Theatre Review: ‘Bright Star’ at The Kennedy Center

Carmen Cusack in ‘Bright Star’ at The Kennedy Center. Photo by Joan Marcus.

The music started and actors walked onstage to harmonize with the lead as they twirled her around in a cabin set-piece. As the opening number continued I thought, “Oh this must be a play within a play like Curtains or Kiss Me Kate! No show could sustain this level of kitsch for the entire performance.” Unfortunately, I was wrong. Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star was entirely hackneyed and predictable, even for a musical. However, the Kennedy Center cast, set, costumes, and staging were outstanding.

In Bright Star Billy Cane (A.J. Shively) returns home from World War II to find that things have changed in rural North Carolina. Billy decides to become a short story writer and crosses paths with famed ruthless editor, Alice Murphy (Carmen Cusack). As Billy struggles with his writing and his feelings for his childhood friend Margo Crawford (Hannah Elless), Alice’s memories of love, deception, and stubbornness haunt her. Combining scenes from the 1940s with flashbacks to the 1920’s, Bright Star explores the importance of tenacity and hope.

…a wonderful production…the Kennedy Center cast, set, costumes, and staging were outstanding.

Despite Bright Star’s overdone storyline, the cast’s impressive acting still carried the plot. Actors embraced their “down home” characters while most maintaining enough nuance to create momentum for the show. Carmen Cusack was particularly remarkable as Alice as she shifted effortlessly between her past, free-spirited self and her present, sardonic and restrained self. Additionally Jeff Blumenkrantz as Daryl Ames provided well-timed comedic relief from the overly earnest story.

Furthermore, although all the songs had similar melodies, the actors’ vocal control allowed them to switch from twangy choruses to crystal clear belts. The incorporation of country and blues music differentiated Bright Star from most other musicals and made it vocally interesting before becoming too repetitive. The full harmonies also added depth to the music, and humorous songs like “Whoa, Mama” and “Another Round” stood out in comparison with some of the overwrought, more serious numbers.

The music meshed well with the imaginative set. The string band dressed in costume and played from a balcony and from inside a set piece of a cabin that rotated and shifted position depending on the scene. Set Designer Eugene Lee’s bold ideas distracted from the monotony of the story. In addition to the rotating cabin, Lee had a miniature train run on a trestle high above the stage, giving the appearance of a town by the train tracks. In combination with Japhy Weideman’s purposeful lighting design, Lee created the mountains and hills of North Carolina simply by shifting a wood cutout on the back wall of the stage. Lee also worked with Director Walter Bobbie and Choreographer Josh Rhodes to enhance the set through the motion of the actors. As Billy hitchhiked and Mayor Josiah Dobbs (Michael Mulheren) road the train, the characters’ motion worked with the set and lighting design to create the illusion of travel.

Additionally, Costume Designer Jane Greenwood and Hair and Wig Designer Tom Watson further enhanced the production by allowing the audience to differentiate the flashbacks to the 1920s from the 1940s action of the rest of the play. Although Alice’s reminiscing happens almost without warning, Greenwood and Watson create a seamless transition complete with decade-appropriate clothing and hair.

Overall The Kennedy Center hosted a wonderful production of a mediocre play. The only choice I didn’t like about Walter Bobbie’s direction was the decision to have actors simply standing onstage waiting to sing their harmonies. In a few numbers two characters were singing to each other as ensemble members stood in a line upstage, causing me to lose focus on the action while puzzling over the silent existence of the characters in the background.

After Bright Star finishes its run at the Kennedy Center it is moving to Broadway. Although I don’t think the plot or music will carry it far, the sheer talent of the cast and artistic teams might be enough to give it a successful run.

Running Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes with intermission.

Bright Star plays through January 10, 2016 at The Kennedy Center, 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566. For more information and to order tickets please call (800) 444-1324 or click here.

See original article at: http://mdtheatreguide.com/2015/12/theatre-review-bright-star-at-the-kennedy-center/
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