Music News

Jason Robert Brown to Lead Des Moines Symphony in Bridges of Madison County Concert

The Tony winner will conduct selections from his score in Iowa.

Three-time Tony winner Jason Robert Brown will conduct the Des Moines Symphony in selections from his musical The Bridges of Madison County.
Three-time Tony winner Jason Robert Brown will conduct the Des Moines Symphony in selections from his musical The Bridges of Madison County.
(© David Gordon)

In anticipation of the upcoming Bridges of Madison County national tour, Des Moines Performing Arts will partner with the Des Moines Symphony to present the show's Tony-winning songwriter and orchestrator, Jason Robert Brown, conducting selections from the show's score. The event will take place on Thursday, July 2, during the Des Moines Symphony’s 22nd annual free Yankee Doodle Pops concert on the Iowa State Capitol’s West Terrace.

Brown will conduct the orchestra alongside Broadway regulars Christiane Noll (Chaplin) and Hugh Panaro (The Phantom of the Opera) as they perform Bridges tunes "To Build a Home," "It All Fades Away," and "One Second and a Million Miles." Iowa Public Radio will broadcast the performance live that evening beginning at 8:30pm CT.

Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, the Bridges national tour kicks off at the Des Moines Civic Center beginning Saturday, November 28. It will officially open on Tuesday, December 1. Based on the novel by Robert James Waller, which tells the story of an Iowa farmwife who embarks on a life-changing four-day love affair with a traveling photographer, the production features scenic design by Michael Yeargan, costume design by Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Donald Holder, sound design by Jon Weston, movement by Danny Mefford, and Tony-winning orchestrations by Brown, in addition to his Tony-winning score. Casting for the touring production will be announced in the coming months.

For more information and tickets, click here.