The Hillsdale College Theatre Department will perform the musical “Bright Star” on Parents Weekend, with shows running Feb. 21-24.
Junior Kenda Showalter, stage manager for the production, said she’s excited for audiences to experience this unique musical.
“It’s a musical, and it’s bluegrass music,” Showalter said. “It flashes between the 20s and the 40s and follows Alice, who has a baby as a teenager and has to place her child up for adoption.”
Family tensions rise and the story follows both the mother and the child, switching between decades and storylines to tell Alice’s story, according to Showalter.
The musical is under the direction of Tory Matsos, a lecturer of theatre at Hillsdale, with music directed by Tom Ryskamp, adjunct instructor of music at Hillsdale, and features bluegrass music and a variety of instruments, including violin, piano, mandolin, banjo, and an accordian, according to junior Ezra Blackwell.
Blackwell said he started learning accordion over Christmas break to perform in the show which will be his first musical ensemble outside of choir.
“We got the music parts over break, and I got the accordion near the end of break,” he said. “So I had a week or two before I came back to school to practice and learn the part.”
Blackwell, who also plays piano, said the accordion is challenging but also shares similarities to the piano.
“The width of the keys is slightly smaller than the piano, so all the intervals I’m used to reaching for the piano are a bit different on the accordion,” Blackwell said.
Blackwell said his part on the accordion is not too difficult and is within his playing ability despite having just learned.
“Thankfully for me, it’s mostly just melody lines that are covering what the strings are already playing,” he said. “It just adds color.”
In “Bright Star,” the pit orchestra plays on the stage rather than underneath, which cast member junior Heather Hobson said serves the storyline well.
“The band is almost another character, and they’re very much a part of the story,” Hobson said. “When the orchestra is in the pit, it’s just like a beautiful soundtrack, but when they’re on stage, it’s like they’re a character.”
Showalter said the music has a huge impact on the show and the storyline.
“There’s something about this music. It’s so beautiful, and it tells the story so well,” Showalter said. “There’s something about hearing it live. It’s so emotional. We’re so happy and so excited for everyone to experience it.”
Matsos said the music and its unique genre contributes to the story.
“This musical features a bluegrass score, which is pretty unconventional for musical theater,” she said. “The music adds great character and depth to the story, but the most special aspect of this production is the great work of our students. This cast is tremendously talented, and they are doing a brilliant job telling this story.”
Hobson said the difficulty of the music has challenged her in not only her musical abilities, but also in her skills as an actress.
“I did not expect it to be quite as music heavy, and that’s been interesting for me from my acting side, and really having to integrate that,” she said. “This should be the case with any musical, but this music brings something to your character for sure.”
Hobson and Showalter, who lived in the same area during high school, both saw a Liberty University production of the show in high school and have loved the musical since then.
“Getting to see it again with a ton of my friends is so exciting,” Showalter said. “Getting to hear it and see it again live, but also getting to be there everyday throughout the rehearsal process, is so amazing.”
The emotions the music provokes will be a big takeaway for audience members, according to Blackwell.
“There are moments where it’s really big, the music especially, and when the ensemble is singing, it’s really emotional,” Blackwell said. “I think bluegrass hits in that way. It’s very homegrown and to the heart. To me, it’s kind of like family, and the whole show is about relationships and responsibilities.”
Blackwell also said the variety of song styles in the production makes the music interesting to experience and allows for the sounds of different instruments to come through.
“The contrast of the love songs and sad songs to little saloon dance songs is so fun,” Blackwell said. “Because the orchestra is so unique, it allows for a lot of musical character, and I think that’s going to bring out all of the color the cast has to offer.”
The storyline is something Matsos said she is excited for audiences to see.
“I think audiences will be moved by the journey of the main characters,” Matsos said. “But I am most excited for audiences to come and celebrate the great work of our students.”
Hobson and Showalter said they are excited for audiences to experience the show as they did a few years ago, and they hope it will have the same impact it had on them.
“It’s one of the most intentional musicals as a whole. Everything works and is there for a reason,” Hobson said. “The story is so beautiful and redemptive, and I’m really excited for audiences to know the story.”
