ORLANDO, Fla. – A new musical premiering at the Dr. Phillips Center is setting the record straight on how the Brooklyn Bridge was built and finally giving credit where credit is due.
“Brooklyn’s Bridge” is inspired by the extraordinary life of Emily Roebling, wife of Brooklyn Bridge Chief Engineer Washington Roebling.
According to the Dr. Phillips Center, while working in the caissons under the East River, Washington had a debilitating attack of the bends and became bedridden. For the next eleven years, Emily takes over, visiting the worksite, delivering plans and handling both engineering and political issues. As the bridge grows stronger, so does their love for one another while Emily navigates the uncharted waters: a Victorian woman in a man’s world. The New York Times recently revised their obituary for Emily Roebling, acknowledging that SHE built the bridge.
The musical will be performed at the Dr. Phillips Center from Feb. 21 to March 6 in the Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater. It comes as we approach Women’s History Month in March, a time to celebrate the remarkable contributions women have made to society.
The musical features local actors, including Laurel Hatfield as Emily Roebling, Alex Albrecht as Washington Roebling, and Brian Love as E.F. (Frank) Farrington.
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Hatfield describes Emily as a woman whose mind was constantly at work, knowing that the bridge could be built despite the challenges. Playing Emily is a dream role for Hatfield, who has spent 25 years in the acting profession.
“(Emily) loved science. Her brain was just constantly, like, working, working. You read things that she wrote, she was a genius,” said Hatfield. “Her mind didn’t stop and she knew that this bridge could be built, but nothing had ever been done like that in the past. This particular type of bridge, it was new and she was one of the only people who truly knew that mathematically and scientifically it could be done.”
Brian Love, who plays E.F. (Frank) Farrington, the master mechanic of the Brooklyn Bridge, highlights the close relationship between the Roeblings and his character. He notes that Emily’s contributions were crucial to the bridge’s completion.
“People who are the top leading researchers of the Brooklyn Bridge know that Emily had her hands in it from the get-go and it’s her bridge,” said Love. “It’s everybody’s bridge who worked on it, but it’s her bridge, too.”
A story of love and tenacity
The musical, written by Ray Roderick with music by Joseph Baker, tells a story of inspiration and empowerment. It highlights Emily’s tenacity, brilliance, and love for her husband, as she worked tirelessly to fulfill his dream of building the bridge.
The production came to life at the Dr. Phillips Center thanks to Roderick’s close ties to the community, who recognized the local talent and saw an opportunity to bring this compelling story to the stage.
Foster Cronin, VP of Programming and Education at the Dr. Phillips Center, emphasizes the importance of telling Emily’s story, noting that without her, the Brooklyn Bridge might never have been completed.
“It’s a great, accessible way to hear the story and know what was happening and it’s so important to recognize the people who actually made those accomplishments,” said Cronin. “At the time, she wasn’t able to say out loud that she was the one who actually did it. But, you know, behind every strong man, they say there’s a strong woman or there’s a woman who actually leads the way and that’s what it was in this case and I think it’s just a great tale of women empowerment and a wonderful story to to get out there.”
For more information on “Brooklyn’s Bridge,” click here.