Bright Star Appreciation Thread

Its so interesting how other peoples opinion can sway you from going to see certain shows. I had been hearing so so thing about the new musical Bright Star since it's out of town tryout and had decided to skip the Broadway production altogether. But when the show garnered a Tony Nomination this week I decided to give it a shot last night and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. There were lots of great elements in Bright Star that I thought I point out to other people on the fence

1)The Cast! This cast is having a wonderful time doing the show. You can tell they all really get along and believe in the material. There isn't a weak link in the performance chain. Of course most of us have heard about the fantastic Carmen Cusack, but great to see Broadway Vets like Dee Hoty and Stephen Bogardus and a really wonderful supporting cast made up of Paul Alexander Nolan (great leading man), AJ Shively, Hannah Elless, and scene stealing Emily Padgett dancing for her dinner.

2) The idea to put the band inside the main set piece, a small house that rolls and spins to almost every location on stage. The band being seen brings theatricality and authenticity to the southern bluegrass tone of the 1920's. Using them in scenes sparingly (not as actors) as musicians at a dance or as a banjo player on the street are really great touches of charm and class.

3) The musical staging by Josh Rhodes! Using the entire chorus to lyrically set each scene with simple set pieces, to dance the show into the past and back to the present, to act as the energy in between characters. There are chorus members in almost every scene and song, like spirits from the past watching and supporting the action and it never feels invasive....not easy to do. His staging gives the show an dreamlike quailty, like a folktale told a campfire before bedtime.

4) The score by Eddie Brickell and Steve Martin. It's really lovely using folk, blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, and hymns, from the early 20th century. It absolutely raises the roof throughout. You will be singing along before you even realize it.

I'm so glad i went to see if for myself. It absolutely deserves that final slot for Best Musical of the year

I hope it will have a nice run just for Cusack. She deserves this at long last.

Yes! Thank you for this thread! I have been cheerleading for this show so hard since I first saw it.

Like others, I had really no expectations going in (a friend invited me so I agreed to go). It ended, and I really liked it. But then I woke up the next morning and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I could not stop thinking about it.

The person who said it's "word of mouth" is absolutely right. Everyone whom I have talked to that has seen it adored it so much, and all agreed that it caught them off guard how much they loved it. I would love nothing more than this show to run for a while and, yes, become a little sleeper hit (in keeping with its whole vibe honestly!), perhaps along the lines of Gentleman's guide-- and yes, I know that show won the Tony, but all these nominations should hopefully help out.

Put me in the camp that adores this show. It's a wonderful tale of humanity told using some of the catchiest tunes on Broadway. Everyone is giving 150% to make this show the success it deserves to be. Carmen Cusack is giving a beautiful subtle performance that rocks you to the core. She seamlessly transitions between 17 and 39 at the blink of an eye. I too LOVE Jeff Bloominkrantz and Emily Padgett. Any time they were onstage it was musical comedy perfection. I really want nothing more than for this show to succeed. If things go moderately well in NYC I'd love to see them take it on tour. I know a show like this would translate very well to a subscription based audience. I know Cynthia is a front runner for the Tony (as she deserves to be), but I would be overcome with happiness and excitement if Carmen were to become the dark horse win for a truly remarkable performance.

I'm soooo happy to see all these great comments. I saw the show last week trough TKTS. My dad wants to see it in June, as he's a big bluegrass fan and a fan of Steve Martin (musically--not just as an actor). Given the ok reviews I didn't think it was a show I'd want to see twice, but I had seen/had tickets to all the other Tony eligible shows that are still playing except Tuck (which I saw the next night) and Disaster (which I didn't really want to see). So I figured it would be fun to see as many as I could before the nominations came out. If I didn't like it, my dad could see it in June and I could go see something else. I was so glad I went. I would take anybody to this show and definitely want to see it again. As I've now gushed on what feels like just about every imaginable thread, Cusack stole my heart in the show. Her performance was so delightful and moving. And her voice is unreal. I have no idea how she so effectively portrayed two different ages but she really pulled it off. Plus Paul Alexander Nolan made me swoon. I would've loved to see him get a nomination but there was so much competition in the featured category this year. The rest of the cast was similarly delightful. The score is just lovely and I feel like I can listen to the cast recording over and over and over. I know some people have complained about the book and lyrics but it doesn't bother me that's it's simple and not realistic. I find it just a sweet, heart-warming story that made me laugh and cry. I have been telling everyone to go see it.



I know Tony nominations don't always result in a sales boost, but hopefully they will here where no one can get tickets to the presumptive winner. I hope this show has a long life and had a positive effect on the careers of all the actors, but especially Cusack.

Theater People is a podcast I love and listen to regularly. The host (Patrick Hinds) is hyper-enthusiastic in a "never-a-dull-moment" kind of way. Bright Star was the "Obsession of the Week" for the week of April 17th and you can listen to Hinds' interview with Paul Alexander Nolan at the link below.

As always, Hinds' conversations with his guests are interesting and a lot of fun. This interview features some insider info about Bright Star.

Episode 66: Paul Alexander Nolan

Updated On: 5/6/16 at 04:26 PM

This thread makes me ridiculously happy. I went into the show not really sure what to expect other than having been told it was something I would enjoy. The music was what caught me first. I was instantly drawn in.



Josh Rhodes. Josh. Rhodes. As a dancer, I'm very critical (and not shy about it!) of choreography/staging in a musical. What he's done with Bright Star absolutely floored me. Yes, a lot of it is very simple, but it's the most beautiful and effective way to tell this story, and I can't imagine it being done any other way.

I'm a sucker for quirky, fun characters and a good grammar joke, both of which are front and center with Margo and Billy (and if someone writes me a song to perform one day that's half as good as Margo's "Asheville," I'm in great shape).

I feel like this goes without saying, but...Carmen Cusack. Absolutely unreal. Easily one of the most brilliant, captivating, REAL performances in my recent memory. There's a poster outside the theatre that says something to the effect of "Where have you been all our lives?" And I'd have to agree.

Just caught Bright Star again this afternoon. This show is the hidden treasure of the season. I love it, and Carmen Cussack is a revelation.

All of this appreciation for Bright Star has influenced my decision to change from a rush ticket for Blackbird to this show.

I too caught it this afternoon based on the Tony nom and what I had read here, and I sure am happy I did. While it seemed to drag just a tad here and there, I liked it overall. And indeed, Carmen Cusack is phenomenal. I find it so hard to believe this is her Broadway debut! She's wonderful. I hope all the best for her career going forward.

I was there tonight and was completely enchanted! It's a lovely production, the cast were great, and Carmen Cusack blew the roof off. I was in the Mezz which was pretty full. Today's tix was doing a brisk business and the concierge guy said demand is way up post Tony noms. I wish this show all the best.

I was also there tonight, for my third time. I cannot rave about this show enough. Sure it has its flaws but what doesn't? Carmen Cusack is absolutely stunning and is giving an incredible and emotional performance. I'm rooting for her to win the Tony. If you haven't seen Bright Star yet, please go! You won't regret it.

Also, agreed that tonight was more full than I've ever seen! Though I was sad that Carmen didn't get entrance applause (since I read on here she did Tuesday night) but I guess her entrance really doesn't allow much applause since she starts singing as soon as she turns around essentially. Also happy to report that she is the absolute nicest and you can tell how appreciative she is for all of this success.

I'll just leave this here for you fellow Cusack fans!!!http://www.playbill.com/article/meet-the-man-who-stopped-carmen-cusack-from-giving-up-theatre