‘Bright Star’ shining this weekend at Lincoln Amphitheatre

ByMatthew Crane Reading Time: 4 minutes
‘Bright Star’ Director Shane Denu gives final instructions to the cast and crew before dress rehearsal held Wednesday afternoon at Lincoln Amphitheatre. Photos by Matthew Crane.

The Southridge High School Theatre Department will present the acclaimed Steve Martin and Edie Brickell play, Bright Star, this weekend at the Lincoln Amphitheatre.

The 50-person cast and crew will carry the audience through a bittersweet story of love, sorrow, and redemption set to a chart topping bluegrass playlist.

Bright Star builds off of the true story of the Iron Mountain Baby.

Richard Gutierrez plays Billy Cane in the Southridge High School production of ‘Bright Star’. Billy is a young writer who returns from military service hoping to land his stories in one of the state’s top newspapers.

Synopsis:

“Bright Star is the story of one woman at two different points in her life: the first, when she is a wild young thing growing up barefoot and carefree in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina; the second, when she is a well-to-do magazine editor in Asheville, 22 years later. Her story is inevitably woven with that of an idealistic young man named Billy, with whom she shares a mysterious connection.

As a young teen in Zebulon, N.C., Alice Murphy is hopelessly in love with small-town heartthrob Jimmy Ray, the mayor’s son. Although their love was pure, it falls victim to the interference of ambitious parents, and their infant son is whisked away before their happy ending could ever begin.

More than two decades later, Alice is the successful editor of The Asheville Southern Journal and meets a promising young writer named Billy. The story continues to unfold with interesting twists and unexpected turns and has an ending that will warm your heart.”

Maddy Songer plays Alice Murphy in two stages of her life. In this scene, the young Alice has learned she is pregnant.

Before spending too much time looking up the history on this story, immerse yourself in the singing, dancing, and acting of the production this weekend. Bright Star will be performed at the Lincoln Amphitheatre Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 7, at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, and at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 9. Tickets are available for purchase here.

  • Volunteer Kimberly Martin (left) and Southridge sophomore Emma Garland move a prop backstage during the dress rehearsal held Wednesday.
  • The ladies swoon in anticipation of the upcoming dance in the first act of ‘Bright Star’.
  • Wyatt Sherer plays Mayor Dobbs the father of Alice’s beau, Jimmy Ray. His actions set things in motion for the bittersweet finale of ‘Bright Star’.
  • Ella Bowman plays Margo in the Southridge production of ‘Bright Star’. She has a crush on Billy and is competing to get his attention.
  • Alice and Jimmy Ray celebrate after Alice accepts Jimmy’s proposal. Jimmy is played by junior Tyler Laughlin.

Cast in order of appearance.

Alice: Maddy Songer 

Featured Dancers: Dori Sherer, Devin Carter 

Billy: Richard Gutierrez

Daddy Cane: Cole Wirthwein

Margo: Ellie Bowman 

Government Employee: Jenna Kendall 

Max: Micheal Hasenour

Florence: Alexis Emmons 

Daryl: Jose Nunez

Lucy: Calista Martin

Jimmy Ray: Tyler Laughlin 

Daddy Murphy: Luke Trout 

Mama Murphy: Skyla Hayes

Maids of Mayor House: Sara Hughes, Shaylynn Neher 

Mayor: Wyatt Sherer

Stanford: Brayden Reimann 

Edna: Karly Barnett 

Dr. Norquiest: Dori Sherer

Spirits: Karly, Jenna, Penelope, Abbi, Erika 

Bag Grabber: Luke Trout 

Train Conductor: Devin Carter 

Well Dressed Woman: Penelope Roy 

Ensemble: Ella Bailey, Sylvia Brichler, Brenna Brosmer, Ally Buening, Christian Calderon, Devin Carter, Christian Carter, Ellie Cox, Caitlyn Frick, Arrington Hartke, Sara Hughes, Paige Kemp, Erica Kratzer, Sidney Layton, Shaylynn Neher, Lucy Schwartz, Reece Tretter, Angel Nunez, Gracie Stassel

Back-stage Manager: Jake Wiebbler Back-stage crew: Sierra Hume, Emmett Garland, Olivia McClain, Max Rasche, Anthony Laughlin, Lindsey Echeverria, Kimberly Echeverria, Micheal Kerr, Randi Moeller, Garrison Sickbert

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