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The BRIGHT STAR Company Celebrates a Gleaming Opening Night!
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Nov 7, 2022
With direction by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreography by Josh Rhodes, Bright Star began performances on Thursday, February 25th, 2016 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street), and opened on Thursday, March 24th, 2016. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night, and we're taking you inside the after party with the full company below!
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:03
The new Steve Martin and Edie Burkell musical Bright Star has come to Broadway
0:07
And we're here on opening night to celebrate with a company led by Carmen Cusack, who's making her Broadway debut
0:14
You got the look, you got the feel, you got the face of true love
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You got the charm, you got appeal, I got to let you go
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Something tells me it'll be alright Something tells me it's gonna be okay
0:34
The sun is gonna shine again The clouds are running on fire
0:41
The clouds are running on fire Opening night, your baby has come to Broadway. What a sensational opening night. You got to perform on stage at the end
0:51
What does tonight mean to both of you? bittersweet. It is bittersweet. I'm a little sad because I won't get to keep working on it
1:01
I loved working with all of our collaborators and watching our cast
1:05
do new lines, new songs. It was a thrill. I've discussed it with you. There's nothing like hearing your song
1:13
or your script presented by talented actors. The duets are stunning to me, you know, and it's just amazing to hear your work be brought to life by, you know
1:28
all the creative team, not only the cast, but the entire creative team, including Walter Bobby
1:33
our director. Absolutely. A star was born tonight in Carmen Cusack. I mean, how, oh
1:38
believe me, when you read the rest of the reviews, wait till you go upstairs. My favorite
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imagined headline is a star is born. Yeah. Well, you've got it. She deserves it. Good. She deserves
1:50
And we're grateful for her. And by the way, the way we found her, she sent us a videotape
1:58
And you knew. And by the way, we were just doing a reading. And we thought, yeah, she's good
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But we had no idea of the depth of talent as it marched on for three years from that moment
2:09
It is opening night. You look like a princess. How do you feel
2:13
Like a princess? I said, I feel like I'm standing next to Steve Martin. Oh, wait. I'm standing next to Steve Martin
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And I feel elated. I feel amazing. I feel relieved. I mean, we can just go into tonight and have a good time
2:26
and celebrate with our family and our friends. And there's just so much work that's gone into this
2:32
Musicals are hard, it turns out. When did you join the show? A year and a half ago
2:37
I've done both the San Diego and the DC tryout. So I really..
2:40
A lot of changes. Yeah, I had a chance to see this character grow. And that's been a real joy, to have time, to really create something that really feels like home to you every night
2:52
Isn't it great when you work on a new musical, it's being created with you and for you
2:57
That is the truth. There are more Hannah-isms in this show than I would care to let you know about
3:03
Isn't that great? Could you channel a character through yourself anyway? Of course. My parents are sitting there in the third row tonight like, oh yeah
3:09
Oh, that's Hannah. That's Hannah in the 40s. Oh, that's Hannah. It's fun when I can surprise them, and they're like, oh, that's not Hannah at all
3:17
That's what's fun. It is Moe Woody night. How do you feel tonight? I feel great. I feel great
3:21
I have been working on this with Steve and Edie for like, oh gosh, three years now
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From the day one, we had our first reading, and it's been a wonderful, wonderful journey
3:29
with a wonderful, wonderful show, and the cast is fabulous, and it's nice to get it open
3:35
Nice to get it open and come this far. Great role you play. Talk about the role
3:39
Well, I mean, you know, everyone looks at me and says, oh, God, he's awful
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And Walter always said, these are good people dealing with a difficult situation badly
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And, you know, and that's kind of what we're trying to come to grips with
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and trying to make our decisions and dealing with what we have to do in 1920s, you know
4:03
And so, you know, he's a nice guy, I find, but he's strict, and he's got to do what he's got to do
4:10
But you try to find the humanity in him, you know. It's such a beautiful score
4:14
Were you involved in the very beginning? Just about. I was involved starting at Vassar and Poughkeepsie three summers ago
4:22
That was the very first sort of reading workshop. And so I've been with the show since then, yeah
4:28
So collaborating with Steve and Edie, what's that been like? It's been unbelievable
4:32
They just they so wonderful and talented and singular and unique and their music is soulful and beautiful and you know and they put so much trust in Walter and Josh and myself And we just had the most wonderful collaboration working on this together
4:54
It's just been a dream. What's it like being a part of a brand new musical being created with you
5:00
Well, in this day and age, to have a show that isn't based on a different medium
5:07
on a book, on a TV show, a film or whatever. It's extraordinary
5:12
And to be with Steve Martin and Edie Perkel and creating something brand, brand new is exciting
5:18
I was going to ask you what that whole creative process was like with having those two icons in the room
5:24
Well, they're both brilliant, and they're both collaborators. They're willing to throw the material out, rewrite it
5:32
They write on the fly. You get lines the next day. You get music the next day
5:37
Lyrics are texted to you at night sometimes. They're very generous, and they're as excited as we are
5:45
Talk about the man that you play. I play Jimmy Ray Dobbs, and he falls in love with Alice Murphy, who is played by Carmen Cusack
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And if you haven't seen her yet, get ready. and you know
6:01
we get pregnant and then a big event happens and it changes our lives
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and it's so much fun to play Jimmy Ray because he he's kind of the
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he's the he's the the best of the youthful spirit that I have
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left in me and so I get to visit that every day
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it's fantastic working with this cast yeah we have a I mean
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I'm standing beside one of them We have a hugely talented cast, a hugely experienced cast, and lots of Broadway veterans
6:35
So we have kind of the best, best case scenario. Carmen's making her Broadway debut
6:42
I know. It's crazy, you know. Today we did the Gypsy Robe ceremony, and they call all the Broadway debuts to the center of the circle
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And even though I knew it was Carmen's debut, I looked at her going to the center
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I was like, what's Carmen doing? Because she's had this huge career other places
