BRIGHT STAR – PRESS

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Music, Book, and Story by Steve Martin
Music, Lyrics, and Story by Edie Brickell

Director/Choreographer Cindy Goldfield
Music Director Jake Gale

Gateway Theatre, San Francisco

Inspired by a true story and featuring the Tony®-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Broadway’s 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. With beautiful melodies and powerfully moving characters, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion. An uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp, BRIGHT STAR is as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.

PRESS RELEASE

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PROMO PHOTOS
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SHOW ARTWORK
Key Art Design by Dyna Mendoza Lo-res version: drag to desktop or right-click to save • Hi-res version: click on photo, then right-click to save

Back row (L to R): Melanie McBride, Delany S. Dorsey, Kim Larsen, Elmer Strasser Front row (L to R): Eiko Yamamoto, Eric Stephenson, Mary Jo McConnel

Back row (L to R): Delany S. Dorsey, Kim Larsen, Melanie McBride Front row (L to R): Elmer Strasser, Eiko Yamamoto, Eric Stephenson, Mary Jo McConnel

MEET THE CAST
Click on names to view bios

Ian Brady

(Billy Cane)

Carrie Lyn Brandon*

(Alice Murphy)

Delaney S. Dorsey

(Margo Crawford)

Brian Herndon*

(Daddy Murphy)

Alex Hsu*

(Mayor Josiah Dobbs)

Kim Larsen

(Stanford)

Melanie McBride

(Lucy Grant)

Mary Jo McConnel

(Mama Murphy)

Anne Norland

(Edna Mae)

Joel Ochoa

(Max/Billy Cane US)

Eric Stephenson*

(Jimmy Ray Dobbs)

Elmer Strasser

(Daddy Cane)

Jay Thulien

(Daryl Ames)

Catherine Traceski

(Flo)

Eiko Yamamoto

(Clerk)

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association

Director and Musical Director
Click on names to view bios

Cindy Goldfield

Director

Jake Gale

Musical Director

MEDIA

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 6, 2024 – 7:00pm – Preview 
Friday, June 7, 2024 – 8:00pm – Preview 
Saturday, June 8, 2024 – 6:00pm – Press Opening 
Sunday, June 9, 2024 – 3:00pm 
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 – 7:00pm 
Thursday, June 13, 2024 – 7:00pm 
Friday, June 14, 2024 – 8:00pm 
Saturday, June 15, 2024 – 1:00pm & 6:00pm 
Sunday, June 16, 2024 – 3:00pm 
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 – 7:00pm 
Thursday, June 20, 2024 – 7:00pm 
Friday, June 21, 2024 – 8:00pm 
Saturday, June 22, 2024 – 6:00pm 
Sunday, June 23, 2024 – 3:00pm

Ian Brady

Ian Brady (He/Him) is a proud PA-born, NY-based actor and organizer committed to making the dream and pursuit of acting one more accessible to working-class and queer youth. Ian spent the past 3 years in CA where he was fortunate enough to collaborate with a number of remarkable artists on pieces like A Guide for the Homesick (Theatre Rhinoceros), Much Ado About Nothing (New Canon Theatre Company), Blood at the Root (Custom Made), Today, I Live (3Girls) and Panto at the Presidio x 2. “Ní neart go cur le chéile.” #ArtistsForCeasefire  @iannotthekillebrady

Carrie Lyn Brandon

Carrie Lyn Brandon is a NY based actor/singer/multi-instrumentalist originally from Marin County. Carrie has appeared around the country in the National Tours of Once (Girl Cover) and A Charlie Brown Christmas (Patty), as well as around the world on AIDA Cruise Line. Around the Bay, Carrie has been seen in Mamma Mia at the Mountain Play (Sophie), The Full Monty at Transcendence Theatre, and Anne Boleyn at Marin Theatre Company. You may have seen her sing the National Anthem solo for our SF Giants and 49ers! Other favorite credits include Ring of Fire at North Carolina Theatre, The Spitfire Grill at Oregon Cabaret Theatre (Shelby), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Sierra Rep, and Almost Heaven at Shadowland Stages. Carrie is also a passionate voice teacher with multiple certifications and a full-time studio. Penn State Musical Theatre BFA (Crew15). Carrie is thrilled to return home to play this dream role, and this show is dedicated to her very own Bright Stars, Michael and Watson. www.carriebrandon.com

Based out of NYC, but grew up across the Golden Gate Bridge in Mill Valley (Tam High grad). Proud graduate of Penn STATE with BFA in Musical Theatre. Country/folk singer and songwriter. Voice teacher with multiple certifications and a full-time studio. Corgi mom. 2025 bride. SF Giants and Niners fan (grew up an anthem soloist for them both!). 

