Great songs and singing overcome weak story in ‘Bridges’

“The Bridges of Madison County” was one of the best-selling books of the 20th century, and the film version was popular and well-reviewed.

The book had a lot of detractors, who found it schmaltzy and saccharine. (“Romantic swill,” one newspaper critic called it.) The film had far fewer, thanks to Clint Eastwood’s focused direction and Meryl Streep’s lovely performance.

A musical version hit Broadway in 2013, with songs by Jason Robert Brown and a book by Marsha Norman. It’s now in the middle of its regional premiere in a Manatee Players production.

The musical is likely to win over some people who might have hated the book and not cared for the film. The songs are poignant and melodic, though occasionally betrayed by the aforementioned schmaltziness of the source material, and Norman’s version of the story beefs up the male role.

Beyond the script and the songs, the lead performances in the Manatee Players production are irresistible. Company regular Dianne Dawson is a perfect match for the role, with a great look, heartfelt acting and a pure voice. Newcomer Charles Dugan, as her paramour, has one of the most gorgeous singing voices you’ll ever hear on any stage anywhere.

The narrative, just in case anyone doesn’t know, is about a contented but bored Iowa housewife in 1965, left alone while her husband and kids go off to a livestock show for a few days. A National Geographic photographer comes to her house to ask directions. They immediately connect and have an intense four-day affair.

That’s really all that happens for the first two hours. There’s no real conflict, or even a story, until the end, when Francesca has to decide whether to stay with her husband and her kids or follow her passion.

Despite their moving individual performances, Dawson and Dugan just don’t generate the steam between them that would make the affair compelling. It’s obvious that Dugan is primarily a singer rather than an actor, and his dramatic performance lacks emotional dynamics.

When Dawson and Dugan sing, though, together or apart, the magic of the illogical love affair becomes palpable.

The rest of the cast, especially Cory Woomert as Francesca’s blue-collar husband and Victoria Gross as their nosy but well-intentioned neighbor, does uniformly fine work, and the five-person pit band directed by Thomas D. Guthrie sounds full and rich.

The design work (lights by Ryan E. Finzel, sets by Donna Buckalter and costumes by Becky Evans) is all unobtrusive and evocative. The sets and lights, especially, give the production a slightly preternatural feel that enhances the romanticism.

There are some annoying anachronisms. Dugan has a shaved head, which would have made him look freakish in 1965, and the Iowans refer to him as a “hippie.” The term wasn’t in common use at that time, and even if it were, no one would mistake Dugan for one.

But despite all its bothersome elements, “Bridges” ends up working pretty well, thanks to the heart-rending songs by Brown (who also wrote all those great songs in Manatee Players’ previous musical, “13”), and the beautiful singing of Dawson, Dugan and the rest of the cast.

Details: Through Feb. 26, Stone Hall at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $27-$37. 941-748-5875, manateeperformingartscenter.com.

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Great songs and singing overcome weak story in ‘Bridges’."