Performances for Queen Creek High School Theatre Company’s fall musical “Bright Star” begin on Thursday, Oct. 21.
“Bright Star,” written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, "tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ’40s."
This is a passion project for theater director Kyle Spitler. He saw the musical a few years ago and loved it. That performance was the first time he saw a standing ovation in the middle of a show.
Queen Creek High School usually performs a play in the fall and a musical in the spring, but Spitler chose to do two musicals this year. They will perform “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in the spring. Spitler chose that musical because he heard that it is even more difficult than last spring’s musical “Newsies.”
Trinity Muniz, a senior, is playing Alice. She says Alice is both a funny and a serious character at different times in the show.
“It depends on what era she’s in,” Muniz said. “When she’s younger she’s more spirited and has a lot of energy, and as she’s older she’s more serious and more driven in her career.”
This will be Muniz’s fourth show with Queen Creek High School.
Spitler says Muniz’s performance of the final song is moving, like the first version he saw.
“When you hear her sing that end song it just breaks your heart. If you’re not crying, you need to get yourself checked out,” he said.
Scotty Hagen, a senior, plays Alice’s love interest Jimmy Rae. He has been performing since he was 8 years old and “Bright Star” is his sixth show at Queen Creek High School. He says Jimmy Ray is a “flirty, talky character.” He is looking forward to performing the show in front of an audience.
“To do this show in front of a full crowd is going to be a lot of fun,” Hagen said.
“Bright Star” is a more mature show than the Queen Creek High School Theatre Company usually performs.
“It’s probably the most mature musical we’ve ever done,” Spitler said. “There are parts of it that are very dark.”
It took a lot of convincing to get the district to allow Queen Creek High School to perform “Bright Star,” but the support of the students and a lot of the parents helped get the show approved. Spitler says they really wanted to do the show and share its beautiful and important message.
“I just hope everyone loves the show as much as I do when they see it,” he said.
Tickets for “Bright Star” are available online and performances will be on Oct. 21, 22 and 23 at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center, 22149 E. Ocotillo Road.
