Review: BRIGHT STAR at The Summit Playhouse Captivates

The Summit Playhouse presents A BRIGHT STAR Written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Directed by Lynn Polan with Musical Direction by Joe DeVico and Choreographed by Megan Ferentinos.

This buoyant musical tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the 1920s and 40s. With a fresh and lively score, this charming fable of lives torn apart and made whole again is sure to appeal to all ages.

The stage was set with a wooden gazebo where the band was waiting for an audience, ready to play. The musical begins with Alice Murphy, played by the talented Sky Monroe, singing "If you Knew My Story." Monroe grabs our attention from the first few bars and takes us on a journey that tells the story of Alice Murphy's life. Billy Kasper plays the young and lovable Billy Cane. His energy gave life to this character and we were all rooting for him. Alexa Rojek, who played Margo, was bubbly and charming. Rojek's presence on stage and voice kept us all on the edge of our seats, ready for more. Sean Lynch-Littlejohn made us all fall in love with him and charmed us all by melting our hearts with each of his songs. Mary Elizabeth Gismonde, who plays Lucy wowed us and had us dancing in our seats with her performance of "Another Round," with her grumpy but funny sidekick Daryl, played by Joe Piserchio, joining in.

The ever changing set that gave life to the worlds in which the scenes were taking place, were re-arranged by cast members instead of stage hands. This nice touch kept us in each moment and flowed effortlessly so as not to disrupt the story that was being told at that time. With just a few set pieces and props moving on and off the stage, the scenes were transformed from the inside of a train, a porch, the inside of a house, a library, an editorial office and more. This clever design didn't need huge pieces to tell the story. Monroe's quick costume and hair changes also helped tell the story, bringing us back in time and then back to the present.

Between the beautiful, but at times dark, story, the captivating songs and the talented cast and onstage band, it is imperative that you run to see this show before it's too late.

Cast (in order of appearance)

Alice Murphy: Sky Monroe

Billy Cane: Billy Kasper

Daddy Cane: Gordon Wiener

Margo: Alexa Rojek

Max: Sam Clerihue

Florence: Linda Katz

Edna: Sarah Decker

Daryl Ames: Joe Piserchio

Lucy Grant: Mary Elizabeth Gismonde

Jimmy Ray Dobbs: Sean Lynch-Littlejohn

Daddy Murphy: Steve Gabe

Mama Murphy: Laura Fortgang

Mayor Josiah Dobbs: David Romankow

Stanford Adams: Donald Pauselius

Dr. Norquist: Alex Oleksij

Station Master: Bob Velasquez

County Clerk: Jeslyn Wheeless

Bright Star Band

Piano: JoeDevico

Keyboard 2: Judy Stanton

Guitar/Banjo: Rich Merino

Violin: Samantha Tomblin

Percussion: Mike Kaminski

Performances run now through May 15th. For more information, please visit Thesummitplayhouse.org

*Proof of vaccine is required at the door for all audience members ages 12 and older. Masks are required for all audience members.

Image Credit: Courtesy of The Summit Playhouse

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