The Missoula Community Theatre presents The Bridges of Madison County, March 9-19, 2023 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Based on the 1992 novel by Robert James Waller and brought to the stage by the Tony Award Winning Duo of Marsha Norman (book) and Jason Robert Brown (music score and orchestrations), this musical will both inspire and pull at the heartstrings of anyone who has ever wondered “what if?”
Andy Meyers, Missoula native and long-time collaborator with MCT and numerous other theatres, is the Director and choreographer, with previous productions of this show under his belt; the Fort Peck Summer Theatre where he serves as the Artistic Director and the Arizona Broadway Theatre. Meyers claims the music “is one of the top 5 musical scores I’ve ever heard.” The Music Director is Courtney Crary, having served as an adjunct voice professor at Rocky Mountain College and New York University and playing Maria in MCT’s West Side Story and in ALL TOGETHER NOW! Broadway revue.
The Bridges of Madison County, set in 1965, follows the story of Italian-American Francesca Johnson (Angela Billadeau), a WWII immigrant bride, turned lonely heartland housewife. A chance meeting with Robert Kincaid (Royce McIntosh), a National Geographic photographer, sparks a moment in time when unexpected circumstances connects them in a way they didn’t plan, aren’t prepared for and may not even understand. Marriages are intimate, complex relationships; Francesca is not unhappy, and her husband Bud (Thomas Hensley) is a good man, yet Francesca and Robert fall into a brief, extra-marital affair while Bud is away at the Iowa State Fair. Meyers comments that “The show is rated PG-13 because the characters grapple with the topics of war, cultural differences and alcohol, and not because of the affair. The emphasis will be more on the romantic aspect and not sexual. In fact, I will make sure that I’m comfortable sitting in the audience with my parents.”
Meyers continues “The cast includes many experienced actors and singers who look forward to performing this rich, demanding score. The nine musicians (violin, viola, guitar, cello and drums) will perform on the stage, giving Francesca and Robert the feeling that, like the neighbors of the small town, there are always eyes on them.” Bridges is MCT’s Zero Waste production this season which strives to reuse and recycle as much as possible. Scenic designer, Shy Iverson, built the set last summer for Fort Peck’s production, which is designed to allow even the scene changes to be choreographed, almost ballet-like in nature.
Performances are Thursday, March 9*-Sunday the 29th, 2023. Tickets are available at www.MCTinc.org, by calling (406) 728-7529 (PLAY) or at the MCT Box Office, from Noon to 5PM, M-F. (*Thursday, March 9 is MCT Premiere Night, with special ticket pricing and reception; details on the website). A content advisory about the production can be found on the MCT website. The Bridges of Madison County is sponsored by US Bank and is a production of the Missoula Community Theatre.