Church Hill Theatre invites Delmarva audiences to its production of the outstanding musical version of the beloved The Bridges of Madison County.  First, the 1992 novel by Robert James Waller sat atop the New York Times best-seller list for three years.  Then the hit film, starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, was nominated for multiple awards and grossed almost $200 Million in worldwide sales. Two decades later, the musical version of The Bridges of Madison County moved to Broadway, with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, who won Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestration.

CHT’s production, directed by JW Ruth, will appeal to both long-time “Bridges” fans and new audiences with its glorious music, talented cast, and timeless story of love, sacrifice and life-altering choices. The show opens on Friday, June 6 and runs three weekends, closing on Sunday, June 22.

The musical begins in 1965, when Francesca Johnson, an Italian war-bride and now for almost twenty years an Iowa farm wife, anticipates a few days of solitude while her husband and children participate in a national 4-H show. By chance, she meets and helps a National Geographic photographer, Robert Kincaid, who is on assignment to take pictures of Iowa’s famous covered bridges. Their relationship grows and deepens as they discover shared interests, culminating in a passionate affair.

Torn between her love for Robert and love and responsibility for her family, Francesca faces an impossible choice. Cherishing their brief time together, both accept the reality of their situations. Years pass and Francesca enjoys life with her family and friends, watching her children become successful adults.  Robert, too, has moved on with his own career. Both ponder what might have been. Neither has any regret for the love they shared.

The star-crossed lovers Francesca and Robert are played by Erin Bradley and Matt Rein.  Max Haagen is Francesca’s husband, Bud Johnson. Everett Brownley and Riley Rosati portray the young Johnson children; Ian Stotts and Kathleen Cummings reprise them as adults.

Heather Joyce Byers, Herb Ziegler and Shannon Carter take on important supporting roles as the Johnsons’ friends and neighbors.

There is no traditional chorus in this musical, but ensemble players add to the story and enrich the musicality. Luisa Forger, Natalie Hagan, and Maya McGrory portray radio and state fair singers. Tiffany Ayres, Trevor Ayres, Carly Mourlas, Jordan Leoncini and Ava Khamvongsa are friends, neighbors, and witnesses to the power of love.

As in all Church Hill Theatre shows, a strong production team started work before rehearsals began. The sets, light design, and live orchestra—augmenting a truly talented cast—make this a memorable addition to the theatre’s tradition of exemplary summer musicals.

The Bridges of Madison County will run weekends from June 6-22, with performances at 7:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. Tickets are available on the CHT website: churchhilltheatre.org or by calling the CHT office at 410-556-6003 Monday through Friday.

Earl Lewin’s A Brief History of Man will have its world premiere from February 6-9 at Church Hill Theatre. Lewin asks “what if humans are just one step in a long chain of intelligent life forms?  After all, people aren’t very durable, and we have many design faults.” His answers are truly funny—but with thought provoking implications. This play, workshopped last year at the Chester River Yacht and Country Club, has been tweaked and tightened to make the comedy even sharper.

Earl Lewin

Four actors take on multiple roles but, as befits a deity, God is played by only one, Will Robinson. The other characters’ names may (or may not) give you an idea of where the plot might lead. Peggy Chiras portrays both the Archangel Michael and a waiter. Steve Hazzard appears as Mephistopheles and Mod 1.  Blaise Dickinson, making his CHT debut, has fun with Adam, Man—and Fido. And Izzie Squire Southworth takes on Eve, Female God, and Latest.  All the action happens in the beginning, the present and the future.

Lewin’s long and illustrious theatre biography started with a BA in Theatre from Temple University, detoured to a career in the film/video business, and returned to live theater when he retired to Chestertown. Since then, Earl has directed or acted in dozens of shows and written numerous straight plays and musicals, including two that played Off-Off Broadway. A Brief History of Man is his 9th play in as many years!

What we see on stage is supported by a talented back-stage team. Bonnie Hill, a veteran CHT director, is the Producer. Experienced Stage Manager Steve Atkinson makes sure everything runs smoothly. Clark Lewin and Kevin Chiras handled the set construction and Blake Lewin was responsible for projection design. Tina Johnson provided costumes, and Doug Kaufmann did the light design. Kat Melton will run the projection system and Tom Blackiston will operate the sound system. Amy Moredock and Sarah Wright arranged the publicity.

A Brief History of Man will run from February 6-9, with performances at 7:30 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 pm on Sunday. Tickets are available online at churchhilltheatre.org or by calling the box office at (410) 556-6003.

