Off-Broadway's MCC Theater will reunite the original Broadway cast of Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman's The Bridges of Madison County for a benefit concert December 15. The performance, set for Carnegie Hall, will feature an expanded, 20-piece orchestration by Brown, who will also conduct. Bartlett Sher will again direct.
On hand to recreate their 2014 performances will be Kelli O'Hara, Steven Pasquale, Ephie Aardema, Jennifer Allen, Whitney Bashor, Charlie Franklin, Kevin Kern, Caitlin Kinnunen, Katie Klaus, Derek Klena, Luke Marinkovich, Michael X. Martin, Cass Morgan, Aaron Ramey, and Dan Sharkey. The orchestra will also feature several members of the original ensemble, including Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, Kiku Enomoto, Justin Goldner, Benny Koonyevsky, Randy Landau, Katherine Livolsi-Landau, Andrew Resnick, Gary Sieger, and Paul Woodiel.
Based on Robert James Waller's novel of the same name, the work centers on a married woman who strikes up a four-day love affair with a visiting photographer while her husband and children are out of town to a county fair for a week. Following a try-out run at Williamstown Theatre Festival, the musical premiered on Broadway in 2014, running for 37 previews and 100 performances. The show earned four 2014 Tony nominations, with Brown winning both Best Original Score and Orchestrations. In the years since, the musical embarked on a U.S. national tour, and made its U.K. premiere at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, the latter in 2019. The work has also received a number of stagings at regional theatres worldwide.
“So many of us at MCC are huge fans of The Bridges of Madison County, which holds a special place in our hearts, as it does for so many other musical theatre fans around the world,” says MCC Co-Artistic Director Bernie Telsey in a statement. “Over the years, we’ve built wonderful relationships with its creators and stars: Jason, whose great musical The Connector we premiered in 2024; Marsha, whose play Trudy Blue we produced in 1999; Steven and Derek, who’ve brought their talents to MCC productions and Miscast; and of course Kelli, who holds the record as a 10-time Miscast performer. The idea of reuniting the original company as an MCC benefit not only excited us, it also made perfect sense. We’re grateful that these extraordinary artists are also incredible friends and generous advocates for MCC. It’s going to be a night to remember!”
Much of the musical's original creative team will be back for the concert as well, including music director Tom Murray, music coordinator Michael Aarons, sound designer Jon Weston, and stage managers Jenn Rae Moore and Lisa Chernoff. Kaitlin Marsh will also stage manage. Original casting was by Telsey and Abbie Brady-Dalton.'
The performance will be followed by a gala cocktail celebration. Show-only tickets are being offered. The concert is being presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Tickets are currently on sale for MCC Patrons, with Subscribers gaining access beginning October 1. General sales begin October 3. Visit CarnegieHall.org.
