BRIGHT STAR, the new Broadway musical, currently in previews, is an absolute joy to be a part of. Steve Martin (Music, Book & Story), yes THAT Steve Martin- the Academy Award and Grammy Award winning performer co-wrote the music for this show with long-time collaborator Edie Brickell (Music, Lyrics & Story). Set in the South during two different time periods, one post WWII, and the other a generation earlier, the story is that of fiction, but is surely one that was based on events that happened over and over again in the very conservative region. The best way to view the show is to go in absolutely fresh, so there will not be any spoilers in this review.
The music, as written by Martin and Brickell, relies heavily on Southern style instruments: piano, accordion, violin, banjo, guitar, mandolin, viola, cello, fiddle and drums. The banjo really takes center stage in most of the proceeding and it is no surprise; that is unless you are unaware of the fact that Steve Martin is an accomplished banjoist! In fact, Martin and Brickell have thus far released two music albums together, the first of which, Love Has Come For You, won a Grammy in 2013 for Best American Roots Song and inspired the musical Bright Star. The entire score transports the audience away from the small, but comfortable i.e. good leg room, Cort Theatre, into an open-air makeshift amphitheatre that would be found in small Southern towns of yore. In fact there were more than a few times in which the audience wanted to jump up and add to the music with rhythmic clapping, and in a few instances we were invited to do so by the conductor.
Again, this review will remain spoiler free, so I will not discuss the plot, but I will gladly mention the superb acting. Performer CARMEN CUSACK, as the lead Alice Murphy, steals the show. Her voice is a marvel. She speaks and sings with a Southern twang that along with the music gives the entire show a feel of authenticity. She should absolutely be nominated for a Tony Award for her performance. The rest of the main cast, including A.J. SHIVELY, STEPHEN BOGARDUS, HANNAH ELLESS, MAX CHERNIN, SARAH JANE SHANKS, SANDRA DeNISE, JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ, EMILY PADGETT, PAUL ALEXANDER NOLAN and STEPHEN LEE ANDERSON more than hold their own and are all a joy to watch. The best thing about the acting and the actors is they are having fun and it translates on stage. All the performers are truly enjoying themselves and this just makes the show that much more engrossing.
The choreography is handled well. The stage is not huge. The band shares the stage with the performers, which in other circumstances might have meant a cramped space, but the director Walter Bobbie, cleverly handles the limited area by making the musicians mobile. In every scene the musicians are somewhere else, always visible, but always just out-of-the-way of the acting and dancing. The sets and props are simple, again adding to the atmosphere of the Old South. With a small stage this was the correct choice. The costumes are fun. Women wore colorful dresses and men wore suits in the Old South, and they do so again throughout the evening. The hairdo and wigs are also well designed. Finally, the train. There is a commuter train which plays a substantial role. It is not a PATH train or any commuter train we in the TriState Area are used to. It is an old style coal or wood powered train, complete with smoke trailing from its engine and it appears more than once. In fact one very important scene, just before intermission, occurs on the train. I will just say that director Bobbie was sly for coming up with an ingenious way to fit such a behemoth onto a small stage.
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The show is suitable for children; there is no swearing, no sex, no nudity or even violence. There is one quick scene that might disturb all ages, but it is dealt with care. The humor is clean and peppered throughout. Children under 9 might have a hard time following the plot, especially with the back and forth of time periods.
I was invited to the show as part of the media. All opinions are my own.
