Bright Star Cast Recording- Page 2
Bright Star Cast Recording
#25Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/26/16 at 12:59am
It is kind of hard to give a synopsis without giving away some things that you really shouldn't know before seeing it. It would ruin a few things.
Just listened to it and it is my favorite score from this season. Hands down.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
#26Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/26/16 at 1:01am
I wanna say again, Another Round is one of the most enjoyable songs I've heard in so very long.
They/them.
"Get up the nerve to be all you deserve to be."
#27Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/26/16 at 1:13am
uncageg said: "It is kind of hard to give a synopsis without giving away some things that you really shouldn't know before seeing it. It would ruin a few things."
Yes of course I understand that. I don't think I'll be able to see the show, so if anyone can link me to a synopsis I'd love to read it!
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
#28Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/26/16 at 1:50am
Gypsy, my response was to your comment "like it's a big secret". It is. That is why they are so vague. Your comment kind of read that you didn't know. You might be able to find it in the other threads about the show. I figure someone has posted it with a spoiler button.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
#29Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/26/16 at 9:48am
"Just listened to it and it is my favorite score from this season. Hands down."
Me too. Truly. And yes, that includes that other score from that other show.
On another note, I love how you can hear Carmen's (and, to a lesser extent, Paul Alexander Nolan's) voice transition from adulthood to youth back to adulthood between the tracks. Her voice is so rich for songs like "If You Knew My Story" and "Way Back in the Day," and then so twangy and playful for "Woah, Mama" and "Do Right." Adore this show so much, hoping it drums up some better sales in the midst of awards season.
#30Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/26/16 at 9:52am
Wonderful score! Really beautiful music.
I hope it gets at least a best score and best actress nomination.
....but the world goes 'round
#31Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/26/16 at 10:04am
Taz, I think it will at the very least get nominations in those two categories.
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#32Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/30/16 at 8:11am
This is really a heavenly cast recording. So glad I could buy it on iTunes so I can listen to it offline. It's just joyous music.
I too am hoping to see a best score nomination Tuesday! (And a nomination for Cusack!)
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#34Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/30/16 at 11:23am
I don't know, sorry. I haven't hooked my phone up to my computer, which you have to do to get the digital booklet. (Which is really dumb.)
#35Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/30/16 at 12:37pm
that has to do with viewing PDFs on (I assume you're using) the iPhone. For some reason the digital booklet doesn't go right to your iBooks app, which I think it should. it is obnoxious. let us know! I'd also love a synopsis.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#36Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/30/16 at 12:46pm
Yeah exactly. I looked up how to get the digital book and it said I have to connect my iPhone to the computer or download the booklet to the computer and put it on iCloud. That's really dumb. I never even use iTunes on my computer.
I'll check when I'm home and let you know but I don't get home for a few days.
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#37Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 4/30/16 at 1:37pm
I am on a 3 hour bus ride and (clearly) very bored. I'm listening to the cast recording so I decided to put together a rough synopsis for those of you wondering. It may not be in perfect order since I'm working from memory, but this is basically the story:
Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content
Act I
After an introduction from Alice Murphy (If You Knew My Story), the story begins with Billy coming home from the war. He comes home to his father and learns that his mother has died. (She's Gone) We meet Margo, Billy's old friend who is clearly carrying a torch for him, but he's oblivious. Billy is a writer, and he has been sending Margo stories to edit. She has typed them up for him. He decides to go to Ashville to try to get his stories published. (Bright Star). (I don't remember the exact order of all that but that's the gist.)
Billy goes to the Asheville Southern Journal where he is told by the staff, Daryl and Lucy, that the editor is notoriously tough. Alice Murphy comes out and meets him. He tells her he has a letter from a famous author and she agrees to read his stories. He leaves, and she tells Darryl and Lucy he's a liar, and she wants to read his stories because good liars make good writers. Daryl and Lucy ask Alice if she wants to go out with them, and Alice tells them she used to be a lot more fun. (Back in the Day).
We go back in time and a younger Alice is at a farmhouse. She finds Jimmy Ray fixing an icebox and asks why the mayor's son is fixing an icebox. She tells him she wants him to ask her to the couple's dance. They flirt and are both playing hard to get. (Hey Mama). She gets home late and gets in trouble. (Firmer Hand/Do Right). Meanwhile, Jimmy Ray goes to his dad's office and his dad is trying to get him to marry someone from the "right" family. (A Man's Gotta Do)
We go back to present day, and find out that Alice has agreed to pay Billy as a writer but isn't buying any of his stories yet. He tells Margo he is moving to Asheville and she laments that he's leaving her. (Asheville).
