‘Bright Star’ shines as a great American musical
It’s rare for me to walk out of a theater feeling incredibly good as I dance up the aisle to leave while the orchestra finishes playing the curtain call number. But that is exactly what happened when I saw BRIGHT STAR, the Tony Award-nominated Best Musical, with music, lyrics and story by Grammy, Emmy and Oscar winner Steve Martin and Grammy winner Edie Brickell. It is exquisitely directed by Walter Bobbie, with masterfully exciting choreography by Josh Rhodes at the Ahmanson Theatre on opening night.
Inspired by a real event, this original musical tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ‘40s. Propelled by an ensemble of onstage musicians and dancers, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion, beautiful melodies and enthralling performances by the cast, which includes Carmen Cusack, Stephen Lee Anderson, David Atkinson, Jeff Austin, Maddie Shea Baldwin, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Allison Briner-Dardenne, Patrick Cummings, Kaitlyn Davidson, A.J. Shively, Devin Archer, Kelly Baker, Audrey Cardwell, Max Chernin, Robin De Lano, Richard Gatta, David Kirk Grant, Donna Louden, Kevin McMahon, Alessa Neeck, Robert Pieranunzi and Michael Starr.
My love of the show began from the moment it opened as Carmen Cusack emerged in the doorway of Alice Murphy’s childhood cabin in rural North Carolina. She gloriously sang, “If You Knew My Story,” from under her wide-brimmed hat, which of course is what we are about to learn. Cusack made her Broadway debut last year in the role, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, and her portrayal is as soul-searching and magnificently brilliant as any I have seen. Her beautiful, enchanting voice makes each of Alice’s songs a tale of wonder, woe, desire, regret, and longing to find her son, taken from her at birth by the boy’s father, who did not want to ruin his young son’s life by saddling him with a baby at such a young age. It’s a heartbreaking scene, leading Alice on a 22-year search to find the Bright Star of her life, both her son (A.J. Shively) and her then teenage boyfriend Jimmy Ray (Patrick Cummings), who disappeared from her life after their son was born in 1924.
As the story unfolds, scenes change to 1945-46 during which time Alice has become a successful book publisher while continuing her search for the family she lost. I don’t want to reveal how things work out for everyone involved as I want it to unfold in front of your eyes so you may experience the same joy as I did. The experience will no doubt leave you cheering and dancing your way out of the theater, too.
The production is designed by Tony Award-winner Eugene Lee, who places a moving model train on track above the set, which plays a major role in the plot that I will not divulge. The centerpiece is a large, moveable wooden cabin in which the orchestra is seated and moved around the set as scene locations change. That alone is worth praise for its ingenuity, being a location from which characters emerge as well as bringing the joy of watching live musicals create their magic during the show. Orchestra member Martha McDonnell is to be especially commended for transforming her violin into a down-home fiddle, bringing the heart and soul of country music exploding in your senses with every draw of her bow.
And with costumes by Tony Award winner Jane Greenwood, lighting by Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee Japhy Weideman and sound by Drama Desk Award winner and Tony Award nominee Nevin Steinberg, this show is destined to become the next great, modern American musical. So be sure to get your tickets to see if through Nov.19, 2017.
Tickets for “Bright Star” run $30 to $135, and are available by calling 213-972-4400, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or at the Center Theatre Group Box Office located at the Ahmanson Theatre where performances take place daily except Mondays. The Ahmanson Theatre is located at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A.
