# Bright Star at Curran Theatre, November 29, 2017

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Broadway musical, _Bright Star_, featuring Carmen Cusack  
[Curran Theatre](https://sfcurran.com/shows/bright-star/)  
[445 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102-1222 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=445+Geary+St,+San+Francisco,+CA+94102-1222+USA&hl=en)  
7:00 PM, Wednesday, November 29, 2017

[[2017-11-26|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2017|Up to the 2017 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2017#November_events|Up to the 2017 event list!]] ☸ [[2017-11-30|On to the next event!]]

{{:2017:2017-11:bright_star_hero_new_alignment.1280x800.jpg?nolink&480|Bright Star poster}}

## Act One

01. [7:12 PM] Alice and Ensemble: _If You Knew My Story_
02. [7:17 PM] Daddy Cane and Billy: _She’s Gone_
03. [7:23 PM] Billy and Ensemble: _Bright Star_
04. [7:29 PM] Alice and Ensemble: _Way Back in the Day_
05. [7:34 PM] Jimmy, Alice, and Ensemble: _Whoa, Mama_
06. [7:38 PM] Daddy Murphy, Mama Murphy, Alice, and Ensemble: _Firmer Hand/Do Right_
07. [7:42 PM] Mayor Dobbs and Jimmy: _A Man’s Gotta Do_
08. [7:50 PM] Margo and Ensemble: _Asheville_
09. [7:55 PM] Jimmy, Alice, and Ensemble: _What Could Be Better_
10. [8:00 PM] Alice, Jimmy, and Ensemble: _I Can’t Wait_
11. [8:03 PM] Mayor Dobbs, Alice, Daddy Murphy, Mama Murphy, Stanford Adams, and Ensemble: _Please, Don’t Take Him_
12. [8:10 PM] Mayor Dobbs and Ensemble: _A Man’s Gotta Do_ (Reprise)  
[set ends 8:16 PM]

## Act Two

01. [8:36 PM] Orchestra: _Entr’acte_
02. [8:45 PM] Alice, Mama Murphy, Margo, Daddy Cane, Edna, Florence, and Ensemble: _Sun’s Gonna Shine_
03. [8:48 PM] Jimmy: _Heartbreaker_
04. [8:52 PM] Lucy, Darryl, Billy, and Ensemble: _Another Round_
05. [8:57 PM] Alice and Jimmy: _I Had A Vision_
06. [9:02 PM] Billy, Margo, and Ensemble: _Always Will_
07. [9:07 PM] Ensemble: _I Can’t Wait_ (Reprise)
08. [9:14 PM] Alice and Ensemble: _So Familiar_
09. [9:20 PM] Alice and Ensemble: _At Long Last_
10. [9:28 PM] Ensemble: _Finale_  
[show ends 9:30 PM]


## Performers

### Stars

* Patrick Cummings: tenor vox, as _Jimmy Ray Dobbs_, the mayor's son;
* Carmen Cusack: mezzo soprano vox, as _Alice Murphy_, editor of the Asheville Southern Journal, a literary magazine;
* A.J. Shively: tenor vox, as _Billy Cane_, an aspiring writer.

### Leads

* Stephen Lee Anderson: baritone vox, as _Daddy Murphy_
* David Atkinson: tenor vox, as _Daddy Kane_
* Jeff Blumenkrantz: ?baritone or tenor? vox, as _Daryl Ames_, an employee of the Asheville Southern Journal;
* Allison Briner-Dardenne: mezzo-soprano vox, as _Mama Murphy_
* Kaitlyn Davidson: soprano vox, as _Lucy Grant_, another Asheville Southern Journal employee.

### Support

* Maddie Shea Baldwin: soprano vox, as _Margo Crawford_, Billy's childhood friend;
* Jeff Austin: baritone vox, as _Mayor Josiah Dobbs_.

### Ensemble members (singers and dancers)

* Devin Archer, Kelly Baker, Audrey Cardwell, Max Chernin, Robin De Lano, Richard Gatta, David Kirk Grant, Donna Louden, Kevin McMahon, Alessa Neeck, Robert Pieranunzi, and Michael Starr.

### the Band

* P. Jason Yarcho: music director, conductor, piano, accordion;
* Wayne Fugate: acoustic guitar, mandolin;
* David Gold: viola, violin;
* Max Grossman: associate confuctor, accordion, autoharp;
* George Guthrie: banjo, acoustic guitar;
* Martha McDonnell: violin;
* David Mergen: cello;
* Joe Mowatt: drums, percussion;
* Skip Ward: contrabass;
* Andrew Zinsmeister: guitar, acoustic guitar.

### Behind the scenes

* Peter Asher: musical supervisor;
* Rob Berman: vocal arranger;
* Walter Bobbie: director;
* Edie Brickell: lyrics;
* Jane Greenwood: costume designer;
* Eugene Lee: scene designer;
* Steve Martin: music;
* Seymour "Red" Press: music coordinator;
* Josh Rhodes: choreography
* Nevin Steinberg: sound design;
* Tom Watson: hair and wigs;
* Japhy Weideman: lighting design.

## Notes

Well, despite the fact that it was a caricature-sketched melodrama punctuated by unbelievable yet predictable twists and turns, I enjoyed tonight's show. Ain't nothing wrong with experiencing a tear-jerker now and then, right?

The acting and singing was first rate, and while it was entirely a background element, the choreography and dancing was double plus good.

I thought it was a little lame that the musicians seemed to get little accolade -- as if they were just hired hands to be replaced at the drop of a hat -- but maybe that's de rigueur for Broadway shows? I dunno. Wouldn't have had much of a show without them!

### Articles

* Karen D'Souza posted an interview with Steve Martin about the play in the [Mercury News](http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/29/funnyman-steve-martin-on-bright-star-amy-schumer-and-what-bluegrass-really-means/)
* Margaret Gray posted a nice interview with Carmen Cusack in the [L.A. Times](http://beta.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-carmen-cusack-20171012-story.html)
* Adam Hetrick posted a promo piece about the musical for [Playbill](http://www.playbill.com/article/carmen-cusack-brings-bright-star-to-san-francisco-november-28)
* Quentin Quick posted a promo for the show at the [SF Examiner](http://www.sfexaminer.com/bright-star-musical-inspired-bluegrass-banjos/)
* [Stage Agent](http://stageagent.com/shows/musical/6785/bright-star) hosts tons of information about the play.

{{tag>theatre music Curran_Theatre A.J._Shively Allison_Briner-Dardenne Andrew_Zinsmeister Carmen_Cusack David_Atkinson David_Gold David_Mergen Edie_Brickell Ensemble_members Eugene_Lee George_Guthrie Jane_Greenwood Japhy_Weideman Jeff_Austin Jeff_Blumenkrantz Joe_Mowatt Josh_Rhodes Kaitlyn_Davidson Maddie_Shea_Baldwin Martha_McDonnell Max_Grossman Nevin_Steinberg P._Jason_Yarcho Patrick_Cummings Peter_Asher Rob_Berman Seymour_Red_Press Skip_Ward Stephen_Lee_Anderson Steve_Martin Tom_Watson Walter_Bobbie Wayne_Fugate}}

[[2017-11-26|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2017|Up to the 2017 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2017#November_events|Up to the 2017 event list!]] ☸ [[2017-11-30|On to the next event!]]