beautiful performance that I hope is recognized come awards season.

Elena Shaddow was a revelation to me, having never seen her in anything before. She was so perfect in the role that I think
Kelli O'Hara will have a hard time meeting that level, especially of authenticity. Shaddow's acting and especially her voice were glorious and heartbreaking.

Although complaints about ancillary characters have merit, I must admit I enjoyed Cass Morgan's bits as a friendly but nosy neighbor. She provided some much-needed comic relief.

While I can see at least 20-25 minutes that should be cut (a NINE-like number took me out of the show), including several faux endings, each of which seemed like the final scene but puzzlingly just led to yet another seemingly ending scene, etc., there is a beautiful show there that just needs a little pruning to come into full bloom. I can't wait to see how it takes shape in NY.





Updated On: 8/16/13 at 08:59 AM

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 5:01pm

I saw it in Williamstown too, and totally agree, loved 75% of it, and think it will surpass ONCE (not a fan, sorry) as the most romantic musical on Broadway since LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. And Elena simply cannot be bettered in this part, and although she is not a "money" name, and the producers would never hear of it, I cannot see Kelli matching this performance. I love Kelli in certain roles, in others I think she is miscast, but I totally get why and how she is the golden, go-to female lead.

Still, Elena and Steven (finally getting the role he was born to play and sing) are breathtaking together, and I can't help wishing they would repeat this on Broadway.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 8:55am

I looked into ticket availability for the upcoming Broadway production and noticed yet another instance of that very annoying trend which holds out three quarters of the center orchestra and some of the side seats as "premium." I'm definitely waiting on this one. I want a good seat, but not at artificially inflated premium prices.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 9:45am

"I'm confused. Isn't the main character supposed to be more like Anna Magnani? A middle-aged Italian woman?"

I haven't read the book and don't know the character's physical description.

But as anyone who has ever spent any time in Italy can tell you, not all middle aged Italian women look like Anna Magnani. Far from it. Italian women can have fair hair and light eyes. And come in a variety of physical types. The same happens to be true for women from other Mediterranean countries.

Carla Bruni is a middle aged Italian woman with blue eyes. Francesca Neri is a middle aged Italian woman with blue eyes. Monica Vitti has blonde hair and blue eyes. Virna Lisi is a greeen eyed blonde. Valentina Cervi has fair hair and light eyes.

Americans tend to have an entrenched, provincial and erroneously generalized idea of what people of certain ethnicities look like. Be that as it may, consider that Italy borders Switzerland, Austria, France and Slovenia, countries people often think of having a great many fair haired, light eyed people. It's not as if physical types stop abruptly at the border.

As we all have been reminded this week with the Mia Farrow article, Frank Sinatra had blue eyes. Famously. If his daughter Nancy had gotten them, instead of her brown ones, she might not look all that different than Kelli O'Hara. Updated On: 10/4/13 at 09:45 AM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/4/13 at 9:45am

duplicate Updated On: 10/4/13 at 09:45 AM

[mc1227]

Posted: 10/8/13 at 11:28pm

Anything Kelli O'Hara appears in Is enough of a reason for me to buy a ticket. I did not think she and Pasquale's had any chemistry in Far from Heaven but since that story involved a gay man and a pregnant woman, I guess it was inevitable. Hopefully they can turn it up for Bridges.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 10/9/13 at 1:12am

Does anyone know when the box office opens for this show?