Storytelling at Its Brightest

By Linda Hunt

Photography by Matthew Holler

Storytelling – it’s in our DNA. Storytelling is an innately human phenomenon. Stories tell us where we’ve come from – our hardships, heartaches, and triumphs. Stories bring us together.

This season, Florida Studio Theatre tells a shining story of enduring love, family, and redemption with Edie Brickell and Steve Martin’s Broadway musical Bright Star. Called “Raw” and “Resonant” by USA Today, this heartfelt musical follows the lives of two people: Alice Murphy, a brilliant literary editor with a painful secret, and Billy Cane, a young soldier just home from World War II who wants to be a published writer.

The two meet when Billy travels to The Asheville Southern Journal—the literary magazine Alice oversees—to submit his stories for publication. Feeling an uncanny connection with Billy, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past, and what she discovers has the power to transform both of their lives.

And like many good stories, Bright Star has an air of mystery to it. When you first meet Alice Murphy, she is respected yet restrained, but you don’t know why. “The musical keeps you interested in what’s happened to this woman,” said Bright Star Co-Creator Brickell. “You get a sense that something is going on with her psychologically and emotionally, and you want to know what it is.”

And, through flashbacks, you find out. Audiences discover the pain that Alice endured, transforming her from a rebellious, carefree teenage girl into a composed, emotionally-guarded woman.

“She overcomes considerable adversity in her past and goes on to be incredibly successful and strong,” shared Meredith Jones, who plays Alice in Bright Star. “She is full of flaws, but also has strength and talent. She is 100% human, which makes her someone most people can relate to. It is easy for the audience to instantly connect with her and have a stake in wanting to see her story play out on stage.”

You also want to see where Billy’s road to literary success leads. A soldier who manages to return home with his optimism intact, Billy faces crossroads when he finds out that his mother, who raised him to love the written word, has passed away while he was away fighting.

“A lot is taken away from Billy very early in the show, and he has to decide whether or not he’s going to let the loss cripple him,” said Max Meyers, who plays Billy in FST’s production of Bright Star. “Billy is an open-hearted goofball who loves really hard.”

Over the course of the show, Billy tries to figure out what is important in life and what kind of man he wants to become. “Billy’s journey in the show is a coming of age story. He’s starting to come into his own,” added Meyers.

Called “Simple but seductive” by The New York Times, Bright Star tells an uplifting story of love and forgiveness that touches hearts and raises spirits. Even when Bright Star captures the complexity of life, including its darker moments, it always reminds us to follow our own “Bright Star.”

Bright Star plays in FST’s Gompertz Theatre now through January 5. For tickets, call FST’s Box Office at 941-366-9000 or visit floridastudiotheatre.org