By Fabian Camacho
I’m sure you’ve noticed the flyers around campus both near the beginning of the school year and recently so it’s no secret- The college is putting on a new musical production for all to see! The show is titled “Bright Star” and has its focus on lead lady, Alice Murphy (played by Rebekah Ballast), caught between her present time in the 1940’s and her younger years in the early 1920’s. The show also features Kade McCune and Mattis Ahlgrimm playing Billy Cane and Jimmy Ray Dobbs, respectively.
You may be wondering if you’ve heard of this musical before, and if you haven’t there is nothing to worry about! The show is a relatively new one- with its original premiere being on September 28, 2014 at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego. The show was met with great success and ran from that premiere date to November 2, 2014. It would later be put on Broadway and tour the US over the years. The show received a Tony nomination for the Best Musical in 2016, and the original Broadway cast recording was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Here at McPherson College, the production is being directed by Jd. Bowman, Professor of Theatre, who has directed over 100 productions! Bowman is very excited to present the show, and said, “It showcases the student’s talents and the story of how we change over the years. Tons of new people are in the cast. It is very exciting to see so many new faces in the cast and crew of Bright Star!”
The production will be performed on October 13th, 14th, and 15th at 7:30 PM each night in the Brown Auditorium. Admission will be free for students and staff of McPherson College and will be a $5 a ticket for those visiting.