Going back in time again, we find Alice at the couple's dance, where Jimmy Ray is dancing with another girl. She grabs another guy to make him jealous, and they end up slipping away together to sneak down to the river. She tells him she has to get home (What Could Be Better) but instead they... Well you get the idea.
We then are taken to a doctor's office where Alice learns she is pregnant. The doctor promises not to tell, but the mayor finds out and tells Jimmy Ray. Jimmy Ray asks his dad not to do anything, but he goes to Alice and her parents and offers a cabin in the woods where she can hide during her pregnancy. Jimmy Ray proposes to Alice and she says yes, but not now. Alice and Jimmy Ray are both happy about the baby (I Can't Wait) but she agrees to go away until after the baby's born to avoid bringing shame to the family.
At the cabin in the woods, Alice has a baby, and her parents are there when the mayor shows up. She asks where Jimmy Ray is because he has been there every day fawning over his son. The mayor says he's running an errand. He tells Alice he has arranged for an adoption agency to take the baby, and all he needs is a signature from Alice's father since she's a minor. Over the pleas of Alice and her mother, her father signs the paper and the mayor puts the baby in a suitcase. (You Can't Take Him). The mayor tells them he is taking the baby to Raleigh. Instead, he throws the baby from the train. (A Man's Gotta Do, reprise).
Act II
Alice is devastated over the loss of her baby and her mother is trying to console her. (Sun is Gonna Shine). She learns that someone has paid for her to go to college in Chapel Hill.
Jimmy Ray comes into his dad's office. The mayor is drinking and Jimmy Ray tells him he needs to stop. He informs his dad he is going to Chapel Hill and that he and Alice are going to go to Raleigh to try to find their baby. His dad tells him what he has done, and Jimmy Ray decides he can't face Alice again. (Heartbreaker)
Going forward in time again, we learn that Alice has agreed to publish one of Billy's stories. She is getting ready to take a trip home on personal family business, and she agrees to meet him in his hometown and meet his family. Billy goes out drinking with Darryl and Lucy. (Another Round). Lucy kisses him.
We then go to Raleigh, where Alice is at the adoption agency asking about the records of her baby, but there are no records of a baby dropped off that day. She asks if a man has come looking for the same baby, and the woman says no. Alice goes and finds Jimmy Ray coming out of his house after a woman and some kids. She asks if they're his, and he said no, they're his sister's. He has never married. She asks why he never came looking for her or the baby and he reveals his father had paid to send her to Chapel Hill, tells her what his father did to the baby. (I Had A Vision)
Meanwhile, Billy has come home and goes to the bookshop where Margo works to tell her he is going to be published. He tells her he kissed a girl and it made him realize he loves her. (Always Will). Billy goes home and tells his father that his editor is coming to visit. Alice shows up, and Billy's father tells him he'll get him a bag to carry some things back to Asheville. He comes out with the suitcase Alice's baby was taken in, and the sweater she had knitted the baby is in it. Alice realizes Billy is her son (So Familiar), and Billy's father tells him how he found him when he was "toad kickin." Billy storms off upset saying he had a mother who died. But Alice is thrilled to learn he is alive. (At Long Last).
Alice is back in the office, and Darryl and Lucy comment that she has been spending a lot of time with Jimmy Ray. She is expecting him, but suddenly Billy and Margo walk through the door. He apologizes and said he was just shocked. She says his father would love to meet him and he says he wouldn't know him if he saw him, but then Jimmy Ray walks in and they know they are father in son. Billy tells them he is marrying Margo and Jimmy Ray asks Alice if she'll go to the wedding. Alice responds of course she will; he's her son. Jimmy Ray says "not theirs, ours" and gets down on one knee. She says yes and they all live happily ever after. (Finale)
The Bright Star reprise is sung during curtain call.
Updated On: 5/1/16 at 01:37 PM
brian1973
Leading Actor Joined: 2/1/14
#39Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 12:25am
ChiTheaterFan said: "I am on a 3 hour bus ride and (clearly) very bored. I'm listening to the cast recording so I decided to put together a rough synopsis for those of you wondering. It may not be in perfect order since I'm working from memory, but this is basically the story:
Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content
Act I
After an introduction from Alice Walker (If You Knew My Story), the story begins with Billy coming home from the war. He comes home to his father and learns that his mother has died. (She's Gone) We meet Margo, Billy's old friend who is clearly carrying a torch for him, but he's oblivious. Billy is a writer, and he has been sending Margo stories to edit. She has typed them up for him. He decides to go to Ashville to try to get his stories published. (Bright Star). (I don't remember the exact order of all that but that's the gist.)
