Bluegrass Music Tells a Riveting Story

Reviewed by Mary Alderson

There are two things you notice immediately about the musical Bright Star, now on stage at the CAA/Mirvish Theatre in Toronto.

First, although the story and music are written by comedian Steve Martin, this is not a comedy. Yes, there are funny bits scattered throughout, but the show takes a very dark turn at the end of Act I. I should also note that Martin partnered with singer Edie Brickell who wrote most of the lyrics and came up with the story, basing it on newspaper article published in the early 1900s.

Secondly, you see that this is not your typical set up for a musical. There is no orchestra down in the pit, nor are they sitting at the back of stage playing their instruments. All 14 actors in the cast are playing instruments, and as we soon learn, they all play several instruments. They move about the stage playing guitars, banjos, mandolin, bass, cello, piano, fiddles, viola, drums and percussion, bugle, harmonica and accordion.

These are very talented actor-musicians, and they make it seem perfectly natural to move about the stage carrying an instrument, while furthering the story with dialogue. And somehow, they put down the instrument without the audience even noticing, when they need both hands for a hug or a prop on stage. The story flows flawlessly, in spite of, or perhaps because of, the fact that the actors provide the music.

It’s 1945 and young Billy Cane (Nick Nolan) comes home to North Carolina from World War II.  His friend (wannabe girlfriend) Margo (Yunike Soedarmasto) and father (Beau Dixon) greet him with the bad news that his mother has died. Billy goes to the cemetery and your eyes well up when he tells her gravestone that when he was fighting overseas, he thought she was going to be mourning his death, not the other way around.

Billy wants to be a writer and decides to submit the stories he wrote during the war when he was so homesick for North Carolina, to a literary magazine in Asheville. This was during the  Southern Renaissance and Billy had valid aspirations to follow the likes of Thomas Wolfe (who is referenced in a joke in the show), Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald or Tennessee Williams. He tries to meet with the editor, but gatekeepers Daryl (Jonathan Gysbers) and Lucy (Marie Mahabal Hauer) won’t let him near their boss, Miss Alice Murphy (Kaylee Harwood), the no-nonsense, jaded editor. Finally, she sees him and while she likes his work, it’s not ready for publication. She gives him a whopping $10 and he vows to write something worthy of her magazine.

Then the show jumps back to 1923 when Alice was a teenager, and we hear her story. Her boyfriend was Jimmy Ray Dobbs (George Krissa), son of the Mayor, Josiah Dobbs (Brendan Wall). The Mayor doesn’t see Alice as a suitable wife for Jimmy Ray, and Act I concludes in a tragedy perpetrated by evil. Act II works its way through the sad but riveting events, which I won’t explain here, not wanting to spoil the plot for those unfamiliar with it.

Kaylee Harwood is excellent as Alice, convincing as the teenager in love, and just as genuine as the 38-year-old single working woman. I have watched Harwood grow from playing Guinevere in Camelot at Stratford Festival in 2011 through to starring in Waitress at Port Hope’s Capitol this summer. She excels as Alice. Similarly, the rest of the cast is outstanding, with no weak links. As well as being superior actors, each person in the cast is both an excellent singer and musician. All cast members are equally important in furthering the plot.

The music bears Steve Martin’s signature banjo, some of it sad, some of it sassy and sweet, but all in the bluegrass style. The lyrics carry the story along, thanks to Edie Brickwell’s collaboration with Martin.

It’s wonderful to see a Canadian cast giving their all to this Broadway show. There is no shortage of talent. Credit for this show goes to Donna Garner of Garner Theatre Productions who played the roles of Mama Murphy and the Government Clerk. By teaming up with David and Hannah Mirvish, she has brought this heart-felt musical to the stage. Director Jacob Wolstencroft made all the elements work together seamlessly.

Don’t miss this show. You will enjoy the cast’s exceptional performance bringing acting, singing and playing instruments together. You will have an appreciation for the history of 1923 and 1945. You will have a moving experience, as this story, inspired by a real event, winds its way into your heart.

Bright Star continues with eight shows a week at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St., Toronto until November 2, 2025. For tickets, visit www.mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333 for more information.

Photo: Kaylee Harwood as Alice Murphy with the actors-musicians of Bright Star. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

Bright Star
By Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
Produced by David & Hannah Mirvish and Donna Garner of Garner Theatre Productions
Directed by Jacob Wolstencroft
Musical Direction by Donna Garner
Choreography/Intimacy Direction by Lisa Goebel
Performed by Kaylee Harwood, George Krissa, Scott Carmichael, Randy Lei Chang, Beau Dixon, Nick Dolan, Rita Dottor, Donna Garner, Leah Grandmont, Jonathan Gysbers, Andrew Legg, Marie Mahabal Hauer, Yunike Soedarmasto, Brendan Wall.
CAA Theatre, 651Yonge Street, Toronto
October 8, extended to November 2, 2025
Reviewed by Mary Alderson