Mainstage Playbill This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and the State of Florida. Pictured: Meredith Jones and Blake Price. Photo by John Jones. Bright Star Inspired By A True Story Music, Book & Story by Music, Book & Story by STEVE MARTIN EDIE BRICKELL CAST (in alphabetical order) D.C. Anderson* ..................................Daddy Murphy Travis Mitchell* ................................... Mayor Dobbs Mimi Bessette* ........ Mama Murphy, Florence, Clerk Rachel Mulcahy ..............................Lucy Grant, Edna Michael Grieve .................. Daryl Ames, Max, Doctor Blake Price*.................................. Jimmy Ray Dobbs Meredith Jones* .................................. Alice Murphy Ashley Rose* ............... Margo, Well Dressed Woman Max Meyers* .............................................Billy Cane William Selby* ....................... Daddy Cane, Stanford BAND (in alphabetical order) Howie Banfield .............................. Banjo, Mandolin Paul Helm ......................................Piano/Conductor Chuck Davis .................................................... Guitar Kroy Presley .........................................Upright Bass UNDERSTUDIES For Jimmy Ray Dobbs - Michael Grieve; for Alice Murphy - Ashley Rose* DANCE CAPTAIN: Michael Grieve Directed by: Kate Alexander Music Director Scenic Designers Costume Designer Paul Helm Isabel & Moriah Curley-Clay Kathleen Geldard Lighting Designer Sound Designer Choreographer Nick Jones Thom Korp Ellie Mooney Stage Manager: Roy Johns* Assistant Stage Manager: Jynelly Rosario* Underwriters Gaele Barthold, Cookie Boudreaux & Dennis Hassell, Joan & Larry Castellani, Ed & Judy Christian, Georgia Court, Shirley Fein, Sydney Goldstein, Wendy & Bob Grady, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Robert & Bonny Israeloff, Dennis & Graci McGillicuddy, Patrick & Mary Mulva, Anne H.S. Nethercott, Muriel O’Neil Fund for the Performing Arts of Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Gail & Skip Sack, Dorothy Waldron, Herald-Tribune Media Group Co-Producers Sandy & Jim Goldman, Jeff Hotchkiss & Betsy Winder, Jack & Priscilla Schlegel, ABC7 Bright Star is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. (866) 378-9758 www.theatricalrights.com Produced by Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Zebulon LLC, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Len Blavatnik, James L. Nederlander, Carson & Joseph Gleberman, Balboa Park Productions, The Shubert Organization, Jamie deRoy/Catherine Adler/Cricket Jiranek In Association With Rodger Hess, A.C. Orange International, Broadway Across America, Sally Jacobs & Warren Baker, Diana DiMenna, Exeter Capital, Agnes Gund, True Love Productions, And The Old Globe The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited. * Denotes member Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. ARTIST PROFILES D.C. ANDERSON (Daddy graduated from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Murphy) excitedly returns Webster University class of 2017, and is incredibly to FST (Hairspray and The grateful to be a part of this beautiful musical. Fabulous Lipitones) for Bright MEREDITH JONES (Alice Star! Recent: The Graduate Murphy) is thrilled to (Penobscot), Anne of Green return to FST just months Gables (Finger Lakes), Gypsy after closing The Marvelous (Riverside), The Music Man Wonderettes where she played (Goodspeed). Films: Norman, Betty Jean. You might also Miles, Rich Boy Rich Girl. Previously: Steppenwolf, recognize her from playing Guthrie, and Northlight regional theatres. Broadway: the title role of Patsy Cline The Phantom of the Opera. Off Broadway: York’s in last year’s production Storyville, Transport Group’s Queen of the Mist of Always...Patsy Cline. Favorite regional credits (cast recording). A singer/songwriter with 9 CD’s include Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Mary in available. Hobbies: photography. dcanderson.net Vanities, and Julia in The Wedding Singer. Meredith MIMI BESSETTE (Mama graduated from Emerson College in Boston, MA Murphy, Florence, Clerk) with a BFA in musical theatre and currently lives Broadway/Off-Broadway: in NYC with her number one fan, her husband! Bonnie & Clyde (Emma), The MAX MEYERS (Billy Cane) Best Little Whorehouse in Off Broadway:Lolita, My Love Texas (Dawn), Little Shop of (The York), The Christians Horrors (Audrey) and Smoke (Playwrights Horizons). on the Mountain (Denise). National Tour: Buddy Holly First National Tours: Parade, Story (Van Wezel Jan. 2015) Keep on the Sunny Side, Big River, and The Best Little Favorite Regional Credits: Fun Whorehouse in Texas. Regional: A Gentleman’s Guide Home (Ensemble Cincinnati), to Love and Murder, The Irish and How