Bright Star Brightens Winspear Stage
Wed, 06/13/2018 - 9:06am
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell Have a Hit!!
By:
Johnnie Pegues
From Dallas native Grammy award-winning Edie Brickell and Grammy, Emmy and Academy-award winning Steve Martin comes BRIGHT STAR, the five-time Tony-Nominated new Broadway musical that the New York Times called "a shining achievement."
A young returning soldier comes home from World War II to sad news and decisions about what to do with his life, but along the way finds out that his life is not at all what he thought it was.
Bright Star takes a tremendous leap from what first appears to be a frothy, boy-and-girl story....then takes the audience into much deeper waters by examining some very emotional and traditional byways.
Set in the post World War II South, Bright Star at first seems to be a story of a soldier who has to find his niche in life, but takes a turn into a darker and more thrilling path.
With very crisp dancing and singing and a minimal set that is constantly changing, the story moves from scene to scene effortlessly. I particularly, as was the audience, gripped by the train scene. I won’t say more, except that Martin and Brickell have constructed a well-conceived and tight play that is not your everyday musical fare.
The songs are lyrical and timely, and the dialogue meant to advance the plot seamlessly. They very aptly convey a time and place in a specific time and era.
Directed by Tony winner Walter Bobbie and inspired by a real event, this original musical tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ‘40s. Propelled by an ensemble of onstage musicians and dancers, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion, beautiful melodies and powerfully moving performances. BRIGHT STAR, as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful, is “Broadway’s most beautiful show.” (WABC)
See Bright Star at the Winspear Opera House at ATTPAC from June 12-24. Tickets available at www.attpac.com, or call 214-880-0202.