ANDY DRACHENBERG: Why is The Bridges of Madison County a project that you wanted to work on and how did you get involved?
DEREK KLENA: The obvious pull that drew me to this project was the amazing creative team I’d get to work with. I was a huge fan of Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman before this (I grew up with Jason’s music), and I was really excited about the chance to get to work with Bartlett Sher. Not to mention the epic love story that so many were drawn to. It’s an honor to be able to work with this team and to portray this story onstage.
AD: What is the story at the heart of The Bridges of Madison County?
DK: I think the heart of the show is Francesca (Kelli O’Hara’s character) having these two loves. Bart (our director) was constantly enforcing that. She has a love for her family and she has this other love when Robert Kinkaid (Steven Pasquale’s character) comes along. She’s choosing between the two loves she’s fortunate enough to have that make her life worthwhile. There’s a beautiful song at the end of the show that stresses this point, and we keep focusing on that song and making sure everything that we do in the show leads up to that moment so that it all connects and the worlds all collide. I feel like that’s at the heart of this story.
AD: Can you tell us more about the world that surrounds the heart of this story?
DK: What I feel the creative team has done that’s been really special is taking bits and pieces of the movie and the book that focused on Francesca and Robert Kinkaid and then create this community and this ensemble that surrounds them at all times. Bart has staged the show so that the ensemble is always watching – it’s a close-knit community where everyone sees everything and he really stressed that point. Everyone is connected in a way. I play Francesca’s son, and we have our own problems within the family; there’s next door neighbors that get involved – everyone gets involved in everyone’s story, which is different from the book and movie. It’s become an ensemble piece in that way.
AD: Tell me about your character Michael – what is his journey in this story?
DK: I play Michael Johnson, Francesca and Bud’s son. I play a sixteen year-old for most of the show, caught in the middle ground between adolescence and adulthood. I’m trying to figure out where my life will lead me. I have my dad and grandfather all having been farmers, but my character isn’t sure he wants to lead that route, and he has so many other ambitions and talents he wants to pursue. So that what he struggles with throughout the show – choosing a path for life. It’s been quite a learning experience trying different things and figuring out what works – but that’s the fun of it all!
AD: Can you describe the experience of playing a teenager eight shows a week?
DK: Well, I’ve been fortunate enough to play teenagers in recent shows, so I’ve had a bit of practice. Some of the things my character goes through and some of the things we’ve messed around with in rehearsal reminded me a lot of my little brother, so I tried to harness a little of his energy…
AD: How is this experience different from your Broadway debut as Fiyero in Wicked?
DK: Getting an opportunity to be a part of an original musical and making something is a gift and a rarity. You don’t often get the opportunity to create a show. Being a part of Wickedwas amazing, but playing Michael and getting to create him is all me. I don’t have to go off any former choices or blocking. If something feels natural or if I think about the character a certain way, I have the artistic license to go in those directions. You’re sending this character and this show into the future where hopefully many others will get to play the characters –that’s a very cool thing. This preview period really allows us to develop it and finally settle these characters into our bodies. That doesn’t come by often.
AD: Do you have a favorite moment, scene or musical number in the production?
DK: I have some fun scenes, but there’s one scene in particular – during rehearsal the first time they ran through ‘A Million Miles’ that Francesca and Robert sing – it’s a beautiful, beautiful song that just goes on and on for about seven minutes. You’re sitting in awe because Kelli and Steven’s voices are ridiculous, and having them paired with this amazing piece that addresses the struggle they’re going through is a really special moment. I think it’s one of my favorite scenes in the show.
AD: What do you hope audiences experience at the show?
DK: I’m hoping that people come with an open mind. A lot of people were a fan of the book and the movie, and I feel our show really takes those pieces and goes above and beyond. It stretches the story, it’s so well rounded and it has beautiful music and an amazing set and backdrop. I hope people come eager to see what we do with it. It’s that epic story still, but we throw in a lot of twists.