Carmen Cusack to Reprise Role in BRIGHT STAR at the Curran

Carole Shorenstein Hays announced today that the Curran's 2017 holiday season offering will be the Tony Award nominated new musical BRIGHT STAR, from Grammy and Emmy winner Steve Martin and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Edie Brickell. Original BRIGHT STAR lead, Carmen Cusack, will revive her role, for which she received universal raves and a 2016 Tony Award nomination.

With direction by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie, BRIGHT STAR will begin performances at the Curran (445 Geary) on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, with an official opening night of Wednesday, November 29, 2017, and play through Sunday, December 17, 2017.

"This season, at its core, celebrates the multi-generational idea of family," said Carole Shorenstein Hays. "Steve Martin and Edie Brickell have created such a gorgeous show about the enduring strength of familial bonds with a style of music utterly its own. It may not be your traditional holiday fare, but it embodies so much of what makes that time of year special. I can't wait to welcome audiences for what is sure to be a terrific culmination of our Inaugural Year."

Inspired by a true event, the wholly original new musical BRIGHT STAR tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and 40s. Propelled by an ensemble of onstage musicians and dancers, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion, beautiful melodies and powerfully moving performances. When successful literary editor Alice Murphy meets an ambitious young soldier just home from World War II, their connection inspires Alice to confront her past. Together they discover a stunning secret with the power to transform their lives.

The creative team for BRIGHT STAR includes Josh Rhodes (Choreography), Tony and Emmy Award winner Eugene Lee (Scenic Design), Tony Award winner Jane Greenwood (Costume Design), Tony Award nominee Japhy Weideman (Lighting Design), Tony Award nominee Nevin Steinberg (Sound Design), Tom Watson (Hair and Wig Design), Grammy Award winner Peter Asher (Music Supervision), Rob Berman (Supervising Music Director & Vocal Arranger), and August Eriksmoen (Orchestrations).

BRIGHT STAR will be the final event at the Curran in 2017. The theater re-opened with the groundbreaking Tony Award-winning musical FUN HOME in January, and was followed by the critically acclaimed plays ECLIPSED in March, and THE ENCOUNTER in April. Taylor Mac's A 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC opens at the Curran tomorrow, and runs through September 24.

BRIGHT STAR tickets will be on sale to the general public on Tuesday, September 19th. Tickets start at $39. For advance access to BRIGHT STAR tickets, and to be the first to hear about exciting happenings at the Curran, sign-up at SFCURRAN.com.

The BRIGHT STAR tour is produced by Center Theatre Group by special arrangement with Joey Parnes, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, AT&T PAC/ SHN (Dallas), Blumenthal Performing Arts (Charlotte), Broadway Series South (Raleigh), Curran (San Francisco), and Theatre Under The Stars (Houston), in association with The Old Globe (San Diego).

Built in 1922, the Curran has housed some of the most important productions in history and has maintained a reputation over the course of its life as one of the greatest venues in North America. Now, nearly 100 years after it welcomed its first Bay Area audiences, the Curran is newly restored and renovated. Under the curation of eight-time Tony Award winner Carole Shorenstein Hays, the Curran has reopened its 1,600-seat venue as a home for the most exciting stage works being conceived and created anywhere in the world.

For more information, visit SFCURRAN.COM.