by Blythe Ford, Messenger Staff Writer

The University of the South Department of Theatre and Dance will present “Bright Star,” a bluegrass musical written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, starting Wednesday, Oct. 14 and continuing through a matinee on Sunday, Oct. 18. All performances will be in the Proctor Hill Theater in the Tennessee Williams Center.

The musical tells a story based on true events in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the 1920s and ’40s, and features an orchestra and cast that bridges the University, Motlow State, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, and the larger mountain community.

The musical’s artistic director is Jim Crawford, Professor of Theatrical Art at the University, the set is designed by Professor Jennifer Matthews, the lights are the work of Nashville guest artist Taylor Hulsey-Thomas, costumes are by University student Antonia Cuevas, Gracie Moore, C’27, is the student choreographer, Sawyer Herring is the stage manager, and the music director is Ellanna Swope, C’27. The cast is composed of twenty-five enthusiastic student actors, singers, and dancers.

“Bright Star” is a story that will feel familiar in many ways. In the present of the musical, set in the 1940s, Alice Murphy, editor of a literary magazine, meets a young writer who has just returned to his hometown following armed service in World War II; meeting an audacious young man with ambitions of being a published author reminds her of her own youth in the 1920s and she begins to recount the love and loss she experienced at that time. In the words of music director Ellanna Swope, “It’s a snapshot of life in the Mountains split between the 1920s and 1940s — a story in which home is explored and defined in profound ways.”

The characters in both timestamps within the musical are people you could meet in any small town today: two sets of young lovers, disapproving but well-meaning parents, an influential community member focused on his family’s reputation, and a handful of teens and young adults who have bigger dreams than staying in their hometown. Choreographer Gracie Moore noted that “Being from a small, Southern mountain town myself allowed me to connect with this show in a way I did not expect. The characters feel like people I have met throughout my life.” Most familiar of all will be the love, grief, hope, and reconciliation that mark each phase of this story. Even the sounds and dances are nostalgic, with musical theatre pieces that sound like bluegrass and old country music, traditional instruments, enthusiastic line and square dancing, and songs that practically beg you to sing along. Full body shivers may or may not be included, but don’t be surprised if you feel a bit of a chill. Expect teary eyes and tugs at the heartstrings.

Even more than its familiarity, this production of “Bright Star” is special for its engagement of the surrounding community. Unlike most University productions, this musical is not just the effort of Sewanee students and professors; the orchestra is packed with community musicians across many ages and generations, from a high school student to a retiree, and the lights and stage setting are the contribution of an artist working in Nashville. Natalie Turnage, a University student who plays Alice Murphy’s older incarnation, said, “Getting to meet local musicians from our community and hear their talents is something so special,” and added that “[I]t brings the show a level of cultural relatability to the area we’re performing in, specifically Southern Appalachia. The sounds you hear from the community members of our band are sounds that are present all over the region, and it’s really unique to hear these instruments in a musical theatre setting…It helps make me and my fellow students appreciate just how amazing the area we live in, and the people who inhabit it are.” Swope weighed in on the orchestra as well: “I am so proud of the community they have created despite meeting once a week. Bluegrass is community music, and without that strong community feeling, we would have a hard time playing music so deeply rooted in that feeling.”

With community being central to this production, the cast and orchestra are infused with a great sense of camaraderie and enthusiasm. Moore commented that the majority of the cast are not trained dancers, but they still are “eager to learn and participate. It is impossible to be in a bad mood while I am teaching them choreography.” This eagerness extends to the musicians. “The most wonderful part has been that those more experienced bluegrass players in the orchestra have taught the rest of us more about the genre,” Swope said. One of those more experienced players will be familiar to many on the mountain: Mary Priestley, whose accordion skills fill out some of the most memorable of the musical’s songs. “I never thought it would be so much fun,” Priestley commented, “and how cool to have an orchestra with [a] bluegrass vibe!” She added: “It’s a wonderful Appalachian story based on a true event. A super experience to work on and perform in — worth watching for sure!”

Join this amazing cast and orchestra next week, Oct. 14-18, for an incredible show. As with all of the Department of Theatre and Dance’s productions, “Bright Star” tickets are free, but space in the Proctor Hill Theater is limited. To make sure you have a seat at any of the four 7:30 p.m. and two 2 p.m. performances, reserve tickets online via Eventbrite: <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bright-star-tickets-2002104835458>.