In The Season of HAMILTON, Best Musical Nominee BRIGHT STAR Takes a Leap Of Faith Towards Tony Night

In May of 2013, the producers of Broadway's LEAP OF FAITH made the heartbreaking decision to close their show, despite being nominated as Best Musical for the upcoming Tony Awards. The weekly financial losses were just too much and the chance of a win was too slim.

This season, the producers of Bright Star are determined not to be forced into the same decision. While no Tony win is a sure thing, the likelihood of this season's supernova HAMILTON capturing the Best Musical prize is as close to a sure thing as any show can get. It's also considered likely to pick up many more of its record-breaking sixteen nominations, including one for Lin-Manuel Miranda's score.

So despite being nominated for five Tonys, Bright Star's chances of taking home a big prize from the June 12th ceremony are slight. And while its Best Musical nomination guarantees a chance for the cast to perform a selection on the telecast, the opportunity comes at an expense that usually runs into six figures.

The musical was also nominated for Steve Martin's book, Martin and Edie Brickell's score, August Eriksmoen's orchestrations and Carmen Cusack's leading performance.

One bright spot, partially due to the fact that HAMILTON was not considered for this season's Outer Critics Circle Awards since its Off-Broadway production was eligible last season, is today's announcement that Bright Star took that organization's honors for both Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score. While certainly welcome, they're not the kind of awards that translate into increased box office sales.

"It's not a secret that we've been having less-than-robust grosses," lead producer Joey Parnes tells Crains. "To say we're an underdog is an understatement."

After 10 weeks of losing money, the producers are now wagering that the Tony nominations will spur ticket sales. But more money has to be added to the pot to back that wager.

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Inspired by a real event, Bright Star tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and '40s. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past - and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives.