VIDEO AND STORY BY ALEX MILLER

With everyone sheltering at home and events everywhere being canceled, the cast of Wadsworth High School’s fall musical have decided to try and add a little “sunshine” into the community. 

This past November, Wadsworth High School’s Off Broad Street Players performed the musical Bright Star by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin. This tale of love and redemption brought songs of pain, joy, and sorrow to life.

Bright Star is set in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina in the 1920s and 1940s. Its narrative builds on the true story of “The Iron Mountain Baby,” who at five days old fell from a train into a river, later to be found and raised by a loving family. Pam Csaky and Kalyn Davis co-directed the production at Wadsworth High School.

“This was our smallest cast yet for a musical at WHS, but they had such talent, dedication, and determination,” said Davis. “Not only did we tell a great story, but the acting, blocking, set changes, and choreography all played a piece in this beautiful puzzle. I have never been so proud of a cast and this show set the bar!”

The WHS production of Bright Star was adjudicated in November by a panel of judges from Playhouse Square as part of the Dazzle Awards competition. Bright Star was in competition with select high school musicals from the surrounding area. Last Friday, the Dazzle Awards announced that the competition would be canceled this year due to COVID-19.

“As a cast, we were saddened by this news, but we were also saddened by all of the changes facing our students both near and far,” said Csaky.

This cancellation inspired the directors and cast of Bright Star to create a virtual choir video of the song “Sun Is Gonna Shine Again” from the musical.

“Wanting to do something positive, we chose to reprise a special number from Bright Star reminding us that things will be better one day,” said Csaky.

The cast members individually recorded videos on their cell phones, wearing earbuds and singing along with a backing track. The individual videos were then edited together to make the final video posted here.

With all the challenges that COVID-19 has brought in the past few weeks, it can be hard to stay positive. But this will pass. As the cast of Bright Star sings, “the sun is gonna shine again.”