Billy goes to the Asheville Southern Journal where he is told by the staff, Daryl and Lucy, that the editor is notoriously tough. Alice Walker comes out and meets him. He tells her he has a letter from a famous author and she agrees to read his stories. He leaves, and she tells Darryl and Lucy he's a liar, and she wants to read his stories because good liars make good writers. Daryl and Lucy ask Alice if she wants to go out with them, and Alice tells them she used to be a lot more fun. (Back in the Day).
We go back in time and a younger Alice is at a farmhouse. She finds Jimmy Ray fixing an icebox and asks why the mayor's son is fixing an icebox. She tells him she wants him to ask her to the couple's dance. They flirt and are both playing hard to get. (Hey Mama). She gets home late and gets in trouble. (Firmer Hand/Do Right). Meanwhile, Jimmy Ray goes to his dad's office and his dad is trying to get him to marry someone from the "right" family. (A Man's Gotta Do)
We go back to present day, and find out that Alice has agreed to pay Billy as a writer but isn't buying any of his stories yet. He tells Margo he is moving to Asheville and she laments that he's leaving her. (Asheville).
Going back in time again, we find Alice at the couple's dance, where Jimmy Ray is dancing with another girl. She grabs another guy to make him jealous, and they end up slipping away together to sneak down to the river. She tells him she has to get home (What Could Be Better) but instead they... Well you get the idea.
We then are taken to a doctor's office where Alice learns she is pregnant. The doctor promises not to tell, but the mayor finds out and tells Jimmy Ray. Jimmy Ray asks his dad not to do anything, but he goes to Alice and her parents and offers a cabin in the woods where she can hide during her pregnancy. Jimmy Ray proposes to Alice and she says yes, but not now. Alice and Jimmy Ray are both happy about the baby (I Can't Wait) but she agrees to go away until after the baby's born to avoid bringing shame to the family.
At the cabin in the woods, Alice has a baby, and her parents are there when the mayor shows up. She asks where Jimmy Ray is because he has been there every day fawning over his son. The mayor says he's running an errand. He tells Alice he has arranged for an adoption agency to take the baby, and all he needs is a signature from Alice's father since she's a minor. Over the pleas of Alice and her mother, her father signs the paper and the mayor puts the baby in a suitcase. (You Can't Take Him). The mayor tells them he is taking the baby to Raleigh. Instead, he throws the baby from the train. (A Man's Gotta Do, reprise).
Act II
Alice is devastated over the loss of her baby and her mother is trying to console her. (Sun is Gonna Shine). She learns that someone has paid for her to go to college in Chapel Hill.
Jimmy Ray comes into his dad's office. The mayor is drinking and Jimmy Ray tells him he needs to stop. He informs his dad he is going to Chapel Hill and that he and Alice are going to go to Raleigh to try to find their baby. His dad tells him what he has done, and Jimmy Ray decides he can't face Alice again. (Heartbreaker)
Going forward in time again, we learn that Alice has agreed to publish one of Billy's stories. She is getting ready to take a trip home on personal family business, and she agrees to meet him in his hometown and meet his family. Billy goes out drinking with Darryl and Lucy. (Another Round). Lucy kisses him.
We then go to Raleigh, where Alice is at the adoption agency asking about the records of her baby, but there are no records of a baby dropped off that day. She asks if a man has come looking for the same baby, and the woman says no. Alice goes and finds Jimmy Ray coming out of his house after a woman and some kids. She asks if they're his, and he said no, they're his sister's. He has never married. She asks why he never came looking for her or the baby and he reveals his father had paid to send her to Chapel Hill, tells her what his father did to the baby. (I Had A Vision)
Meanwhile, Billy has come home and goes to the bookshop where Margo works to tell her he is going to be published. He tells her he kissed a girl and it made him realize he loves her. (Always Will). Billy goes home and tells his father that his editor is coming to visit. Alice shows up, and Billy's father tells him he'll get him a bag to carry some things back to Asheville. He comes out with the suitcase Alice's baby was taken in, and the sweater she had knitted the baby is in it. Alice realizes Billy is her son (So Familiar), and Billy's father tells him how he found him when he was "toad kickin." Billy storms off upset saying he had a mother who died. But Alice is thrilled to learn he is Alice. (At Long Last).