To celebrate 2025 Black History Month, recognition of African Americans and Labor, the Church Hill Theater has scheduled an original, one-hour, free event for the whole community. Join us for inspiring music and memorable words on Saturday, February 1, with performances at 3 pm and 5 pm. This is not a ticketed event, but reservations are strongly suggested to guarantee seats.

The original March on Washington, on August 28, 1963, was organized to build an alliance of civil rights, labor and religious organizations under the banner of “jobs and freedom.” It was one of the largest political rallies for human rights in U.S. history, with close to 300,000 (mostly Black) people participating. The last speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. The march was a key element in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

This dramatic performance was envisioned and compiled by Herbert Ziegler, who uses the music of the day and the words of Dr. King and other civil rights leaders to chart the progress of the dream. While some objectives have been realized, other goals have not.

Kathy Jones, the show’s music director, along with Diane Shelton and Jahdaya Martin, will cover songs from the March by Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. (If you know the words, join in.) Local actors will give voice to the historic words. Ian Stotts, Noah Thompson, Christopher Wallace, and Michael Whitehill are eager to participate. Others may join the cast before February 1.

This is a wonderful family event, especially for students who know only the brief version in their history books. Church Hill Theatre is located at 103 Walnut Street in Church Hill, Maryland. Reservations can be made online at churchhilltheatre.org or by calling the box office at (410) 556-6003.

Choreographer Greg Minahan (center) runs actors through some moves (left to right: Saige Wilson, JW Ruth, Natalie Stinchcomb, Ian Stotts)

The waiting is over. The world-wide musical sensation Ride the Cyclone opens at Church Hill Theatre on November 8, for only nine performances. Tickets started selling in August, so be sure to make your own reservations immediately. Ride the Cyclone, with music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell has been called “…the most uproarious and outrageous piece of musical theatre Canada has ever produced.”  Since its premiere in 2008, this musical about doomed students from Uranium City, Saskatchewan, has become that rarity: a viral teen favorite that appeals to all generations. That is thanks to a timeless plot of loss and redemption—and to the memorable music.

Ride the Cyclone is introduced by Karnak (Howard Mesick), a mechanical fortune teller with the macabre ability to foretell when people will die.  Unable to warn students in the St. Cassian Chamber Choir about an impending accident on a fair midway, Karnak arranges a game of life and death, pitting the teens against each other. Karnak also predicts that “the one who wants to win it the most shall redeem the loser in order to complete the whole.” Confusing, right?

The first contestant is Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg (Saige Wilson), a supremely self-confident school leader. She convincingly argues that as the most likely to succeed, she is the most worthy of continued life. Karnak seems less impressed with her song, “What the World Needs.”

Next up is Noel Gruber (Connor Christopher), who, while dishing out orders at Taco Bell, dreams of being a flamboyant French prostitute.  Believing himself the only gay boy in Uranium City, Noel emulates Edith Piaf or Marlene Dietrich in the tear-jerker “Noel’s Lament.”

The third competitor is Mischa Bachinski (JW Ruth), adopted by a Canadian family after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Instead of the toddler they expected, Mischa arrived a troubled teen and they never bonded. To cope, he projects a gangsta rap image to cover up an acute longing for his old home. His hip-hop performance transitions into the love ballad “Talia.” Although not a contestant, Mischa’s lost love Talia (Chloe Bennett) makes a poignant appearance.

Mischa is followed by Ricky Potts (Ian Stotts), who despite becoming mute and unable to walk after a mysterious illness, is a member of the choir. In compensation for his disability, he has a fully formed fantasy life that features “sexy cat women” from a far-off galaxy.  In “Space Age Bachelor Man,” we meet an entirely different Ricky.

The fifth contestant (Maya McGrory) is nameless because of the severity of her injuries.  Known only as Jane Doe, her spirit has no memory of a past life.  Her hauntingly beautiful “The Ballad of Jane Doe,” is the most memorable song in the whole show.

The final competitor is Constance Blackwood (Natalie Stinchcomb), Ocean’s side-kick and maybe the nicest girl in town. But Constance’s cheerful exterior hides self-loathing and self-harm. Only the roller coaster accident convinced her that living is “goddamn wonderful,” as she expresses in her song, “Jawbreaker/Sugar Cloud.”

Naturally, Karnak then changes the rules of the game, and it gets more exciting before we learn who wins.

Director Kat Melton has put the orchestra in the balcony and incorporated amazing video projections to transform CHT’s Art Deco jewel box theatre into the carnival ambience of a second-rate traveling amusement park.  Ride the Cyclone will open on Friday, November 8, and run through Sunday, November 24, with performances at 7:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm on Sundays. More information and tickets on the website: churchhilltheatre.org