Bright Star at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

Last night I was so excited to see Bright Star at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse because it is one of my favorite musicals. I think the story about second chances is incredibly moving and I love the bluegrass music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Billy Cane (Ryland Mahony) returns home to Hayes Creek, North Carolina after World War II and briefly reunites with his childhood friend Margo Crawford (Grace Jensen) but then decides to go to Asheville to try writing for The Asheville Southern Journal. He meets the uptight editor Alice Murphy (Teaira Burge) who then transforms into a wild and rebellious girl who loves Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Porter Beesley) in Zebuon, North Carolina during the 1920s. The narrative alternates between the two timelines as Alice learns to deal with heartache and loss and Billy learns the importance of home and the one who loves him. I was really impressed by Burge's performance because she does a great job portraying Alice at two different ages and her emotional renditions of "Please, Don't Take Him" and "I Had a Vision" are incredibly powerful and brought tears to my eyes. The rest of the cast is also really strong and I especially enjoyed Jensen's version of "Asheville" (it is my favorite song in the show and she adds a lot of vulnerability as a girl worried that the boy she loves will forget her), Mahony's version of "Bright Star," and Beesley's version of "Heartbreaker." Another shoutout goes to Ian Wellisch as Darryl Ames because he is hilariously overwrought (I've seen him in several shows at this theatre and he always makes me laugh because he is so over the top). The choreography is a lot of fun, especially for "If You Knew My Story," "Way Back in the Day," "What Could Be Better" (the way that lanterns are incorporated is really cool), and "Another Round" but I also liked the inclusion of the ensemble in "Whoa, Mama" and "Firmer Hand/ Do Right" (I don't remember seeing that before). The set features a large wooden barn with doors that open to reveal projections that enhance, but do not dominate, the scenes.  Various pieces are seamlessly brought on stage by the ensemble to become Margo's bookstore (I loved the ladder on the bookcase), Alice's office, the Mayor's office, the cabin in the woods, and other locations. The lighting design is used to great effect during a key scene on a train. The barn doors are closed so the flashing lights visible through the wooden slats give the impression of a train car that it is traveling at speed (I always look forward to seeing how this particular scene will be staged in every production I see and this one did not disappoint). I always prefer productions that have a live band on stage but the Terrace Plaza Playhouse does a great job with this show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through November 14 (except Halloween).