BRIGHT STAR Previews — Page 5

That thought occurred to me as well. I haven't thought it through to see if it really would work with the whole through line, but it would certainly create a nice moment or too of potential conflict. I definitely think there needs to be some scene or private moment between Alice and Billy after they make the discovery. For Billy in particular, I think there would be so much going through his mind, including perhaps even a questioning as to whether Alice had known the truth all along and if that had influenced her decision to publish his stories.

Emily Paget lights it up!! She gets to sing and dance with sassy exuberance in "Another Round." It's a great scene, song, and the choreography is delightful.

Updated On: 2/28/16 at 08:50 AM

^Exactly!

Updated On: 2/28/16 at 08:58 AM

OK, thinking about the plot twist, so major spoilers below…

But since it's the doctors bag that is the giveaway clue to Alice about the truth, what if Billy actually had that bag, perhaps to carry his lot of stories in, when he first comes to her office? It could act as a sort of catalyst for her to revisit her memory to try to find out who Billy is and what happened to her child .

Any chance for Padgett to be recognized come award season, or is it not that kind of role?

QueenAlice said: "Her role is too small to be considered for awards."

I disagree. I don't THINK she'll be nominated, but her role is certainly big enough (she leads the entire company in the one super Broadway-style number in the show) to get her some consideration for the Featured category. And if Bright Star gets good reviews (which after seeing it last night, I think it VERY much deserves), she could find herself among the conversation. Again, I don't think it will happen, but with the Featured Actress in a Musical category really having only 3 super strong contenders right now (Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jennifer Hudson, and Jane Krakowski), anything is possible.

SLSigafoos said: "I think these are all good ideas, re: having the plot twist either done another way, OR having a more pivotal scene with the family once the secret is out. I will say one of my larger disappointments was

I will say, however, that the majority of the audience at the matinee yesterday gasped out loud at the reveal. So maybe it's not as predictable to everyone?

"

What makes you say that ...

Quick question that I'm thinking about, and it's spoilery, so:

LostinTranslation said: "starcatchers said: "What makes you say that ...

"

Yes he does.

"

I misread that. My bad. I was thinking about the very end of the show.

BroadwayConcierge, it definitely looked smoother last night.

To me there is a huge character/plot hole in the middle of the first act that kept me from enjoying whatever came after.

Here there be SPOILERS

When Alice finds herself pregnant why on earth does she go to the cabin? The writers fudge the reasoning, but from what I gathered, Jimmy Ray's father sorta kinda lets her think she and Jimmy will marry AFTER the baby is born? Am I getting that right? Why would this exceptionally intelligent young woman believe this? That she will have a bastard child and THEN the rich young man's father will allow them to be together? Everything plot-wise goes downhill from there. Why does the Mayor have to kill the baby? He has the adoption papers right there. It's a pretty full proof way of getting rid of his unwanted grandchild. Why commit homicide? And then, why later, does he confess this horrible awful thing he did to his son? It's not like saying, "Son, I cheated on your mother". Or, "I let an innocent man hang" or something like that. I killed your baby???? That' something you would take to the grave. And Jimmy Ray's reaction isn't anywhere near as horrifying (or violent) as one would expect (but that's beside the point, the revelation is there solely for plot purposes).

I don't care about the big reveal, I saw it miles away. It doesn't really work, but easily could if they embraced the whole Southern Gothic Tall Tale-ness of the whole affair. Make it a modern, Paul Bunyonesque fable (which is harder to pull off with a post-WW2 story but still doable) . This would even make the bad plot mechanics mentioned above go down easier.

This is the best Carmen Cusak performance I've seen. I didn't love her Miss Gardner in "Carrie" and actively disliked her Dot in Chicago Shake's "Sunday". But to me the real find in the cast is Paul Alexander Nolan. Now I wish I had watched "Daddy Long Legs" online!

Updated On: 2/28/16 at 05:30 PM

Caught this Saturday night begrudgingly. I am not a Steve Martin Fan. I am not a blue grass music fan.

Imagine my surprise when the score turned out to be absolute delight. The music sounded beautiful in the Cort Theatre. It was lively catchy and tuneful.

While not perfect, how nice to see a very well put together original musical with good music. So much more enjoyable than School of Rock (the movie was better) and Allegiance (original but mediocre music and staging) and On Your Feet (no real stoory theatre) and the over-rated Once.

The lyrics were fine but as said before, Stephen Sondheim can sleep tonight. " A Man's got to do" was kind of a mantra so the repeated lyric did not bother me at all.

As for the plot twist... I didn't see it coming at all. I am usually good about figuring out what will happen. In
"In the Heights", a character says "Grandma don't forget to take your heart pills." I sad she'll be dead by act two. And she was. I thought the twist worked well and did not see it coming at all. I think they handled it well.

Act One started off well but then I started getting confused and a little bored as it was a bit murky as to whose story it was. Alice or Billy's. At intermission, I wasn't quite sold on it due to the murky plotting. Act Two tied that all together and was definitely the better contsructed of the acts.

As for the set... a house that acts as Alice's House and Billy's house and others house, the metaphor of us all being in the same house was quite telling. I thought the set was clever metaphorically speaking. Walter Bobbie used the house brilliantly. Eugene Lee did the sets-- very different from his sets for Wicked and very clever if maybe economical.

Jeff Blumenkrantz was great comic relief stealing any scene he was in. Supporting Actor nomination maybe? The rest of the cast was fine although Dee Hoty sounded a little wobbly on her high notes. She also failed to impress in Gigi.

Well staged and well choreographed. Perhaps it will turn out to be a sleeper hit? Or just a quick run. We will leave that to the theatre Gods. I love pleasant surprises in the theatre.

By the way, I got a rush ticket for Saturday NIght at 7:30 pm for the 8 pm show.

little_sally said: "goldenboy said:

Act One started off well but then I started getting confused and a little bored as it was a bit murky as to whose story it was. Alice or Billy's.

I too had this problem. I was confused as to why Alice leads the opening, singing about her "story," and then we're focused on Billy for the first ten minutes or so of the show.

"

I find this interesting. Although Alice sings the song, the staging (and vocal/orchestral arrangements) is deliberate in that at the end of the song the vocal arrangements are pared back so that Billy is in the spotlight and he is the last one singing, bringing us to focus on Billy's part of that story. They aren't mutually exclusive. I understand the comments, but the staging deliberately tries to bring the audience along in that regard.

Why are your parents limiting you to one? Money?

If money is the case there are rush tickets for Bright Star are 30$. There are student prices at Roundabout for She Loves Me. Waitress to will probably have some kind of rush.

If you are interested in classical musical theatre at its best see She Loves Me. Stellar cast and production. This is directed by Scott Ellis ... a great director

If you are interested in something entirely new see Bright Star. This is directed by Walter Bobbie who is also a great director. He directed the Chicago Revival.

If you are interested in seeing an adapted movie turned into a stage musical starring Tony Winner Jesse Mueller...see Waitress. Directed by Wunderkind Diane Paulus who directed Pippin Revival and Hair Revival. This is the one I haven't seen.