Alice is back in the office, and Darryl and Lucy comment that she has been spending a lot of time with Jimmy Ray. She is expecting him, but suddenly Billy and Margo walk through the door. He apologizes and said he was just shocked. She says his father would love to meet him and he says he wouldn't know him if he saw him, but then Jimmy Ray walks in and they know they are father in son. Billy tells them he is marrying Margo and Jimmy Ray asks Alice if she'll go to the wedding. Alice responds of course she will; he's her son. Jimmy Ray says "not theirs, ours" and gets down on one knee. She says yes and they all live happily ever after. (Finale)
The Bright Star reprise is sung during curtain call.
After an introduction from Alice Walker (If You Knew My Story), the story begins with Billy coming home from the war. He comes home to his father and learns that his mother has died. (She's Gone) We meet Margo, Billy's old friend who is clearly carrying a torch for him, but he's oblivious. Billy is a writer, and he has been sending Margo stories to edit. She has typed them up for him. He decides to go to Ashville to try to get his stories published. (Bright Star). (I don't remember the exact order of all that but that's the gist.)
Billy goes to the Asheville Southern Journal where he is told by the staff, Daryl and Lucy, that the editor is notoriously tough. Alice Walker comes out and meets him. He tells her he has a letter from a famous author and she agrees to read his stories. He leaves, and she tells Darryl and Lucy he's a liar, and she wants to read his stories because good liars make good writers. Daryl and Lucy ask Alice if she wants to go out with them, and Alice tells them she used to be a lot more fun. (Back in the Day).
We go back in time and a younger Alice is at a farmhouse. She finds Jimmy Ray fixing an icebox and asks why the mayor's son is fixing an icebox. She tells him she wants him to ask her to the couple's dance. They flirt and are both playing hard to get. (Hey Mama). She gets home late and gets in trouble. (Firmer Hand/Do Right). Meanwhile, Jimmy Ray goes to his dad's office and his dad is trying to get him to marry someone from the "right" family. (A Man's Gotta Do)
We go back to present day, and find out that Alice has agreed to pay Billy as a writer but isn't buying any of his stories yet. He tells Margo he is moving to Asheville and she laments that he's leaving her. (Asheville).
Going back in time again, we find Alice at the couple's dance, where Jimmy Ray is dancing with another girl. She grabs another guy to make him jealous, and they end up slipping away together to sneak down to the river. She tells him she has to get home (What Could Be Better) but instead they... Well you get the idea.
We then are taken to a doctor's office where Alice learns she is pregnant. The doctor promises not to tell, but the mayor finds out and tells Jimmy Ray. Jimmy Ray asks his dad not to do anything, but he goes to Alice and her parents and offers a cabin in the woods where she can hide during her pregnancy. Jimmy Ray proposes to Alice and she says yes, but not now. Alice and Jimmy Ray are both happy about the baby (I Can't Wait) but she agrees to go away until after the baby's born to avoid bringing shame to the family.
At the cabin in the woods, Alice has a baby, and her parents are there when the mayor shows up. She asks where Jimmy Ray is because he has been there every day fawning over his son. The mayor says he's running an errand. He tells Alice he has arranged for an adoption agency to take the baby, and all he needs is a signature from Alice's father since she's a minor. Over the pleas of Alice and her mother, her father signs the paper and the mayor puts the baby in a suitcase. (You Can't Take Him). The mayor tells them he is taking the baby to Raleigh. Instead, he throws the baby from the train. (A Man's Gotta Do, reprise).
Act II
Alice is devastated over the loss of her baby and her mother is trying to console her. (Sun is Gonna Shine). She learns that someone has paid for her to go to college in Chapel Hill.
Jimmy Ray comes into his dad's office. The mayor is drinking and Jimmy Ray tells him he needs to stop. He informs his dad he is going to Chapel Hill and that he and Alice are going to go to Raleigh to try to find their baby. His dad tells him what he has done, and Jimmy Ray decides he can't face Alice again. (Heartbreaker)
Going forward in time again, we learn that Alice has agreed to publish one of Billy's stories. She is getting ready to take a trip home on personal family business, and she agrees to meet him in his hometown and meet his family. Billy goes out drinking with Darryl and Lucy. (Another Round). Lucy kisses him.
