Review: THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY at The Forum Theatre

With its engaging and sentimental tale of “forbidden-love-that-could-of-been,” Robert James Walker’s 1992 best-selling novel, The Bridges of Madison County, was made into a 1995 successful movie of the same title starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. After the success of that motion picture, book writer Marsha Norman teamed up with composer Jason Robert Brown to create the 2014 Broadway musical.  Wichita audiences now have the opportunity to hear that luscious score performed once more.

Beautifully directed by Kathy Page Hauptman, the Forum Theatre’s version of the passionate story opened last night, is captivating as we hear her amazing cast of eleven make this Tony-winning musical take a voyage to great elevations of musical delight.  Her vision unites all of the production aspects that benefit in telling this romantic story.

Brown’s storytelling score begins when a young war bride retraces her journey from war-ravaged Naples and is saved by an American GI who marries her and takes her back to his farm in rural Iowa.   Set in 1965, Francesca (played by Chelsey Ehresman) is an accepting but longing housewife.  She is married to Bud (played by Ted Dvorak), a steady farming man, and a good provider.  Francesca loves him but yearns for more excitement in her life.  During a four-day trip, Bud and their two teenage children go out of town to the State Fair, leaving Francesca behind for some respite.  Soon Francesca encounters handsome Robert Kincaid (played by James Verderamo), a freelance photographer for National Geographic, who is lost and stops at the farmhouse looking for directions to one of the covered bridges he is shooting on assignment.  With a failed marriage behind him, Robert has put up walls around himself and only engages his world through the lens of his camera.  A glass of iced tea soon leads to a bottle of beer and dinner together and then to bed.  He is a perfect match for Francesca’s need for diversion and their passionate love affair will have emotional consequences that will last for the rest of their lives.

Ehresman’s beautiful soprano voice captures perfectly Francesca’s nuances while embodying the bittersweet chaos of having an extramarital affair. Her ability to act out the song's emotions makes her chemistry with Verderamo completely believable.  Her creditable Italian accent brings earthy sensuality and sadness to the role. Verderamo, an Omaha-based actor, sings these pieces as if Brown wrote them just for him. They not only fit his voice beautifully, but he instills such emotion throughout the score.   But it is the duets that he has with Ehresman that make our hearts soar and give possible hope for their future.

As husband Bud, Forum veteran Dvorak uses his eyes and facial expressions to suggest layers of nuance in his character’s strength, faith, and times of doubt.  His trained and strong  tenor voice is well-used in the songs “Something From a Dream” and the gospel like “When I’m Gone.” 

Denver Fankhouser and Tyler Treat play teenagers and later adult children, Michael and Carolyn.  During their time on stage, the audience sees their State Fair adventures and family life. Their grounded nature brings reality to the show. Treat’s Carolyn has an amusing brand of pint-sized spirit and Fankhouser nails the older snotty adolescence of son Michael just right.

The roles of the neighboring couple, Charlie and Marge, give powerhouse support to the drama in their performances, thanks to veteran actors, Jenny Mitchell and Alexander Ogburn. There’s warmth in the scenes between Francesca and neighbor Marge, a Mrs. Kravitz-like busybody who shows unexpected empathy.  Mitchell adds some fun lighthearted comedy with her binocular stalking. Both Mitchell and Ogburn provide moments of great star presence with their solos of “Get Closer” and “When I’m Gone.”

Vocalist Felisha Knapp certainly woos the audience with her vocals in the songs “Another Life” and “State Road 21.”    Forum audiences will remember Knapp from the Forum’s blockbuster production of Titanic.

Music Direction by Anjelica McRae Breathett and musical staging by Megan Parsley bring further structure while creating beautiful choral music and striking stage pictures without being over-choreographed.  Ben Juhnke’s innovative set design moved effortlessly by cast members and worked quite well.  Lighting design by Melissa Legg helped shift the tone between dialogue and song as well as through different locales.  Costumes designed by Director Hauptman are equally 1960s period appropriate and thoroughly fit the bill.

The Bridges of Madison County runs through March 2, 2025.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 pm and Sunday performances are at 2:00 pm.  Call 316-618-0444 for reservations or online at https://ci.ovationtix.com/36031/production/1207270.

Up next at The Forum is Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville (April 24 – May 11, 2025).

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