On Monday, Aug. 25, tickets went on sale for Southwest’s production of “Bright Star,” a musical set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Southwest’s theatre program, Silver Hawk Theatre, started rehearsals for the show in August, and the show opens on Thursday, Sept. 25, running through Sunday, Sept. 28.
The musical, based on a true story, was written by bluegrass duo Steve Martin and Edie Brickell in 2013, and premiered on Broadway in New York in 2016. The story centers around Alice Murphy, editor of the Asheville Southern Journal, and takes place between two time periods, the 1920s and 1940s.
“I’m excited to play Alice because of the emotional complexity that goes into the character,” senior Avery Runestad said. “She’s, at times, a young woman who’s looked down upon in society, and I think she’s really brave and strong for speaking out about what she believes in, and I admire her for that.”
This year marks the first time Silver Hawk Theatre has programmed two musicals into their season since the 2022-2023 school year. This year’s season, named “Beauty in the Broken,” is based on the story of the shows being told throughout the year, including Bright Star, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” in December, and “Shrek the Musical” in April 2026.
“It is important for us to recognize and ultimately celebrate the stories that maybe aren’t focused on, and more specifically, the harder stories are what make us human,” artistic director Mr. Austyn McKee said. “(Bright Star) is a story of a woman who has to undergo quite a bit of challenges throughout her life, and we get to see a tremendous amount of growth from Alice, seeing her story come full circle.”
Along with performing Bright Star in September, Silver Hawk Theatre plans to showcase the production at the Nebraska State Thespian Festival in Omaha as a part of their main stage line-up. There will be a benefit performance at Southwest to support the cast and crew and garner awareness for their state performance on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. The show will be performed at the Holland Center in Omaha on Friday, Jan. 9.
“I feel like we’ll have a really good representation of ourselves at state, and it’s gonna be a good opportunity for many people going to state for the first time,” junior Audrey Haugen, who plays the character Lucy Grant, said. “I like all of the different masterclass opportunities, and how it’s very much a choose-your-own-adventure.”
Tickets are available at CUR8.com to the general public for $15 and to students and alumni for $10. Performances will run from Thursday, Sept. 25 through Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m., with afternoon “matinée” performances on Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2:00 p.m.