We then go to Raleigh, where Alice is at the adoption agency asking about the records of her baby, but there are no records of a baby dropped off that day. She asks if a man has come looking for the same baby, and the woman says no. Alice goes and finds Jimmy Ray coming out of his house after a woman and some kids. She asks if they're his, and he said no, they're his sister's. He has never married. She asks why he never came looking for her or the baby and he reveals his father had paid to send her to Chapel Hill, tells her what his father did to the baby. (I Had A Vision)
Meanwhile, Billy has come home and goes to the bookshop where Margo works to tell her he is going to be published. He tells her he kissed a girl and it made him realize he loves her. (Always Will). Billy goes home and tells his father that his editor is coming to visit. Alice shows up, and Billy's father tells him he'll get him a bag to carry some things back to Asheville. He comes out with the suitcase Alice's baby was taken in, and the sweater she had knitted the baby is in it. Alice realizes Billy is her son (So Familiar), and Billy's father tells him how he found him when he was "toad kickin." Billy storms off upset saying he had a mother who died. But Alice is thrilled to learn he is Alice. (At Long Last).
Alice is back in the office, and Darryl and Lucy comment that she has been spending a lot of time with Jimmy Ray. She is expecting him, but suddenly Billy and Margo walk through the door. He apologizes and said he was just shocked. She says his father would love to meet him and he says he wouldn't know him if he saw him, but then Jimmy Ray walks in and they know they are father in son. Billy tells them he is marrying Margo and Jimmy Ray asks Alice if she'll go to the wedding. Alice responds of course she will; he's her son. Jimmy Ray says "not theirs, ours" and gets down on one knee. She says yes and they all live happily ever after. (Finale)
The Bright Star reprise is sung during curtain call.
"
A very good synopsis, but I have to say because it's bugging me - her name is Alice Murphy. Alice Walker is very much a real person :P
the artist formerly known as dancingthrulife04
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GreasedLightning
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/11/14
#40Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 12:27am
Speaking of "real people..." – my friend and I were wondering just how much of the event this story is inspired by is true? Does anybody know?
#41Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 12:33am
I'll answer the above question, but I don't know how to do one of those clever little spoiler toggles so I will say SPOILER ALERT MAJOR SPOILER ALERT BELOW:
The only part of the show that is inspired by a true event is the baby being thrown from the train, and being found alive. Edie Brickell came upon the story of the Iron Mountain Baby, which was a real baby, who had been found in a suitcase-- alive-- who was believed to have been thrown from a train. If you've seen the show, then you know, Steve and Edie decided to craft their story around what might have led to such a heinous act.
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#42Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 12:41am
Whoops! Thanks. I will fix. Too many shows this week
Updated On: 5/1/16 at 12:41 AM
theatreguy12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/20/15
#43Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 1:06am
For those who have seen it, is this show worth seeing in your opinions? It seems that the cast recording and the music therein is getting glowing marks on here….but wasn't the show largely panned? Is there that much of a chasm between the music and the rest of the production? Just curious in case I decide to add another show when I'm there in a couple of weeks.
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#44Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 2:12am
In my opinion it is absolutely worth seeing--I would love to see it again. If you're someone who doesn't like overly romantic shows or needs a realistic story it may not be for you. But if you're someone who would enjoy it for what it is--a lovely and heart-warming romance--I would see it. I'm a hopeless romantic and it was one of my favorite new shows this season. And I say that having begrudgingly gotten tickets at TKTS because there wasn't much else I hadn't seen that I could get good seats. Plus Carmen Cusack makes it worth seeing. As I've said in numerous threads now, I'm hoping for a Tony nomination for her. She is gut wrenching and somehow plays a 16 year old and a 30-something year old seamlessly and believably.
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#45Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 2:15am
I think Chris Jones's review is pretty spot-on, if you need help. I think his criticisms are completely valid, but reading it I understand why those flaws don't bother me. They may bother some people, however.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/broadway/sc-bright-star-steve-martin-broadway-ent-0324-20160324-column.html
theatreguy12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/20/15
#46Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 2:18am
Thanks for the insight. Just might give it a shot. I like romance. I like stories that are full of warmth. I like wrenching performances too. Sounds like Cusack is pretty impressive.
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#47Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 2:25am
She's incredible. I genuinely have no idea how old she is and how she managed to make this character span time without aging makeup is beyond me. I understand the criticisms of the book to an extent, but to me, musical theater has never been about realism. This is a heart-warming and lovely story. It's contrived to be sure, but I was able to get lost in the world of the show and enjoy it for what it ultimately is--a romantic bluegrass musical.
Wilmingtom
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
#48Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 4:56am
Rob Berman is a wildly talented music director, conductor and arranger. That he can work in such a variety of styles, from Pajama Game and Finian's Rainbow to White Christmas and now Bright Star, is extraordinary. And he's done fantastick work with Encores! as well.
#49Bright Star Cast Recording
Posted: 5/1/16 at 9:17am
Carmen Cusack deserves all of the praise in the world and then some. She is giving a stand out performance!
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