Bright Star at Asheville Community Theatre
Nearly a decade since its San Diego premiere in 2014, Bright Star has come to the city at its heart. The musical, now playing at Asheville Community Theatre, weaves through the backwoods of Western North Carolina to feature Asheville itself as a stage for its characters’ dreams.
Written by comic, part-time Transylvania County resident, and occasional Steep Canyon Rangers collaborator Steve Martin in partnership with singer/songwriter Edie Brickell, Bright Star leans into the folk tradition in both plot and music. It’s not spoiling anything to note that the bluegrass tropes of forbidden young love, leaving home, and travel by train all get quite a workout in Martin’s book. The songs themselves are supported by a jangly eight-piece band complete with acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and upright bass.
The story jumps between generations, exploring the 1920s and ’40s through the common lens of Alice Murphy (Maddison McMahan). Once a precocious small-town firecracker, the adult Murphy is the no-nonsense editor of the Asheville Southern Journal literary magazine, where she encounters hopeful writer Billy Cane (Carson Fox). Over the course of their relationship — and plentiful flashbacks to Murphy’s teenage years — the two come to realize deeper truths about who both of them are.
Martin’s script paints the themes of youthful ambition and generational conflict in broad strokes, and his second-act twist is strongly telegraphed by the end of the first. But there are moments of country wisdom, as well as some eloquent turns of phrase delivered by the literary Cane. Having lyrics delivered by catchy tunes doesn’t hurt either, especially the bounce of the title track.
McMahan is a capable anchor for the production, with a soulful verve in her voice and the pipes to carry showpiece songs like “So Familiar/At Long Last.” Her acting deftly navigates her character’s age shifts, and she sprinkles subtle hints of the elder Murphy throughout her teenage scenes.
Her chronological flexibility is matched by the nimble set, with roll-on pieces designed by Jill Summers quickly switching in and out as needed to mark the different eras. Ida Bostian’s costumes also do a fine job signifying different generations, and she succeeds at outfitting her actors for a couple of well-done quick changes onstage.
Other highlights include Greg Austin as the villainous Mayor Josiah Dobbs, digging into his role with resolute determination, and Safiya Myers as Margo Crawford, Cane’s girl-next-door love interest. Making her ACT debut, Myers brings a welcome brightness and humor to her part, as well as a wistful rendition of “Asheville.”
The ensemble, under the musical direction of Kristen Johnson Dominguez, exhibits a very nice vocal balance, and although quite large (25 at full strength) rarely overwhelmed the soloists. That cast size does appear to give choreographer Jessica Garland Lowe a challenge in places; with so many bodies to coordinate, some of the full-company scenes come across as a bit regimented or static. Smaller groups have more energy, as in a rollicking swing set-piece for “Another Round.”
An ACT opening weekend crowd seemed thrilled by the overall result, rising quickly as the company came out for bows. After all, while the theater’s Mainstage season has also featured Our Town, it’s not often an audience gets the chance to applaud for a show set in their actual town.
Bright Star runs through Sunday, May 14, at Asheville Community Theatre. For details and tickets, visit AshevilleTheatre.org.
(Photo courtesy of Asheville Community Theatre)
