Rehearsals for “Bright Star,” Marquette Theatre’s next production, is in full swing. “Bright Star” is a musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell and opening night will be at the Helfaer Theater April 4.
“Bright Star” is the fourth and final show of Marquette Theatre’s 2024-25 season themed “Truth Be Told” — with the previous shows this season being “In the Cities of Refuge,” “Sanctuary City” and “Much Ado About Nothing.”
“Bright Star” follows literary editor Alice Murphy in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina in the 1920s and 40s. Alice meets Billy Cane, a soldier who has just returned home from World War II, who, “awakens her longing for the child she once lost,” according to the College of Communication’s website. The show switches between Alice as a 16-year-old and her as 38-year-old, exploring her past and the two characters’ unique connection.
Erin Fricker, junior in the College of Communications, plays Alice in “Bright Star” — her fifth production with Marquette Theatre.
“You see her in two different time periods, and it’s following her story of love and loss,” Fricker said. “She’s a pretty spunky, confident character — she’s a lot of fun. It’s fun to be able to have two different ages of a character to play; it’s just cool to have that contrast.”
Fricker said the rehearsals began in January, starting out meeting 5-6 days a week, but have slowed down due to people’s schedules.
Draylin Pickett, sophomore in the College of Communications, who plays Daddy Cane, Billy’s father, has been participating in Marquette Theatre productions since his freshman year.
“It has been a little all over the place just because we’re working around everybody’s schedules and it’s a busy part of the semester, so a lot of people have a lot of things going on,” Pickett said. “But I always have faith that it’s going to come together in the end and I’m having a great time.”
Pickett said he was most challenged by the show’s dancing, but has found the music and singing to be the most fun aspect of the show.
“I am in no way a dancer, but I’ve been willing to give it a chance so I’ve learned a lot,” Pickett said. “The music is such a fun part of it and just hearing all my talented castmates sing and getting support whenever I sing my song. It just really fuels you to do better.”
Fricker noted that the cast of “Bright Star” is relatively small for a musical, with a total of only 21 people.
“We’re all usually pretty close because a lot of us are theater majors, but those of us that just joined the program or are just doing a musical one time, we welcome them in like they were family,” Pickett said.
After its premiere on Broadway in 2016, “Bright Star” was nominated for five Tonys, including Best Musical, and was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album at the Grammys the following year.
“We have most of the whole show blocked and choreographed so it’s just going to be running it and cleaning it and making sure it looks tight altogether,” Fricker said.
Fricker said upon returning from spring break, the cast will have five-hour rehearsals six days a week, until show day.
“I’m so excited,” Fricker said. “I feel like we learned a lot of things but we haven’t gotten to run it for practice, so I’m so excited to finally be able to put everything together. Then, just to see it in its totality is going to be so exciting.”
“Bright Star” will open April 4 at 7:30 p.m. Shows will also be April 5, 10, 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and April 6 and 13 at 2:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, click here.
This story was written by Annie Goode. She can be reached at [email protected].
