Note: this post contains spoilers. If you want to go in fresh, save this review until after you have seen the show!
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In 1902, a baby in a suitcase was thrown off of a train in Eastern Missouri. He was bruised but not badly hurt, and he was quickly found and adopted - and quickly became famous. He lived a full life with his adopted family, but the mystery of why he was thrown off of the train, and who did it, was never solved. Bright Star, the musical (loosely) based on this story, imagines a happier resolution than real life. In this version, written by Steve Martin and musician Edie Brickell, the story is set in North Carolina and alternates between the 1920s and the 1940s—these changes are presumably made to be a better showcase for Martin and Brickell's bluegrass soundtrack (and they do allow for a little more fun in other production aspects, like the costumes and choreography).
With the two timelines, we meet Alice Murphy quickly as both a young woman stifled by her small-town life and as a mature professional with few personal connections. In the 1920s, Alice falls in love with the mayor's son (Jimmy Ray), and when she becomes pregnant the mayor fears this will ruin his son's reputation and prospects. Meanwhile, the young Billy Cane, recently returned from World War II, meets the older Alice as he attempts to find a career as a writer. Knowing the premise, it should be fairly obvious where this is going. Although, to those in the audience with no prior knowledge, the actual scene of the mayor throwing a baby off a train was pretty shocking. In any case, secrets, guilt, and romance all complicate the story, but after a lot of pain the characters find happiness in the end.
Chaska Valley Family Theatre's production was directed by Zachary Hedner, with Natalie Dulka as assistant director. The show begins with Alice speaking directly to the audience as she begins to tell her story, and Hedner leaned into this "storytelling" feel in the staging, with the ensemble in multiple scenes listening or bearing witness to the story. "Asheville" was a song that I thought was staged in a particularly interesting way, letting us deeper into the mind of the character who sings it. And another "dream" moment happened later in the show, as Jimmy Ray imagined what could have been; this was an interesting choice and a nice way to add variety to a tragic scene. Sean Barker vocal directed and led the onstage band and I think played both keyboard and accordion, though the latter instrument isn't mentioned in the program. It's uncommon for a musical to have a band with banjo, fiddle, and mandolin, and it felt like a real treat to have these instruments, and to be able to see the musicians playing. Under Barker's direction, the cast sounded great and gave the songs the emotional impact they needed. Rachel Raeon's choreography involved plenty of hamboning (using the body as a percussion instrument) and other rhythmic stomping and clapping, as is appropriate for old-time bluegrass. "Whoa Mama" was a particularly lively and playful song, and I also especially enjoyed the slow, lyrical sweetness of the dancing in "What Could Be Better."
Zachary Hedner and Hannah Johnson designed the set, which was charmingly decorated and created a strong backdrop for scenes that could then be minimally furnished. Granville Ashling's lighting was a little dim for me in some scenes, which may be due to the structural limitations of the space, but when the whole stage (and the scrim) was involved I enjoyed the warmth Ashling's choices brought to the scenes. Lea Brucker and Julie Zumsteg designed the sound, and I appreciated how well the band and vocalists were balanced. From Christy Branham and Natalie Dulka's costumes, I would have appreciated more of an attempt to distinguish between the two time periods, but in general the looks that didn't change were reasonable enough to pass for both. Alice had some nice looks, and I was particularly drawn to two plaid looks - Margo (Billy's love interest) had a very cute dress and Daryl (Alice's employee) wore a mismatched ensemble with plaid pants that I really enjoyed.
Alice Murphy's story is largely one of pain, and Brie Stole gave an emotional performance in this role. Alice loses her child twice—once when the baby is physically taken away and decades later when she is told (incorrectly) that the baby died. Brie brought her all to both of those heartrending moments, and to the other scenes in which her character carries that pain in her everyday life. Vocally, she had a stylistic inflection that suited the bluegrass sound, and she showed again that she is a real powerhouse of a singer. Austin Stole, her real-life husband, played Alice's love interest Jimmy Ray Dobbs. Austin's Jimmy Ray was a straight-shooter constrained by his father's ambitions for the family, and sounded great in songs like "I Can't Wait" and "Heartbreaker." Together, the Stoles connected well on stage; "I Had a Vision" was a particularly strong scene between them.
Thomas Friebe brought a youthful exuberance to the role of the optimistic Billy Cane and Sharayah Lynn Russell was engaging as his devoted and pining friend Margo. "Asheville," well sung by Russell but performed by both, was a touching scene, and their Act II duet was very sweet. As Alice's employees, Jackie Olson and Ryan Lee played well off of each other and made a fun pair. Olson played Lucy as charming and saucy (but not sleezy), while Lee leaned into the familiar character type of a snarky gay man. Both got a lot of laughs from the audience, and led by those two, "Another Round" was a fun, lively number.
A handful of other actors played the slew of small-town authority figures. As Daddy Cane, Matt Downs' beautiful voice (accompanied by a mournful banjo) was chilling in "She's Gone." As Mama Murphy, Ann Farrell blew me away in her duet moments in "Please, Don't Take Him." Casey Radmann (Mayor Dobbs) and Thomas Branham (Daddy Murphy) both demonstrated compelling character development as the strict fathers whose shame and guilt sooner or later broke them down, while Eric Riner played Stanford, the mayor's lawyer, with a delightful dryness.
In general, the ensemble had strong vocals and a great energy throughout the show, with lots of little moments to shine. Lillian Walker (Edna) and Mickey Van Drehle (Max) had a cute bit as side characters in the book shop which the audience ate up. A trio of Spirits (not identified in the program) sounded lovely in their harmonies. The dancers in "Firmer Hand/Do Right" were especially sassy. Often, the ensemble was present as observers of the story, and the actors' commitment and engagement with the material made that work well.
Bright Star isn't the breeziest of musicals, though it has its playful moments. Largely it's about characters carrying on through their pain. But if you're willing to go along on that journey, you aren't likely to regret it. CVFT has created a lively, emotional rendition of Bright Star that more than makes it worth the drive.
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