Bright Star NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (1,006)
See it if you love to theater to move you
Don't see it if you hate blue grass
See it if you want a heartwarming show. The music and cast do a great job of bringing this story together. Well rounded show of stage, and acting.
Don't see it if you don't like timeless classics.
See it if you want to see an original musical with incredible performances.
Don't see it if you dislike bluegrass music intensely.
See it if If you like bluegrass and a great story
Don't see it if Not a fan of bluegrass Read more
See it if Great score, choreography, performances. Bluegrass-type music sounds great. Terrific.
Don't see it if You don't like bluegrass/country/folk music or aren't willing to be open to non-traditional musical styles.
See it if enjoyment of an excellent cast working together to tell this story, and for the music that captures the feeling of time and place,it's Magic
Don't see it if You hate watching Actors with Talent work, have no heart, don't like plots with tidy endings, and have no Kleenex handy for the Second Act.
See it if you want to enjoy a surprisingly intriguing piece of original theatre.
Don't see it if you want something light and fluffy
See it if you're hoping to see a truly beautiful and moving show.
Don't see it if ...I can't think of a reason why anyone shouldn't see it... it's WONDERFUL!
Critic Reviews (68)
"It doesn’t shy away from the cornball or the unapologetically sentimental. And, yes, the plot is implausibly romantic and hinged on coincidence. Along with all that, however, 'Bright Star' is also downright wonderful...As the relationships deepen and darken, the show grows with the complexity of a juicy short story...Then there’s the score, which builds with rhythmic surprises, melodic complexity and the deep satisfaction of humming and plucking strings."
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“The simplicity of folksy ‘Bright Star’ is in the economy of Walter Bobbie’s direction and Eugene Lee’s set design...And while the musicians, including a standout fiddler, are only partially seen, their music is notable...Even for those who aren’t bluegrass fans, the score is a winner. ‘Bright Star’ is a traditional musical with a dark edge. No bells and whistles, just heart and soul."
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"There’s much to admire in the final product: The musical is twangy and tightly performed, with a sweeping score. My enjoyment was muted only by the mostly modest character development...Of Martin’s book, I felt that too often I was being told what to feel, without being given opportunity to feel it...I’m sure there are great hopes riding on 'Bright Star'. It’s not a perfect musical; this 'Star' doesn’t always guide the way, but at times it beams brightly enough."
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"An astoundingly uneven stew...Most of this glum narrative plays out in exceedingly sincere fashion...Still, it has its moments, but then come a series of relentlessly happy endings that not only challenge credibility but almost make the whole enterprise seem ridiculous. This unevenness is reflected in Walter Bobbie’s direction and Josh Rhodes’ choreography...What is spectacular about the show is the score."
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"I found their story engrossing, entertaining, and very moving...The music is lively, but the fiddle and the banjo can only go so far to interestingly cover some twenty songs...I thought the melodies embellished the story more than the lyrics did, but the story itself, though somewhat predictable, is neatly told and very well crafted…There isn’t a lemon in this boatload of performing talent...Walter Bobbie has blended them all together into a refreshing smoothie of a musical."
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"Country hokum gets some slick packaging with 'Bright Star'...The plot veers back and forth between the two eras, sometimes intertwining them, buoyed by the lilting country and bluegrass influenced score (which only bogs down in melodramatic moments) and fluid direction...It’s nicely pulled off though the characters and plot sometimes come off a little mushy, as if out of a Hallmark movie."
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"An unconvincing mix of tender romance and harrowing tragedy...Brickell and Martin's story features two big twists, one of them completely bizarre and implausible, and the other painfully hokey and predictable. The effect is to drain any tension from the hurried second act, and to reduce these potentially complex characters to two-dimensional pawns...Still, the music steadily delivers...And with the lovely Cusack, making her Broadway debut, a star is born."
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"The show never hits an honest note and seems to have been written by two people who adore classic Broadway musicals but who have intentionally decided to make a third-rate version. The music is weak...The book and lyrics are even more feeble, with graceless lines and weird characters...The show, so long exploring lost love, then descends into virtual farce before ending on such a forced happy note and with such swiftness that it'll knock the corndog out of your hand."
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