Cappies Review: Beautiful 'Bright Star' Shines On South Lakes' Stage

By Katie Wood
Centreville High School

RESTON, VA — Even when hidden by the darkest shadows, the sun can always start to shine again. South Lakes High School's production of "Bright Star" was bursting with love in all forms, telling a powerful story of time, hope, and healing through bluegrass inspired music.

Premiering in 2014 by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, "Bright Star" depicts a two-timeline history of Alice Murphy's life. Flashbacks, placed in 1923, make up one timeline in which a passionate young Alice fell in love with Jimmy Ray Dobbs. After she got pregnant, Jimmy's father forcefully took the baby, claiming to put it up for adoption. Present day, placed in 1945-1946, makes up the other timeline in which Alice is introduced as the cold natured editor of the "Asheville Southern Journal," and a side character in a young writer, Billy Cane's life after returning from war. It furthered Alice's journey to find her son, reconnected old flames, and lifted the burdens of her young life.

The show centered around the journeys of two couples: Alice (Abigail Jamison) and Jimmy (Henry Carter) as well as Billy (August Rivers) and Margo (Madelyn Bobko). The only two to be in both timelines significantly, Jamison and Carter exuded passion and soulful understanding, skillfully showing the evolution of the character's connection from flirty teens to adults who were overcome with grief for their lost child when reuniting. Jamison's warm-toned vocals, silent screams, and ability to freeze time in highly emotional moments garnered ample sympathy for the longing mother. Rivers and Bobko contrasted this deep-rooted connection with one that was sweet and softly playful. Bobko portrayed Margo as level-headed, only getting flustered around long-time childhood crush, Billy. Rivers's Billy was an adorably oblivious and respectable young gentleman with energized vocals and an impressive straddle jump.

Comic relief in a show that allowed no time for emotional recovery came from "Asheville Southern Journal" workers Lucy Grant (Elana Kirwan) and Daryl (Jonathan Villa). Kirwan and Villa tag-teamed witty sarcastic comments that brightened the melancholy tone of Alice's story. During the spirited dance number "Another Round," the two were full of vigor as they commanded the stage from the tops of tables.

In high-energy dance numbers, heartbreaking, and heartwarming moments, the ensemble was the production's backbone. As a group, they executed crisp harmonies and stunning visuals in consistent synchronization. Further contributing to these visuals were the choreographers (Anna Leo, August Rivers) and costume team (Reilley Lin, Caitlin Quigley, Anna Schoenborn, and assistants). Rhythmic body percussive stomps and claps, complex lifts, and intentional moments of stillness added to the vibrancy of the "Bright Star" Orchestra Pit's clean instrumentation. Additionally, the cohesive theme of muted colors in costumes accented the stained-wood theme in the set to create locational awareness.

Giving a deeper sense of intimacy in such a vulnerable story, the lighting design (Hannah Berger, Ava Harper, and "Bright Star" lighting team) completed the production's warm ambiance. Steady use of spotlights to focus attention on pivotal highly charged moments and the "star drop" background for a starry night sky made spectacles of professional quality.

South Lakes High School's touching production of "Bright Star" was a beautiful piece of high caliber storytelling that showed how love does eventually come home to make the sun shine again, because everything "happens in their own good time."