Unlike most modern musicals, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's Bright Star contains entirely original songs and book work not based on any persisting book, movie or short story whatsoever. Although the legendary comedian admits that he drew inspiration from one of the track of his 2013 album with Brickell, Love Has Come for You; while promoting the show's upcoming Broadway run Martin explained that the real impetus to write Bright Star came from their shared love of musicals as an art form. It would seem that both Martin and Brickell have also found a new inspiration in their lead, Carmen Cusack, who the "What I Am" singer recently referred to as "our bright star".
Since debuting at the Kennedy Center in D.C. last month, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's new musical, Bright Star, has enjoyed glowing reviews with the Washingtonian's Meaghan Hannan Davant referring to the play as a cross between downhome bluegrass and warm apple pie:
"Martin and Brickell's idyllic setting and toe-tapping melodies do well by both the traditions of American musical theater and Americana music.
"Bright Star is comfort food for the soul."
Despite having never worked on a musical in the past, Martin told the Capital Gazette, that he and Eddie just sort of decided to write Bright Star while discussing their shared love for the genre:
"Edie and I one day were discussing how much we loved musicals.
"We both grew up with musicals. I had written plays and I had written music and I'd written screen plays. So, I thought this is the perfect combination for writing a musical."
It seems that whatever their original muse, both Martin and Brickell have found a new inspiration in their Bright Star lead, Carmen Cusack.
In a joint interview with Vanity Fair, the writing team waxed poetic about just how lucky they were to find Cusack when they did.
"She's a once-in-a-lifetime find," explained Steve with Edie adding, "I don't know how she's been veiled for this long. She's our bright star."
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's Bright Star will make its Broadway February 25, with tickets already being made available online.
