After more than a year of waiting, Encore Musicals was finally able to present Bright Star — a musical with a message of hope and redemption — last weekend at the RiverPark Center. The production is back this weekend for two more performances and tickets are on sale now.
Bright Star is a musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. It is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in 1945–46 with flashbacks to 1923. The musical is inspired by their Grammy-winning collaboration on the 2013 bluegrass album Love Has Come for You and is based on a true event.
Kevin Brown, Co-director of Bright Star, said in a release last week that the production was originally scheduled for April of 2020 but was put on hold due to the global shutdown.
“A year later the message of hope is even more potent,” he said. “It serves as a reminder that no matter how dark things may get, we can always find a bright star to lead the way.”
Lauren Calhoun and Jacob Hein spearhead the cast as Alice and Jimmy Ray.
“It’s like Lauren and Jacob were born to play Alice and Jimmy Ray,” Co-director Emily Malone said. “If they hadn’t been available to do Bright Star this summer, we would have waited until they were.”
Brown called Bright Star a show of hope and redemption.
“It is about finding your voice and sharing your story,” he said. “The message of this show is very relevant to audiences of all ages. Through the course of the story we learn that our past does not define us, and our future is only limited by our imagination.”
The remaining performances are at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets can be purchased here.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students. Additional RiverPark Center box office fees are not included in the initial price.
Cast List
Lauren Calhoun, Jacob Hein, Tan Mayhall, David Roberson, Ronda Rogers, Tony Rogers, Brett Vance, Lydia Rust, Preston Middleton, Michelle Trenda, Joe Bob Pierce, Nate Gross, Janet Woodall Corum, Cheyenne Santos, Ava Wiggins, Evan Frakes, Abby Clayton, Thaddeus Mayhugh, Jenifer Wiggins, Kayla Cox, Justin Miller, Susan Dant, Miller Pogue, Alex Hamilton, Abby North, Loré North,
Logan Holt
Technical Crew
Kevin Brown (Co-director), Emily Malone (Co-director & Musical Director), Jordawn Howard (Choreographer), Michelle Trenda (Costume Designer), Jim Wilhoyte (Scenic Construction), Grae Greer (Set Designer & Painter), Alyssa Goodwin (Production Manager), Janice Eaves (Stage Manager), Jacob Allen (Lighting Designer), David Malone (Sound Engineer), Mary Miller (Props Master)
