Though Steve Martin is perhaps best known as a comedian, actor and writer, he is also an accomplished banjo player, an instrument featured in “Bright Star,” a Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical he wrote with musician Edie Brickell in 2014.
The Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company is gearing up to stage “Bright Star” with a full orchestra and live musicians performing alongside the actors beginning May 30 at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach.
The Landmark describes the musical as having a “rich, authentic bluegrass score” featuring fiddle, guitar, piano and banjo — a quintessential American instrument, with roots in stringed African instruments replicated by enslaved peoples in the South. The banjo and ballad singing are still integral to the southern Appalachian region of North Carolina, where the play is set.
“The soaring melodies and heartfelt lyrics reflect both the show’s Appalachian setting and its themes of hope and perseverance,” the Landmark says. “From foot-stomping ensemble numbers to intimate ballads, the music seamlessly bridges traditional American folk styles with contemporary musical theater.”
Curtis Heard, the show’s music director, said most people have heard bluegrass music before, though they might not realize it, noting that it was featured in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” among others, and has influenced pop and especially country music.
“Almost anything with a banjo in it is going to invoke that kind of dance music,” Heard said. “You’re going to be tapping your foot to it. It’s a kind of feel-good music, too, even though some of the lyrics are sad.”
The emotional story is set in the 1940s in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, focusing on a literary editor named Alice Murphy, who meets Billy Cane, a soldier returning from fighting in World War II. But the story also flashes back to Alice’s teen years in the 1920s as she faces up to a secret from her past.
Brooke Wittenmeier, the actress who plays Alice, says it’s a dream role for her, not just because of the music and lyrics but also for who Alice is as a character.
“Alice represents so many traits that I admire and hope to embody myself, characteristics like holding onto hope, the power of forgiveness and her overall tenacity and resilience,” Wittenmeier said. “Alice is a strong, fierce, independent woman, something that was not welcomed back in those decades, [a bias that] still plagues our society in places today.”
Wittenmeier’s favorite lyrics of Alice’s that she sings are from the opening number “If You Knew My Story,” which includes the line “Many backs have broken from lesser weight, I know, but I was born to carry more than I can hold.”
“I am inspired by these qualities and hope to bring them not only to this role, but also to my own life,” she said.
Wittenmeier joins an impressive cast of 20, directed by Megan O’Toole, in bringing to life this “compelling story of love, loss and redemption,” as the Landmark describes it.
“’Bright Star’ shows us how the past and present interweave to shape who we become,” says O’Toole, likening it to the Landmark’s staging of “Groundhog Day” last fall. The company had also staged a reading of another Steve Martin play, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” for one weekend this past March, portraying a fictional meeting between Picasso and Einstein in a Paris bar.
“Bright Star” will enjoy a fuller run of three weekends from May 30 to June 15 so audiences have more opportunities to see it. The Landmark is offering a 15% discount for opening weekend tickets purchased by May 25 with code MYSTORY.
“We’re incredibly excited to share this side of Steve Martin’s artistic range with Long Beach,” says producer Jay Dysart. “Many know him as a brilliant comedian, but ‘Bright Star’ showcases his exceptional gift for storytelling through music.”
Long Beach Landmark Theatre’s “Bright Star” will perform May 30 to June 15 at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach, 241 Cedar Ave., with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $65 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 562-366-0085 or visiting LBLandmark.org. Street parking is free after 6 p.m. and flat-fee parking is available in the Civic Center parking garage nearby. The venue’s courtyard café with light refreshments will open one hour before each performance.