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And because of her massive talent, you just are like, how has she never been here
7:06
It's wonderful. Working on a brand new musical, especially written by Steve Martin and Edie Burkell
7:11
Yeah, it's amazing. They were in the rehearsal studio with us every day
7:17
They are so in it. There's no ego. They want the story to be good
7:21
They rewrite all the time. I mean, it's just, you know, it's a little intimidating when you're in that studio and you see Steve Martin right there just on his computer, just watching you
7:29
And then when you can make him laugh. I've done good. When you can make that man laugh, it's the best
7:35
Yeah. You live so beautifully in this world, playing that sassy woman. Talk about your role
7:40
She's, oh my gosh, Lucy. You know, she is a mix between all the designing women
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I love you. Yes. And I'm from North Carolina, so, you know, I know these women
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and I love her because she's modern. She doesn't have a love interest. She has a good time and she tosses things off
7:57
and she likes to have fun. Everything I do in the show is everything I love to do
8:02
I get to dance. I get to say funny things. I get to pose. It's the best
8:07
Welcome back to Broadway, my friend. How does it feel? It feels good. It feels really good
8:12
It's been a long time and it's been such a different experience
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from La Cage because that was... I'm walking behind my grandson. Careful, he might push me
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He's a good swimmer. Jane. Yeah. So it's a completely different experience from La Cage
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So not only was that a revival of a beloved, beloved show
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but it was an import of an incredibly beloved production of a beloved show
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So that rehearsal process, it was kind of like, this works. Let's do it
8:45
Let's do it right. And this, to have watched, I've been involved with the show for about two years
8:51
and to have watched from the workshops to San Diego to D.C. how a musical is written
8:57
how it comes together, how they figure out what works and what doesn't. Watching Edie and Steve cut some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard because it just didn't help
9:07
It's been such an education, such a wonderful, wonderful joy. As a musical theater nerd, it's been amazing to be a fly on that wall
9:16
Without giving too much away, who do you play? I play Billy Kane, who is a veteran of World War II
9:22
who's just returned back home to Asheville, North Carolina. And similar to J Salinger experience fighting in Europe Billy discovered that he wants to be a writer And he been given this gift of his life and he has decided he going to become a writer
9:40
And he finds a mentor in Alice Murphy, played by Carmen Cusack, who is..
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Who is... dot, dot, dot. Who is everything. And kind of my story arc is about him finding himself through that mentorship
10:00
This is such a stunning musical. I mean, it's opening night. I spoke to you both on the carpet beforehand
10:05
What did tonight mean to you watching the show and see how it was reacted to
10:10
I think what I loved about tonight was that it wasn't nervous
10:15
It was confident. They knew what they were doing. And they weren't distracted by the fact that it was an opening night
10:21
they were up there breathing as one as a company doing the show that we put together
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and the audience didn't overreact which they sometimes do on opening night
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they didn't laugh too hard, they didn't applaud it was how the show was received nightly
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and I think that that's satisfying we didn't try to muscle the event nor the day
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and it was a beautiful night I think the whole process over the three years
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including the last few weeks has been a seamless one in the sense that
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if you start reading any of the cast's tweets or anything or talking to them, the general feeling was
10:57
we're ready, you know? And they were. So it wasn't like a sense of going on
11:03
are we really ready for this? They knew they were, and they delivered incredibly well
11:08
I was going to ask you, welcome back to Broadway to U2. How does it feel? Thank you. It's amazing. It's been so long
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I mean, you know, I did Murder for Two a couple of years ago, but I haven't been on Broadway since 2001
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It feels good to be back, right? Oh, yeah, and especially in this piece, which we all just love so much
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And it's, you know, I have this juicy, juicy plum part, and I love it
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Talk about him. You live so beautifully in this period. Thank you
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You know, it's funny. We haven't really had to think about it that much. The clothes take care of it and the language
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And I just have all these, like, Steve Martin gems that got dropped in my lap
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and all I have to do is go out there and say them. It's amazing. Having Steve and Edie in the room
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and having them create with you, what's that whole process been like? Well, I have to confess
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I am an Edie Brickhall fanboy. I wore out her first two CDs
12:00
and so I had to get over that first. And then Steve is also, you know
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he's so impressive and he's so funny and smart and it took me like three weeks
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to even just like initiate a conversation with him. but he's really wonderful
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and he's been great through this process and it's, you know obviously it's an incredible
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privilege to get to work with both of them How do you feel tonight
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I feel great I feel thrilled I feel blessed that this role
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came to me and that Walter Bobby's an old friend acquaintance director
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who wanted Stevie Lee and I back together I said, Stevie Lee we're in this
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because we're tall he wanted the tall parents so, but it's just
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it's such a gift it's a real blessing and I mean there is a body of work and I earned it and blah blah blah
12:47
but it's so thrilling to be up there and watch this ensemble
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and see Miss Carmen Cusack the bomb of all time who is this girl
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making her debut making her Broadway debut and nailing it, killing it
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smacking it out of the park song after song you live so beautifully in this world
