The musical Bright Star was inspired by
Steve Martin and
Edie Brickell's Grammy Award-winning 2013 LP
Love Has Come for You, which saw the multi-talented comedy legend and ex-New Bohemian crafting a solid, easygoing set of bluegrass-kissed, country-folk-pop gems. Written by
Martin and
Brickell, and directed by Tony Award-winner Walter Bobbie, Bright Star's simple story of love and redemption is a familiar one, and that familiarity provides fertile ground for
Martin and
Brickell's bucolic and agreeable melodies. Fans of
Love Has Come for You, as well as the duo's 2015 sequel
So Familiar, will feel right at home, as some of the material is taken directly from the source. Strong performances from Carmen Cusack, Paul Alexander Nolan, and Hannah Elless, the latter of whom delivers a show-stopping rendition of
Love Has Come for You highlight "Asheville," help to elevate some of the narrative's more predictable beats. Musically,
Brickell and
Martin explore every facet of the country-folk genre, delivering boot-stomping hoedowns ("Whoa Mama," "Bright Star"), wistful folk-pop ("What Could Be Better"), bluesy torch songs ("So Familiar"), and even a little big-band-kissed country swing ("Another Round"). At times, it all feels a little like a Prairie Home Companion episode that's been shoe-horned into a
Christopher Guest film, but it's hard not to root for Bright Star, even in its most treacly, homespun moments. Each note and lyric is delivered with such unabashed benevolence and countryside gusto, that by the time show reaches its gospel-tinged finale, the listener feels compelled to link arms with the cast and bow. ~ James Christopher Monger