Don't miss a voyage to The Bridges of Madison County at the Schuster Center, March 15 – 20.
Broadway Preview: The Bridges of Madison County
Made with compelling characters, a heart wrenching love story and a brilliant score; The Bridges of Madison County was designed to transport audiences to a place of pure enjoyment.
Based on the best -selling novel, which was also a 1995 film, the musical version of The Bridges of Madison County opens at the Schuster Center on March 15 and continues through the 20th.
The female lead, Francesca (Elizabeth Stanley), is an Italian war bride living in Iowa with a family, including a husband. When Francesca is left alone for a few days, she encounters a traveling photographer, Robert, who captures a forbidden desire within her. They must decide how far the temptation will take them. “As an actress it’s a wonderfully complex character to play and I love getting to sing the fabulous score,” said Stanley.
The Tony award winning score by Jason Robert Brown, a three- time Tony award winning composer, has really captivated the attention of audiences. The music is just one element of the show provided by the tops in their field as those responsible for scenic design, costume design, and lighting design have all received Tony’s, as has the director, Bartlett Sher.
Though some elements of the story are different in the musical, the heart of The Bridges of Madison County remains the same. “Like the movie is slightly different from the book, the musical has some changes from the movie,” said Stanley.
Other stage credits for Stanley include Dyanne in Million Dollar Quarter (Broadway), Allison in Cry-Baby (Broadway) and April in the Tony-award winning revival of Company. She has also made several television appearances, including on The Affair, Black Box, and Fringe. Stanley is gracious for any opportunity to act, but especially enjoys the freedom and power that comes from being on stage. “The stage is much more of an actors art form where you get to tell a story from start to finish in one take. Film is more of a director’s art form, with different camera angles, do-overs and are not always shot in sequence. How you prepare yourself for stage and on film is different,” she said.
A graduate of Indiana University, Stanley will be joined in Dayton by a couple former college roommates and an old professor who are making the trip to see a performance. She looks forward to reuniting with those she holds dear.
For all who come Stanley guarantees that the musical score will make an impression upon them. “Everyone really loves the score, it’s impossible to come and not leave with the music stuck in your head,” she said.
Don’t miss a voyage to The Bridges of Madison County at the Schuster Center, March 15 – 20.
