Bright Star
Bright Star
by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
Hale Center Theater Orem | February 25 – April 09, 2022
Inspired by a true story and featuring the Tony®-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Broadway’s Bright Star tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ’40s. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past—and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives. With beautiful melodies and powerfully moving characters, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion. An uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp, Bright Star is as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.
ALICE | Anya Young Wilson, Adrien Swenson
BILLY | Zack Elzey, Carter Walker
JIMMY | Benjamin Henderson, Jadon Webster
MAYOR | Stephen Kerr, Dan Hess
DADDY MURPHY | David Kocherhans, Jim Dale
MAMA MURPHY | Julie Webb Burgess, Julie Silvestro
DARYL | Dayne Joyner, Dustin Bolt
LUCY | Kelsey Phillips Harrison, Amelia Rose Moore
MARGO | Maren Miller, Brianna Meikle
DADDY CANE | Sanford Porter, Patrick Kintz
Collin Larsen, Seth Sherman
Jake Hart, Jared Saunders
Kristian Huff, Spencer Manning
Michael Avila, Garrett Manning
Madison Valgardson, Phoebe Shepherd Beenfield
Amanda Baugh, Emily Runyan
Brandalee Bluth Streeter, Kennedy Bradford
Sarah Dalley, Olivia Hellin
FIDDLE | Braden Williams, Naomi White
MANDOLIN | Marcus Williams, Jason Kelly Fullmer
BANJO | Taylon Mann, Craig Miner
CHOREOGRAPHER | Ashley Gardner Carlson
MUSIC DIRECTOR | Justin Bills
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER | Meagan M. Downey
SET | Cole McClure
LIGHTS | Joseph Governale
SOUND | Cole McClure
COSTUMES | Katherine Chesne
HAIR & MAKEUP | Bekah Wilbur
PROPS | Linda Hale
Photo credit: Suzy Oliveira / Suzy O Photography (@suzyophotography)
“If you knew my story, you’d have a good story to tell”
― Alice Murphy, Bright Star
Whether in a familiar theatre or gathered on the porch on a summer’s evening with fireflies filling the air, stories bring us together as a community. Particularly when it’s live storytelling, when we’re all here together in this special moment. We are teller and listener, and neither can exist without the other.
I’ve spent a lot of my life telling stories and listening to stories. When thinking about Bright Star, long before we set foot in the rehearsal room, I immediately was drawn to the thing I have missed most during this complicated time: being in a space with other people, both strangers and friends, and sharing stories.
Our storyteller tonight, Alice Murphy, is a remarkable woman. I have cherished the time I have had with her, and I don’t mind saying I will miss her. She is prickly, impulsive, strong, honest, confident, and utterly true to herself. More than a few times I have found myself wishing that I could be more like Alice, and I think knowing her and her story has made me a better person.
This is a story of hope and a story of love and a story of family. It’s also a story about the power of stories. From the first words of the first song, stories flow throughout the play: stories about who we are, stories about who we’ve lost, stories about what could have been and what can be.
I’m deeply grateful to the community of storytellers here at Hale Center Theatre Orem for allowing me to be part of this story — one of so many I have enjoyed sitting in these seats. I’ve long admired the work done here and am in awe of all those both on and off stage who make it happen. If you needed any more proof that stories are important, just look around — we’re all here to be part of a story tonight.
Stories tell us we’re not alone. Stories tell us that if we stumble and fall, we can get up again. Stories tell us that the sun will shine again.
Stories are our bright star.
