Chromolume Theatre is presenting The Bridges of Madison County, the stage musical based on the 1992 novel of the same name by James Waller, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Marsha Norman. It’s about a forbidden love affair between a photographer and an Iowa housewife that changes them forever. Effectively directed with deepfelt human emotions by Richard Van Slyke, the Chromolume cast features (in alphabetical order) Renee Cohen, Kyle Critelli, Troy Dailey, Abby Espiritu, James Esposito, Chris Gutierrez, Andrew Landecker, David Michael Trevino, Lina VanGerpen, Rachel Williams, Rachel Wirtz, and Mary Zastrow.
Blessed with winning two Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestration in 2016 requires a cast up to the task of performing not only the songs but authentically sharing the emotional impact each has on the characters. And thanks to musical director extraordinaire Richard Berent, who accompanies the cast on piano onstage, along with Xinqian Li on guitar, the Chromolume cast more than meets that challenge!
At the performance I attended, Rachel Williams stepped in for Rachel Wirtz as Francesca for the first time after never having done a full run-through before, nor working with intimacy director Ariella Salinas Fiore on the second act love scenes with Kyle Critelli as Robert. But you never would have guessed that given her totally authentic performance in the pivotal role, realistically displaying the initial physical attraction between two characters who meet as strangers and fall hopelessly in love. Their every glance at each other, every touch of skin on skin was electric as if really seeing them together for the first time – which it really was! That’s the magic of live theater reflecting reality in ways that envelop and can surprise even the actors from moment-to-moment onstage.
The story takes place during four days and nights when Francesca’s husband Bud (James Esposito), son Michael (Chris Gutierrez), and spunky Abby Espiritu as daughter Carolyn are away competing at the State Fair after promising Francesca they will be “Home Before You Know It.” But when “Temporarily Lost” Robert shows up asking for directions to a famous local wooden bridge to photograph for National Geographic, and Francesca, a former Italian war bride and now small-town Iowa housewife, invites him in for a homecooked meal. As the two chat to get to know each other, they cannot deny their immediate and overwhelmingly mutual physical attraction as they chat about life, love, and possibilities.
But with nosy neighbor Marge (Mary Zastrow) asking about the strange truck parked in Francesca’s driveway overnight, the two lovers decide to get out of town together after visiting the bridges so they can experience their new romance without being seen by others who might tell her husband what was going on in his absence. Several ensemble players add humor and musical talent as curious small-town folks and Francesca’s sister back in Naples who shares her desire for “Another Life” along with a young and impressionable Francesca.
But ultimately, it is up to Francesca to decide whether to stay with her family or follow Robert on his worldwide adventures. Will she decide to honor her marriage vows or experience the type of worldly life she always wished for herself as a young girl in Naples before marrying an American soldier during World War II? And what ramifications will she, Robert, and her family suffer through after her choice is made? That’s the overwhelming human story that pulls you in and tosses your emotions in every direction along with each of the characters. And it is time well spent.
The Bridges of Madison County performances continue by Chromolume Theatre at the Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Avenue, LA, 90046, on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. through August 3. Tickets are $40 available online at chrtheatre.com with available tickets sold at the box office prior to each performance.
Reel to Reel by John Kolvenbach is a 90-minute play that explores a 55-year marriage through a collage of memories, sounds, and moments told non-linearly as it follows Maggie and Walter at ages 27, 42, and 82, revealing the evolution of their relationship. Its Los Angeles premiere is being presented as a co-production of Rogue Machine Theatre with HorseChart Theatre, thoughtfully and energetically directed by Matthew McCray featuring real-life couple Samantha Klein and Brett Aune as the younger Maggie and Walter and Alley Mills and Jim Ortlieb as the more mature couple who remember moments of their decades-long relationship while listening to a variety of recorded sounds.
Blending humor, tenderness, and emotional complexity, the play is uniquely theatrical with every sound in the world of Maggie and Walter created live onstage by the actors, providing a foley backdrop for the production exploring how memory and love are shaped by the sounds that surround us. Maggie, a sound artist, captures everyday noises and weaves them into evocative performance pieces of their lives, while Walter, an aspiring but reluctant filmmaker, becomes her partner in documenting their life over several decades, told with live sound foley work designed by Jeff Gardner, one of the best sound designers in town celebrated for his innovative contributions to theater.
The production team includes Scenic Design by Evan Bartoletti with movable screens dividing the stage into both the main playing area and back-up foley space, evocative lighting by Azra King-Abadi, time-reflecting costume design by Vicki Conrad, prop and foley design by Nicole Bernardini, Technical Director Grant Gerrard, and producers Brett Aune, Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer, and Ivan Rivas. But ultimately it is the skill of the four actors who integrate all the necessary elements and characters, including parents and friends, into a very real love story examining how Maggie and Walter’s relationship evolves through its ups and downs over decades, while their love remains constant. And don’t we all deserve that type of acceptance and devotion?
Reel to Reel runs Fridays/Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2 p.m. through August 23 at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles 90046. Tickets are $45 General Admission. Seniors: $35. Shows4Less on Fridays August 1 ($15+) and August 15 ($25). Reservations: https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org or for more information 855-585-5185.
Have you ever dreamed of exploring the Titanic, perhaps wandering down its grand staircase, meeting the crew, and uncovering hidden secrets? Now that dream has become a reality in Titanic: A Voyage Through Time a breathtaking virtual reality experience at the Beverly Center, offering visitors the rare chance to step aboard history’s most legendary ship and journey to the ocean’s depths during which you can interact, explore, and uncover its secrets.
Presented by Fever, the leading entertainment discovery platform, and developed with Musealia’s historical experts, this immersive, interactive VR experience transports guests through time and space to descend 3.8km beneath the ocean to explore the Titanic’s wreckage as it rests today, travel back to 1912 and step aboard as a passenger, wander through iconic spaces like the Grand Staircase, elegant dining rooms and bustling decks, and encounter the people who shaped its story and witness history unfold around you.
Whether you’re a history enthusiast, adventure seeker, or simply looking for a unique way to spend a summer day, Titanic: A Voyage Through Time is an unforgettable experience for individuals, friends, and families ages 8+ at the Beverly Center, 8500 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles 90048. For more information and tickets, please visit https://titanicexperiencevr.com/los-angeles/