Actor/Singer/Musician
www.carriebrandon.com
Voice Teacher 
www.coachingbycarrie.com

Delaney S. Dorsey

Delaney (she/her) is thrilled to be joining 42nd Moon Street’s production of Bright Star!  She is originally from Southern CA where her love and involvement in the arts began. She recently graduated from SF State U., where she studied Biology and Theatre Performance. Her favorite credits include Rent (Joanne) and Dealing Dreams (Norah). Delaney loves the arts and is incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to grow alongside such gifted artists. She would like to thank her family and friends for their endless support, and hopes you enjoy the show! @Delaney.02

 

Brian Herndon

Brian Herndon is excited to return to 42nd Street Moon after appearing in Nick and Nora and Something for the Boys. He’s appeared as an actor/instrumentalist in Shakespeare in Love and Failure: A Love Story (Marin Theatre Company), Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness (Shotgun Players), and most recently in Cymbeline with SF Shakes. He’s performed at A.C.T., TheatreWorks, Central Works, and other theatres across the Bay Area. He holds an MFA in Acting from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and studied at Dell’Arte.

Brian Herndon grew up in Oakland, currently lives in the Haight in SF. 
Teaching artist in high schools on the Peninsula, plus Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory. 

Alex Hsu

ALEX HSU is thrilled to return to the Gateway Theatre decades after he last performed in Paint Your Wagon here. Most recently he understudied in The Far Country at Berkeley Rep. National tours: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (dir. Walter Bobbie) and The King and I (dir. Baayork Lee). Regional: The Headlands (A.C.T.), Tales of the City: A New Musical (A.C.T.), Little Shop of Horrors, Gypsy, Pacific Overtures (TheatreWorks SV), The Great Leap (San Jose Stage),  Chinglish (San Francisco Playhouse), Miss Saigon (Westchester Broadway), Me and My Girl (Marin Theatre Company). Film/TV credits include I (Almost) Got Away with It, East Side Sushi, and Protection Detail. As a choreographer, Alex has been nominated for several BATC and TBA awards, including for Strike Up the Band at 42nd Street Moon.

Kim Larsen

Kim Larsen is excited to be back on the 42nd Street Moon stage. Previous shows include Flora, The Red Menace, Hooray for What!, Fiorello and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. He’s been very active in the Bay Area theater scene for over 30 years, including many shows with Theatre Rhinoceros, SF Shakespeare Festival, the Terror Vault, Thrillpeddlers, and the long-running hits Shopping! The Musical and Foodies! The Musical. He is a long-time board member of Theatre Rhinoceros.

Melanie McBride  (She/Her)

Melanie McBride is a Rochester, NY native with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Fredonia University. She recently relocated to San Jose, and is currently working as a music director and private voice teacher with the San Carlos Children’s Theatre. Previous Credits: Palo Alto Children’s Theatre – Meerkats (Meera) Fredonia – Lungs (“W”), Summer of ‘42 (Dorothy) – Blackfriars Theatre – Spelling Bee (Rona), Detroit ‘67 (Caroline), Jerry’s Girls (Ensemble/Dorothy) Too Much Light… (Ensemble) – JCC – Mamma Mia (Ali), Dickens Fair – (Delilah Prickett: Mad Sal’s Stage). “Special thanks to my wonderful parents who made the cross-country trek to enjoy this show!”

Mary Jo McConnell

Mary Jo McConnell performed in the national tours of The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), All Shook Up, and Sister Act. Off-Broadway credits include Soap Star-original cast of Menopause the Musical, Hysterical Blindness, and A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur. Regional highlights include Freaky Friday (La Jolla, Cleveland Playhouse, Alley Theater), Convenience (Geva), and Sunday in the Park with George (ACT). On television she appeared as Una in “Hunters”, “Pan Am”, “Masters of Sex”, and “One Life to Live” and in indie films Vent, Wilt, and Better Dead Than Red. MJ earned her MFA from American Conservatory Theatre. 
She is a founding artist of NYC’s Musical Theatre Factory and winner of their inaugural Builder’s Award. Captain McConnell is a proud veteran of the US Army Nurse Corps.
IG@maryjomcconnell.

