Review: BRIGHT STAR TAKES CENTER STAGE at Manatee Players

Bright Star is a Bluegrass/Folk musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Its tale is set in the vast landscape of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains between the years 1945-46, and features flashbacks to the year 1923. The pair produced a Grammy-winning album in 2013 entitled Love Has Come For You, in which the musical is inspired by its lyric-scape and the true story of the Iron Mountain Baby.

After a workshop by the New York Stage & Film at the Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College in 2013, Bright Star had its world premiere at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and ran from September 2014 until its close on November 2nd of the same year. The musical went on to open at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on December 2, 2015. The show began its previews at the Cort Theatre on Broadway on February, 25, 2016, and was Directed by Walter Bobbie, with Carmen Cusack leading the cast as Alice Murphy. Despite receiving financial support from both Martin and Brickell, Bright Star closed in June of 2016, having played only 30 previews and 109 regular performances.

Manatee Performing Arts Center, and home to the Manatee Players, is currently in production of Bright Star, a rarely done musical theatre gem, at least to a few people. The cast is energetic and full of life, with some stellar performances laced throughout its story. Mix in some imaginative staging and some joyously placed choreography, and Bright Star will make your heart soar to new heights.

The cast leaves everything on the stage, and yet still I find room for more...

Starting out, Gabe Flores does a fine job as Jimmy Ray Dobbs, having not formally seen him portray a role such as this, he takes on some massive vocals. His performance is well thoughtout, and meticulous through and through. His duets with Alice are beautifully brought together. For me there are times I wish his solos were adjusted ever so slightly to fit the vocal demands, but nonetheless, Gabe delivers a great performance, and his chemistry with Alice will make your heart swoon.

As Billy Cane, Brendan Kroposky makes the most of the role. He commands the stage in his scenes, and really makes the most of his plight. What was lost on me, was the idea that he almost tried to sing the role too meticulously, and almost came across as too trained for the character in which he was portraying. There is so much storytelling and raw appeal to the material that gets lost, when you try to come across too perfectly. Embrace the passion in the story and the momentum of your plight, let that be the driver of your words in your songs. Don’t just sing the songs, but let the music move you, lead you down a path unknown, and embrace the adventure, and take us along for the ride.

Jack Harkerload portrays the Mayor with a staunch, and almost cruel nature that is so fun to watch. His vocals lend well to the company, and his scenes with Jimmy Ray are top notch in the father/son dynamic. I just wish the staging with the fight sequence, and the baby came across more believable. The audible gasp heard all around me, took the seriousness out of the moment.

Juliana Mattes is a gem of a find as Margo. Her scenes in the bookstore with Billy are so fun to watch, and everytime shes onstage she brings new energy to the moment. Her rendition of “Asheville” was beautifully captured, and harkened back to its original source material. What a wonderful addition to the company.

Dan Yonko and Andrea Keddell do wonderful work as Daddy and Mama Murphy. Both share a stellar dynamic that plays out beautifully throughout the show, and Andrea boasts a stellar singing voice. You feel the heartbreak they share, and the love of their daughter, exceptional work.

Jay Wright does his best with Daddy Kane, and plays well opposite Billy. His comedic timing proves well played,  I just needed his  “She’s Gone,” to be slightly more haunting, and more of an emotional wallop.

As Stanford Adams, Jackson Springer has some fun moments, especially with the Mayor and Jimmy. For a young performer, he has great comedic timing, and I will be interested to see what he does next.

Brittney Klepper is exquisite as Lucy Grant. Her “Another Round,” is a great moment in Act 2, and her comedic timing is off the charts. She delivers some exceptional vocals, and her timing with choreography is unmatched.  Her back and forth with Daryl is great to watch. I just wanted her at times to push even a little more, to really amp up the comedy.

Ben Rigney does great work as Daryl Ames. His back and forth with both Alice and Lucy is so hilarious, and he does not miss a beat.

Rounding out the Company are Sarah Van Keuren (Florence/Spirit/Ensemble), Zora Annamaria Papp (Edna/Spirit/Ensemble), Craig Engle (Dr. Norquist/Station Master/ Ensemble), Noah Henry (Max/Ensemble), Olivia Hilliard (Kate/Spirit/Ensemble), and Cori Rigney (Daisy/Spirit/Ensemble). The Company as a whole come together as a cohesive unit to tell this beautiful story of hope, reflection, and moving forward.

The glue holding all the pieces together, is the incredible performance delivered by Madison DeBrino as Alice Murphy. Her performance in a few words is revelatory, exquisite, and so beautifully rendered. She captures the character as if it were written just for her. Her impressive vocals lend well to the world of the show, and her dialect is wonderfully displayed. Her chemistry with Jimmy Ray is off the charts, and her range of emotions were its own seperate character in the show, but one in the same. Exceptional work indeed.

Technically sound, Bright Star at Manatee Players packs some magical moments. The Lighting Design by Nick Jones is its own character inside this beautiful world, even taking my breath away a few times. The functional set design works well for the world of the show, complimenting both the world in which these characters reside, and the lighting design accents the scenic elements beautifully. Costumes (Caren Brady) lend themselves well to the time period, my only greivance is the Army uniform at the top of the show. Having just come back from war, the son would be sharp as a tack, the way this costume looked, was if he was almost late to his train and threw it on last minute. Paul Smith gets the most out of his performers vocally as the Music Director, there were issues at times with blending, but overall Company wide they proved good justice to the source material.

Direction by Cynthia Ashford is proven to be driven by a well-defined sense of imagination and storytelling. Though I will say that at times, I had wished that some of the characters were more age-appropriate for the roles in which they portrayed, and it may not have pulled me out of the moment a few times. Unique staging with the train sequence, and the chair movement late in the show was a great addition. A perfect blending of flashbacks and present (to the world of the show) times, that no suspension of disbelief was needed.

Bright Star is currently captivating hearts of all who attend, and packing some beautiful performances, that will leave you yearning for more. This beautiful gem is rarely done, and yet the story itself is so impactful. If you have time this weekend to catch the wonderful performances, be sure to join the Company of Manatee Players Bright Star, for a story, and an evening, you won’t soon forget. Onstage through March 15, 2026, and playing in Stone Hall. Tickets can be found by visiting www.manateeperformingartscenter.com.