Review by Wendy Christensen, Front Row Reviewers
Bright Star has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it on its US tour in 2017. I was eager to see The Sandy Arts Guild Production at The Theater at Mount Jordan. It did not disappoint! My husband, son, and I agreed with each other, this production is one of the finest community theater shows we have seen. In fact, after the show, we spoke with other audience members who wondered aloud if there had been a paid, professional cast. Whether you are unfamiliar with Bright Star or a long-time fan like me, do not miss your chance to see this stellar production.
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell wrote and composed this Bluegrass inspired musical, which was honored with a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in 2016. The action of the story unfolds in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in 1945-46 with flashbacks to 1926 as Alice Murphy, a literary editor with a keen eye for great stories, shares her own tale in “If You Knew My Story”. The plot weaves through her youth and adulthood, and when Alice Murphy (Ashley Shamy) crosses paths with Billy Cane (Joel Peterson), a young, recently returned WWII soldier with his own literary ambitions, it inspires Alice to confront the painful secret of the child she lost years ago. Bright Star is an emotional tale of love, loss, and the hope of second chances. It will have you toe tapping in your seat and singing lyrics on your way home. Director David Hanson has assembled a dramatically and vocally talented cast that delivers a soul-stirring production. Jared Saunders gives a solid performance as Jimmy Ray Dobbs, the love of Alice’s life, who struggles under the pressures put upon him by his overbearing father, Mayor Josiah Dobbs, powerfully voiced by veteran actor Jim Dale. Mindy Taylor and Darrin Weir are charming as Mama Murphey and Daddy Cane, while Mike Brown delivers a tender and nuanced performance as Daddy Murphy. Joel Peterson brings a hopeful naivete to the role of newly returned soldier and would-be writer Billy Cane, while Shannon Ricks and Nathan Holcomb are a delightfully comedic duo as Ashville Southern Journal gatekeepers Lucy Grant and Daryl Ames. Eden Rhodes shines as Margo Crawford, Billy’s girl-back-home and first draft editor. During several numbers, a trio acts as backing vocals for Alice. This production styles the group as spirits watching over the scene playing out before them. I’ve not seen this interpretation before and the vocal talents of Sharissa Barton, Jam Boyden, and Julia Taylor are heavenly. The ensemble supplies other well-played minor characters and pulls the show together into a cohesive whole. However, Shamy as Alice Murphy is truly the production’s brightest star, delivering an emotional, powerful acting and vocal performance worthy of Carmen Cusack, who originated the role on Broadway.
Mount Jordan’s modern auditorium is the perfect venue for the Sandy Arts Guild, boasting wonderful acoustics and a sound system and fly gallery that other community theater troupes would envy. The stage is the perfect size for a show as intimate as Bright Star, and Tavnir Carey’s set design was inspired. Childhood homes are created from panels, doors, and rooflines that slide in from the sides of the stage and drop from the fly, while simple pieces like crates and barrels move in and out to create tables and chairs and to hint at more complex settings, like the platform of a speeding train. A system of risers and stairs across the back of the stage mimic rural outbuildings and create a home for the Bright Star Band which performs onstage throughout the show. The live music, led by Music Director Tanner DeHann, is part of what makes this production so special and features traditional bluegrass instruments like fiddle, banjo, and mandolin. Sound Designer Joe Killian and Audio Engineer Colby Maughan provide the audience with clear and well-balanced sound that made the dialogue and songs easy to follow. On opening night, Mother Nature even contributed to the ambience of the moving number “I Had a Vision” with a well-timed thunderstorm that had audience members wondering if it was part of the show. The production is beautifully lit by Rick Marston. Choreographer Jessica Pace Lyells created lively dance numbers, and this production of Bright Star sports very talented dancers within the ensemble.
Bright Star is most appropriate for a preteen and older audience as it contains dramatic themes, mild language, alcohol use, grief, and forced adoption. The Theater at Mount Jordan is located at 9351 Mountaineer Lane, Sandy. Parking is free and available surrounding the building. It is recommended you enter the theater through the south doors which face 9400 South.
The Sandy Arts Guild presents Bright Star, music, lyrics, and book by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell.
The Theater at Mount Jordan, 9351 Mountaineer Lane, Sandy, UT 84070
October 3 – 18, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12-20
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Photos by Kim Fillmore Photography
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