Anne Norland

Anne Norland is as pleased as a possum in a persimmon tree to return to the stage at 42nd Street Moon, where she has performed in Best Little Whorehouse, 110 in the Shade, Brigadoon, and previously served as 42nd Street Moon’s Director of Education. An east coast transplant, Anne has been performing across the Bay Area, as well as teaching and producing educational theatre for nearly a decade. Favorite credits include Cruel Intentions (Cecile, Ray of Light), Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary, Alden) Elephant & Piggie & Fly Guy (Piggie, Fly Girl, Bay Area Children’s Theatre), and Silence! (Clarice, Ray of Light), for which she won a Theatre Bay Area Award for performance in a Principal Role. She hopes you leave the theatre with a renewed sense of hope and propinquity.

Joel Ochoa (He/Him)

Joel is excited to be back at 42nd Street Moon after appearing in Mame in 2023 and in the Moon Annual Gala in April! 2024 A rising third-year MFA Acting grad student at Academy of Art University, Joel moved to the Bay Area in August of 2022 from the Midwest after graduating from Millikin Univ.. Bay Area Credits include: A Chorus Line (SF Playhouse), Macbeth and Julius Caesar Twisted (Marin Shakespeare Company) with upcoming project The Tempest (SF Shakespeare Festival, Summer 2024). Recent On-Screen credits include: Take Me There (Frameline47), Under the Lights (coming late 2024), The Scenic Route, Eva’s Conundrum and commercials with Pegasus Solar and Exo Inc. When not performing, Joel can be seen as a teaching artist, a social media associate, and drinking a good coffee. His thanks to the whole team for this special show and to the people that push him to be a better artist and a better human – this one’s for you. @joelocho

Eric Stephenson

Eric Stephenson (he/him) is so happy to make his 42nd Street Moon and Bay Area debut! Regional and NY: SUCH A GOOD GUY (The Workshop Theater), AS THOUSANDS CHEER (54 Below), SUNSET BOULEVARD (Fulton Theatre), THE LAST ROMANCE (Seven Angels Theatre), MOONSHINE COUNTY LINE (34 West Theater Co), WITHIN THE LAW (East Lynne Theater Co), BITTER SWEET (Bard SummerScape), LITTLE WOMEN (Kentucky Repertory Theatre), SAINT JOAN (The Secret Theatre), A SANDERS FAMILY CHRISTMAS (Cumberland County Playhouse), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Winnipesaukee Playhouse), and TREES (La MaMa ETC). Currently he’s finishing work on the short film PROGRESS with his collaborators, which they plan to submit to festivals. He’s also a Canadian citizen, a graduate of Muhlenberg College, and a proud member of AEA. Love to fiancé Rachel and doggo Jaime! @sirericsalot

Elmer Strasser

Elmer Strasser is grateful to be working with 42nd St Moon again (previously as Erronius in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum many “moons” ago). The latest role he has played is Vlad Popov in TMC Arts’ Anastasia. Other roles include: Mayor Dobbs (Bright Star); Shylok (Something Rotten); Van Buren (Damn Yankees); Ubaldo Piangi (Phantom of the Opera); Thenardier (Les Miserables); The Boss (Side Show); Victor (Smokey Joe’s Café);  Roosevelt (Tintypes); Harold (The Full Monty); Il Compari (A Tale of Cinderella); Mayor of Whoville (Seussical) and performing with the following companies: TMC Arts, TVRT, Altarena, DMT, 42nd St. Moon, Stage 1, Chanticleers and Woodminster.

Jay Thulien

Originally from Canada, Jay Thulien has thoroughly enjoyed working with the immense talent in the Bay Area. Previous theatre work has included Mary Poppins, Full Monty, Mamma Mia, Sister Act, 25APCSpelling Bee, Joseph ATATD, Music Man, Singin’ in the Rain, The Producers, Miss Saigon, Company, Dogfight, A Funny Thing Happened… Forum, Anything Goes, Forbidden Broadway, RENT, Reefer Madness, Titanic, Jekyll and Hyde. Jay is also a classical pianist, stage and music director, and generally hilarious guy. 

