Before I start this review I’d just like to acknowledge this is my 201st post here on the site. Thanks to anyone who has read my reviews and allowed me to see their shows. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly. Here’s to 200 more!

One of my favorite parts of reviewing the Utah theatre scene is following and encouraging new companies as they grow and add their unique voices to our community. One of the most promising additions this year is Sentinel Theatre Co out of American Fork/Pleasant Grove (Utah County oddly doesn’t have as much live theatre as other parts of Northern Utah. Sentinel began their journey with a bold introduction of Dogfight this year (which blew me away) and wisely went with a more crowd-pleasing choice for their second production- Bright Star. Y’all know how much I love Bright Star so I was thrilled when I heard this news and of course I had to see it twice (2 days in a row in fact) and while the production was simpler than Dogfight it’s still a must see of this season’s local theatre.

If you didn’t know Bright Star is a bluegrass musical set in 1923 Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina. It follows the love story between Alice Murphy and Jimmy Ray and how a town/family become changed by their love. While the story is admittedly on the basic side it’s the heart of its characters and beauty of the music that keeps me coming back to this show time and again.

At Sentinel the main cast features Kailey Simmons as Alice and Nathan Bowser as Jimmy Ray. The Saturday matinee has understudy Reagan Frederiksen as Alice, and I was able to see both women lead the show. They are both excellent and one can’t go wrong with either one of them as Alice. If I was going to differentiate I’d say Simmons has more of the folksinger feel where Frederiksen is more Broadway belt but they both work great for this material and have chemistry with Bowser. He is also excellent but what is so impressive about his performance is how he transitions believably from young to older Jimmy Ray before our very eyes. It’s not just his hair and makeup changing in these scenes but his cadence and manner of walking are noticeably different.

The production is directed by Andrew Jefferies and after the massive sets of Dogfight I was surprised how simple he and set designer Kristyan Williams kept things for Bright Star. The mountain backdrop is stunning but most of the rest of the sets consists of chairs, tables, podiums and platforms moved around for the various scenes. This simplicity felt intentional because it forced the audience to focus on the acting and dance choices going on. I don’t think of Bright Star as a dance-heavy show but they made some unique choices that made it stand out.

Choreographer Stephanie Cole used the ensemble to helped add a layer to the storytelling by having dancers emulate what is happening to the characters through their dance. In early scenes the dance is bubbly and light, other moments the women are pregnant or holding babies, and at the climatic train sequence they are stomping along with the music. This adds a layer that if you feel you’ve seen all Bright Star has to offer it may just surprise you.

The other big standout of the night is the 9 person orchestra that accompanies the production. Led by music and orchestra director Cheri Bennett this talented group plays the beautiful songs expertly and allows the actors freedom to explore their characters that a backtrack is never going to provide. Especially for a show like this which is supposed to be local and old-school it adds an authenticity that makes everything feel special and more memorable.

As far as any critiques I’d give I do wish they hadn’t had to move from the Valentine Theatre over to Liahona Preparatory. Liahona just tends to have more sound and other issues but not a big deal. Also there are a few times when perhaps they get a little too abstract for the material. Like they have the ensemble holding Billy’s sweater in “I Can’t Wait” which makes the huge reveal in Act 2 a little less meaningful. Also while I like the simplicity perhaps a little more could have been done to differentiate scenes like the Southern Journal office from the Shiny Penny club but that’s just me.

I know a lot of couples are looking for good theatre to see together and I can’t think of a better date night than going to see Bright Star at Sentinel. It gives 2 beautiful love stories in one and a story about hope that anyone can appreciate. If you think you’ve seen it all before they do enough to make this production stand out and unique. It is playing through September 6th and tickets can be purchased here.

Bright Star has music and lyrics by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell with lyrics by Brickell and book by Martin

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.