They Got That HAIR (Short North), Last Five Way, Woody Sez, Cowgirls, Always...Patsy Cline, Blood Years (Eagle), Midsummer (TUTS), Timon of Athens Brothers, Nunsense, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Guitar (RADA). Visit maxmeyersonline.com to learn more. Girls, and Woody Guthrie’s American Song. Film/TV: @heyitsmaxmeyers Annie (opposite Jamie Foxx) and Difficult People (opposite Andrea Martin). Her albums Lullabies of TRAVIS MITCHELL (Mayor Broadway and Lullabies of Broadway Act II just got Dobbs) is thrilled to be picked up by Broadway Records. mimibessette.com spending some time in beautiful Sarasota, FL with MICHAEL GRIEVE (Daryl such a renowned theatre! Ames, Max, Doctor) is thrilled National Tours: Rock Of Ages, to be returning to FST! Catch Me If You Can, Spring Previously FST credits: The Awakening, Elf the Musical. Wonder Years. Professional Notable Regional: Les credits include: Disney Miserables (Thenardier), Big River (Pap/King), South Cruise Line’s Beauty and the Pacific (Harbison), The 39 Steps (Clown 1). Film/TV: Beast (Beast), and 9 to 5: Law & Order: SVU (Season 20 Finale), The Spinning The Musical (Dwayne) at the Man (Craft Award; NY First Run Fest), Partitioned Heart Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre. Other notable credits (Best Short Drama; CineYouth Chicago Film Fest), Hell include: The Glorious Ones (Flaminio Scala), The Is Empty, due out this Winter. travistravistravis.com Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho), and Big Love (Oed) at the Festival de la Teatro de la Habana. Michael ARTIST PROFILES RACHEL MULCAHY (Lucy WILLIAM SELBY (Daddy Grant, Edna) is so excited Cane, Stanford) FST: to make her Florida Studio Shakespeare’s Greatest Theatre debut and share Hits, Older Than Dirt, and this beautiful story! She Laughing Matters, Vol. originally hails from Syracuse, 5. Regional: Bernadette NY, but currently resides in in Priscilla, Queen of the NYC. Recent credits include: Desert (Gateway, Ogunquit The Buddy Holly Story Playhouse-Broadway World (Forestburgh Playhouse), Once (Northern Stage, Award nomination), Billis in South Pacific (Ivoryton Ivoryton Playhouse and The Engeman Theater), Playhouse-Broadway World & CT Critics Circle Shakespeare in Love (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Award nominations), Barrymore, The Presidents Festival), Ring of Fire (Timberlake Playhouse) and (with Rich Little), Hot n’ Cole, The All Night Strut. the National Tour of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Bill performed for many years in Forbidden Enjoy the show! rachelmulcahy.com @raymulcay Broadway, and directed 19 productions of the BLAKE PRICE (Jimmy show across the country. Off-Broadway:The Daring Ray Dobbs) is floored to be Duo (Bridge Theatre), Nerds (NYMF), Forbidden making his FST debut! NYC: Hollywood (Triad), Juba (Vineyard), The Apple Tree NYMF, Freedom Summer (York). NY Workshop: Finding Nemo for Disney. (Mickey Schwerner). US HOWIE BANFIELD (Banjo, Mandolin) is looking National Tours: A Gentleman’s forward to being part of Bright Star! He started Guide to Love and Murder playing guitar, mandolin, and banjo at an early (Monty Navarro). Regional: age and entered music competitions shortly North Shore Music Theatre, thereafter. He has been a bluegrass, old time Oklahoma! (Curly McLain), Palm Beach Dramaworks, country, and western swing band leader in Canada The Spitfire Grill (Joe Sutter), Texas Shakes, and the United States. He came to Anna Maria Carousel (Billy Bigelow). TV/Film: Land of the for a long weekend 38 years ago and never left. Outlaws (Bobby Ames), Duress (Kurt). Education: He has played along the Gulf Coast area ever BFA Music Theatre Performance, Western since as a soloist and in acoustic-oriented bands. Michigan University. Rep: The Krasny Office, NYC. CHUCK DAVIS (Guitar) started his musical career ASHLEY ROSE (Margo, Well playing guitar in rock bands, Top 40 cover bands, Dressed Woman) is beyond and show bands. He was the lead guitarist for The excited to be back in Sarasota Happenings, See You in September (1966), and I’ve after last being seen as Natalie Got Rhythm (1967). He shared the stage with Gloria Goodman in FST’s production Gaynor (“I Will Survive”), Lou Rawls, Little Anthony, of Next to Normal! NYC credits: Johnny Maestro, and The Brooklyn Bridge, Fabian, Junk: A Rock Opera (Joe’s Pub), Bobby Rydell, Lou Christie, Martha Reeves and The Cynthia in Standby (FringeNYC Vandella’s, and The Shirelles. A long-time resident of and Gallery Players). Regional Hudson Valley, NY, he relocated to Florida three years favorites: The Spitfire Grill (Percy), Ghost (Molly), Hair ago. Most recently, Chuck has been the guitarist for (Sheila) and Always…Patsy Cline (Patsy Cline).