Catherine Traceski

Catherine Traceski (she/her) is overjoyed to be making her 42nd Street Moon debut! Her favorite theatre credits include Hildy in ON THE TOWN (SBMT), Maureen in RENT (CRT), Ilse in SPRING AWAKENING (PSP), The Acid Queen in THE WHO’S TOMMY (TSP), Gemma Louise in KINKY BOOTS  (Ray of Light), Rusty in FOOTLOOSE (TSP), Sister Margaretta in THE SOUND OF MUSIC (BBBay) as well as MATILDA (Berkeley Playhouse), SWEENEY TODD, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, MAMMA MIA, WEST SIDE STORY, ANNIE (Hillbarn Theatre), THE MAD ONES (PSP) and BIG FISH (SCP).  Catherine would like to thank her family and friends for their constant love and support.

Eiko Yamamoto

Japanese – Korean – American. Born in Tokyo, raised in Seoul, immigrated to Honolulu and grew up on the island and California. Currently lives in Foster City. Mother of teen son. First to attend and graduate from college, UCLA & California College of Arts, SF. Decided to pursue acting as a career in the summer of 2019, booked and lost equity production and all bookings for the year due to pandemic. SAG-AFTRA, proud member of The Ring of Keys (LGBTQIA+ network for musical artists). Entrepreneur. Worked over a decade in management for companies like Universal Music, Sony Pictures, UCLA Center for Performing Arts, Ernst & Young, Hotel Bel-Air mgmt co. etc Multi-hyphenate artist. Apparently come from a long line of family performers on my mother side but didn’t discover this until I was an adult, so continuing family tradition. 

Eiko Moon-Yamamoto
SAG-AFTRA/ AEA-EMC – 85 wks
She | They  eikoyamamoto.com

Eiko Moon-Yamamoto is a multi-hyphenate artist born in Tokyo with roots in Seoul and Hawaii.

Recent credits: Sleeping Beauty Panto (Presidio Theatre), Cymbeline (SF Shakespeare Festival), (SF Playhouse),Disenchanted! (San Jose Playhouse), world premiere of (Company One), Afong Moy in The Chinese Lady, Melissa in Love Letters (Pear Theatre), M’Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias (Sierra Repertory Theatre) and Jack’s Mother in Into The Woods (Mountain Play). They’re committed to championing historically excluded voices in the American Theatre canon and honored to have developed new works with PlayOn Shakespeare at Magic Theatre, Playwrights Foundation, Crowded Fire, Z Space, AlterTheater and The Ground Floor at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Upcoming: The Truer History of the Chan Family, a vaudeville musical film released this year. Graduate of UCLA and CCA. Eiko is a member of SAG-AFTRA. Mahalo and love to her ohana! eiko@eikoyamamoto.com | @eikoyh

Cindy Goldfield

Award-winning director and Interim Artistic Director, Cindy Goldfield* is delighted to be back directing at 42nd Street Moon, where audiences have already seen her perform in two shows this season (title role in MAME, and most recently in FALSETTOS.) Goldfield’s directing credits include work with the ACT/MFA program, 42nd Street Moon, Oasis, and many other regional and corporate theatrical events.  A two-time recipient of both the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and the Dean Goodman Choice awards for acting, regional acting credits include ACT, TheatreWorks, Center REP, San Jose Rep, Marin Theatre Company, 42nd Street Moon, SF Playhouse, and more. NY credits include D’Arcy Drollinger’s productions of PROJECT: LOHAN and MR. IRRESISTIBLE, in which she also starred in SF. Goldfield’s work can currently be seen onstage here at 42nd Street Moon, at Stagebridge in Oakland, and across the city in SF at NCTC’s TICK, TICK…BOOM!

Jake Gale

Jake Gale is a Music Director, Actor, and multi-instrumentalist from the UK, splitting his time between music direction, and performing. Coming from a musical family and the son of a bluegrass musician (and Steve Martin fan), this is a great opportunity to put some of those skills in the music you’ll hear tonight. 

Recent music directing credits include Tommy (Novato Theatre Co.), She Loves Me (Mountain Play, RVP), Spring Awakening (TBA Award), Guys and Dolls (MMTC).

Recent acting credits are Guy, Once (Hillbarn), Sebastian, Cruel Intentions & Charlie Price, Kinky Boots (Ray of Light), as well as, with Moon, Harold Bride, Titanic, and Sveč, Once (42nd St. Moon).