Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
After a season of classics at Grand Canyon University, the theatre department will introduce a relatively new musical for its final performance of the academic year.
The College of Arts and Media will delve into bluegrass music for the first time in the heartfelt “Bright Star,” written by actor/comedian/musician Steve Martin and singer-songwriter Edie Brickell.
The five-time Tony Award-nominated musical premieres at 7:30 tonight at Ethington Theatre for a two-weekend run. More shows are coming up at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. March 13-14 and 2 p.m. March 15.
“One of the inspirations behind our selection of the show was that we are really thinking about how this speaks to our students and the GCU community at large,” said Cindi Calhoun, the play's director.
“The vision of it is about finding connection, especially with those that we call our family, whether it is the one we are born into, the one we find, the one we form as we get older, marriage, children, etc. It is about the connection and closeness.”
Set in the American South and jumping between two timelines, the 1920s and 1940s, the story follows the life of literary editor Alice Murphy (senior Kailey Mazur) as she grapples with life’s heartache, love and redemption.
When a World War II soldier, Billy Cane (sophomore Carter Giannetti), returns home, he sets out to pursue a career in writing. He goes to Alice to publish his work, and the two create a uniquely intimate connection.
Moved by his familial presence, Alice is reminded of her past, stained by young love and loss of a child. She goes on a journey to understand how her life has played out and what truly happened to her lost child.
“I am excited to be portraying this beautiful role and being able to show people that tragedy doesn’t have to be at the end of your story,” Mazur said. “You can push past it and become an entirely different person that you never knew you could become.
“I learned that not everything is black and white. There are levels to relationships and to people. Not everyone is presumably bad, and that there is always a chance to redeem yourself is a really important thing to have.”
As the two timelines unfold, revealing Alice’s early life with lover Jimmy Ray Dobbs (junior Luke Lundberg) and Billy Cane’s new start after war, the audience learns how characters who were initially strangers become family.
The brightest star in the sky is often thought of by many as a guide, lighting the way to follow. It symbolizes hope for a brighter future.
Through the characters, the audience can expect to learn how people can be those bright stars to each other, connecting the dots from the past and present that point to a hopeful and wholesome future.
The cast already has learned that from their months’ worth of show preparation and working with an intimacy coach on building bonds through tragedies that their characters carry.
“The connection between us is an integral part of the show,” Giannetti said. “Me and my roommates are all in this show together. It is an interesting dynamic because we all get ready for rehearsals, then we walk over together, go back home, hang out, play Super Smash Bros. until midnight, it’s a found-family kind of thing.
“For a long time in college, I missed my family, but I’ve got my roommates now. I get to just chill with them. It’s definitely those connections that they are talking about in the show.”
A potent fascination of the show is the vibrant, high-pitched bluegrass music interwoven throughout.
The cast is accompanied by live music on stage. Led by Music Director Mark Fearey on piano, the band is composed of professional instrumentalists playing the banjo, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass, drums and percussion.
New to Ethington, the folk beats have challenged students to focus on high-pitched, sustained notes and soulful turns to convey emotional storytelling.
As a Critical Mass choir member, Lundberg has connected to the music genre.
“Hearing the banjo, the fiddle and upright bass is super cool,” Lundberg said. “Going to watch a show or singing in choir is like I get to forget about what is going on. Even if it’s a hard show with death and grief, it’s still kind of an escape. You can forget about life and that is one of my favorite things about music.”
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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IF YOU GO:
What: "Bright Star"
Where: Ethington Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, with more shows coming up at 7:30 p.m. March 13-14 and 2 p.m. March 15
Tickets: Click here
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