The 2016 Annual Blackwell San Jose Oscars Party is coming! Come join your closest friends for the BEST annual Oscars Party on the planet! Walk the red carpet and enjoy some amazing fresh food and drinks while we critique the best and worst dressed, watch our favorite performers, and see who takes home an Academy Award! Check your email or FaceBook Events Page for your official invite to the PARTY OF THE YEAR!!!
Before I begin this review, let me preface it by revealing just how much I LOVED the original Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County, the lush, lavish, and gorgeous musical that starred Steven Pasquale and Kelli O’Hara that heartbreakingly failed to gather enough traction to become the mega-hit it should’ve become. Musical genius Jason Robert Brown won the Tony Award for his score for Bridges; and both of its lead stars were Tony nominated for their performances (O’Hara would later go on to win for The King & I). When I heard the show was closing in NY back in May of 2014, I booked a flight to the final performance and sat in the theater in complete disbelief that this amazingly crafted and truly touching show was closing after such a short run. Of course, material that good can’t stay on the shelf forever; and a national tour was launched in the end of 2015.
In a nutshell, this tour has A LOT to live up to in-terms of its original Broadway predecessor; and I don’t envy the tall order the touring leads, Elizabeth Stanley (Francesca Johnson) and Andrew Samonsky (Robert Kincaid), must follow. And while no, their performances don’t eclipse the originals, they come awfully darn close. In fact, this entire production of Bridges comes awfully close! Creative decisions were wisely placed in the hands of almost all of the original members of the Broadway creative team. Bartlett Sher’s fantastic direction is mimicked perfectly by Tyne Rafaeli. Thus, what translates to the tour is essentially a carbon copy of what graced the stage of the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The set pieces, background scenery, and props are duplicated, as is the stage movement of the cast throughout the show.
Bridges isn’t Wicked; there aren’t elaborate set pieces and special effects to distract the audience from the core of the story. Instead, the production must rely an that absolutely gorgeous score and orchestrations and performances from the actors to succeed. Luckily, this production does so on every level. The leads knock it out of the park! And the supportive cast is so strong that the story (authored by novelist Robert James Waller) shines so brightly that the true beauty of this show comes through. Elizabeth Stanley’s unique portrayal of Francesca is punctuated by her remarkable vocals; and while Andrew Samonsky’s vocals aren’t quite as rich or deep as Pasquale’s, he more than nails the part and brings the true love his character has for Francesca to life.
The supporting leads, played by David Hess and Mary Callanan (the married neighbors who share a close bond with the Johnson family) and Cullen R. Titmas (Bud, Francesca’s lovable husband) are incredibly strong. “Get Closer” is Callanan’s solo in the first act and allows her talent to be put on display front and center (as does the equally incredible Katie Claus’ first act solo “Another Life”). The second act’s “When I’m Gone,” serving as a transition of time in the story, sung by Titmas and Hess, sent chills down my spine. The accent Hess puts on his execution of several of the lyrics conveys the emotion and strength of the number, and the power it has in helping to conclude the story. “Before and After You/ One Second and a Million Miles” remains the showstopper number. Stanley and Samonsky perform the number beautifully with a perfect show of dynamics and tone control. The song is so incredibly moving. Its orchestrations feel almost immersive; the audience feels the same love and turmoil in their hearts as the characters on stage, thanks to the deeply lush combination of piano and strings Brown combined to chilling effect.
In conclusion, there are really not enough positive adjectives to describe this touring production of Bridges. The acting, singing, and entire production closely rivals the quality of the original Broadway production. The show had such a short life in NY, odds are you probably missed it. If you miss the show now, you’ve only got yourself to blame. The show is touring across the US. It’s worth taking the time needed to dedicate yourself to seeing this show. If the show isn’t making a stop in your town, then pop on its Web site and plan to a trip out of it! You’ll be very grateful you did! Tour dates and tickets are available here: http://bridgesmusical.com/tickets/. Below, take a look at footage from the recording of the Bridges soundtrack, featuring the original Broadway leads Kelly O’Hara and Steven Pasquale:
So by now I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about The Material Girl’s bad reputation earned for her making of her fans wait an extended period of time before she decides to take the stage. And while that may certainly be a worthy criticism (and for my partner, a deal breaker to ever seeing her live again), it shouldn’t distract from her enormous talent and ability to put on one hell of a show. On Wednesday, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing MADONNA’s Rebel Heart Tour, which featured about a 65%/35% split between performances of tunes from her 2015 Grammy-less nominated album Rebel Heart and her classic defining hits at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA
After a horrific opening by a DJ whose name I cannot nor wish to recall and about an hour break, Madonna finally took the stage around 11:05pm. Her opening number “Iconic,” featuring a guest appearance by former boxer Mike Tyson (yes—that Mike Tyson, whose collaboration has resulted in many women’s rights groups to hurl some shade Madge’s way), was energetic and fantastic! Surrounded by 15 dancers clad in Asian warrior uniforms flailing choreographed fight sequences using large cross-like staffs, Madonna made her way down from the ceiling in a cage, where she was ultimately “freed” by her enormously talented dance squad.
The show included essentially every number from Rebel Heart. Luckily for me, I find most of that album tolerable (unlike Madonna’s last album MDNA, 70% of which I disliked). But fans wishing to hear Madonna perform the older mega-hits from her catalog probably left the concert a little disappointed. But many of those classic and artist defining hits like “Material Girl,” “Like A Virgin,” and “La Isla Bonita” remained in the set list. The highlight of the performance of Madonna”s older material for me was definitely “True Blue.” The True Blue album spawned many of Madonna’s biggest hit singles (“Cherish” and “Express Yourself” for example) and was certainly nostalgic for her longest-term fans to hear. She performed the number bathed in a blue light, surrounded by her dancers. It was also different from the poppy original version, sung to a more acoustical arrangement of the music.
The staging of the show was truly amazing. Screens rose from the stage floor, shifted in the background, and complimented the performances perfectly. Large set pieces, including a three-story staircase descended mid show, providing a great set for Madonna to perform some of the more slower songs from Rebel Heart. Madonna also showed off her talent on the guitar, playing along with her band to several ballads, including the title track from Rebel Heart, which I believe is the strongest song on the album.
While Madonna was certainly the star of the show, her dancers weren’t far behind. Of all the Madonna tours I’ve seen (and I’ve seen about 6 now), I have never seen her dancers play such a prominent role in the staging. Countless numbers featured amazingly and well-choreographed sequences ranging from steamy HOTT simulated sex acts on several beds lining the stage to acrobatic stunts played out on poles that bent dancers down just feet in-front of audience members on the floor. And while the dancers were absolutely gorgeous (one female dancer even goes topless for most of the show), they are also dripping with talent! And the closing number, punctuated by “Holiday,” one of Madonna’s biggest hits, was so fun and full of energy that the entire arena remembered why their love for Madonna was worth the price of the $800 ticket.
Despite the three-hour delay, the crowd was raucous and enthusiastically supported Madonna throughout the performance of every number. And while Rebel Heart is not my favorite Madonna album, I do believe the music to be much stronger than her previous outing, MDNA. Consequently, I really enjoyed this concert more than her last concert tour, MDNA. This particular performance was also one in which Madonna interacted with the audience more than I’ve ever seen. She spoke candidly and joked about the mistakes she’d made in her life and marriages; and she really looked as if she was enjoying her time on stage and appreciated just how much her fans cherish her.
While her Re-Invention Tour will remain my favorite Madonna concert-going experience, this Rebel Heart experience isn’t far behind. Below, take a front row look at some fan-recorded footage of Madonna performing “Rebel Heart” from her show in Turin in November 2015:
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