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of Stephen Eater I keep saying Stephen Eater we all do, it's hilarious and of course the children, those under
13:13
you know 30 go oh I don't get it Google their score is beautiful and the book what's it like
13:21
living in their world oh my gosh it's great it's it's great because it's meaningful it's heartfelt
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but it's funny just like life just like my life you know there's you have days where you think
13:34
I gotta go to the bank you think but you know what last time I went to the bank I found 20
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on the floor and nobody claimed it, so it was mine. That's kind of how I feel about tonight
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I found the $20. Every night I found $20. This is your 10th Broadway show
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. What does that mean to you that number? I've been around
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a while. It goes back to my first Broadway show where I learned integrity doing On the Waterfront
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I never missed a performance. I did all eight. We ran a week. I was there
14:03
You can't be that old. I was here at the matinee. When Jerry Grace had passed
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He didn't die. No, I don't. He came back. That's when I met Riedel
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Riedel was hanging out outside when he was working for the Daily News Back when What is it like living in the world of Bright Star it incredible because it it more of an ensemble feel than I ever had in a musical you know
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Titanic was similar we had an ensemble feel with that but we had this
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ensemble feel and then we look out every now and then at Carmen Cusack who you guys
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are just going to meet you know she's remarkable remarkable to share
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a stage with her she's incredible isn't it great when you work with someone she is phenomenal
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and she is making her Broadway debut and to me she's a throwback from the from the old film world and Broadway world all rolled into one
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It's all there all the time. Other actors I've worked with, Maren Mazie in Kiss Me Kate
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from day one, from minute one, Maren's there and every night it's the same thing. It's fresh but it's consistent and Carmen's the same thing
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And you couldn't find a nicer person. Have you had her through here yet? Let her meet her
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It is opening night. It is your Broadway debut. There is nothing like a debut
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Have you been able to put it into perspective yet? Not really. No. Not really
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I'm just taking it one moment at a time. I just told myself when I woke up today, just be present
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And I feel I'm just on this roller coaster ride, and I'm loving every second of it
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Today must have been really special. Did you sleep last night? I did. I took some Z-Quil
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That helped. Not NyQuil. Z-Quil. Yeah. You know, do what you need to do
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So was today a whirlwind day of getting to the theater? Well, there were certain people I wanted to get little bits and bobs for
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But then I just got a mani-pedi and had somebody, you know, give me a little massage around my neck and I was good to go
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Then there was a gypsy robe. When they asked all of you, tell me what that was like for you
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when they said Broadway debuts, you were right in the center. Well, I'm going to have to remind myself
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It was fascinating, first of all. But my head at that point was really spinning
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But I'm going to have to write it down. I'm going to have to figure out what this is about
16:15
It's a really cool ritual. But, yeah, my head was spinning at that moment
16:21
I was just like, what is going on? Taking that to the beginning, I spoke to Steve and Walter
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You sent an audition tape in. Yes. What was that tape? It was a tape, well, as soon as I read the script
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I kind of just knew what this character, for me, what this character was
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and I also understood what the music was. And I straight away knew exactly what, I got my guitar out
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and I just, I did Wayfaring Stranger, an old folk tune and I did a Joni Mitchell tune
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Oh, drawing a blank now. But it was two folk tunes that were some of my favorites
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and then I did a couple of the scenes and I sent it in and here we are
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So how did you get the call? Who called you? What did you think of when you got the role? My agents called me
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and they said, this is for Steve Martin and Indie Raquel. Are you okay to send a tape
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I'm like, yeah, of course. What's it like living in their world
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and the world of Bright Star? It is the perfect melding between artist and material for you
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watching you up there inhabit this role. What's it like living in this world
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It feels like home. I feel the most natural and I feel like it just feels like home
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It feels like breathing to sing this music. And the role and the story is I'm very connected to the story with my own family history and my family life
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And I know I just feel like this is this is what I'm supposed to be doing
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Perfect cast you get to work with. Yes, they're incredible. They're so nurturing and so supportive
18:06
and every single person on that stage knows what they're about as they have their own character set up
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and they just keep loving, loving, just keep giving, pouring love out
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with every single movement. It's beautiful. I want to watch it, but I don't get to
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But I feel it. I feel it completely engulfed by the warmth and the love
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and the support of this cast. They're my heart. So when you took your bow tonight, Broadway debut
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Do you remember anything, what you were thinking? Just feeling very lucky to be there and that it was time and I was ready
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