Closer To Colin: Points of Light

Betelgeuse, the left shoulder the constellation Orion, is a supergiant star much larger and much farther away from us than the Sun.

I made it a point to see the new musical, Starstruck, as it’s music was penned by Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers, and surprisingly, Betelgeuse was a main character.

Orion already has special meaning to me. He was a hunter in Greek Mythology and I remember my father pointing out the constellation when I was little. Dad explained the stars to me early that charcoal morning. Then, later in AmeriCorps, Orion was my camp name for the kids and I even showed them his formation of stars I have tattoo’d on my arm.

I went into the Starstruck production without much plot knowledge and just assumed it was about two astronomers who fall in love. However, there was just one astronomer - Park Ranger, Cyd. Cyd, like other astronomers expect Betelgeuse to go supernova and explode someday. Hopefully not for tens of thousands of years from now as it’s constant presence reassures guidance, light, strength and inspiration.

Written by Tony nominated Beth Malone and Mary Ann Straton. Directed and choreographed by Lorin Latarro. With music and lyrics by Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. Starstruck previews premiered at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania on Feb 20 and the show ran from Feb 28 - March 21, 2026.

New Hope was a mill city, though many of the mill buildings burned and were rebuilt in the 1790s. By the 1930s, this building was saved from demolition, renovated into a theater and the new Bucks County Playhouse opened July 1, 1939 becoming a place where plays slated for Broadway were tried out. The first production at the Playhouse was “Springtime for Henry” featuring Edward Everett Horton (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucks_County_Playhouse).

After the final performance, it was shared that Starstruck is the biggest grossing show in the history of the Bucks County Playhouse. It’s cast already has Broadway credit and the talent is just too good to not get picked up by somewhere in New York!

The cast included Beth Malone, Krysta Rodriguez and Sam Gravitte. With executive producers Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Tig Notaro! Noting, this trio of producers (alongside Brandi Carlile and Sarah Bareilles) is also behind the recent Oscar nominated Andrea Gibson documentary, “Come See Me In The Good Light!”

I had originally purchased a Starstruck ticket for opening night in February, and even began my trek South that day, but I couldn’t leave early enough and didn’t beat the incoming winter storm! I drove an hour, making it to Sturbridge, Massachusetts before a snow-covered Rt 89 and freezing rain in Connecticut spooked me enough to play it safe and turn around. I also hadn’t been to Sturbridge since Beth’s accident and I was flooded with many emotions, impacting the already present anxiety of the inclement weather.

I told myself I’d have more chances to see the show before the run was complete, but looking at my calendar, I couldn’t see where I would find the time. Then, I had a client cancelation and all of a sudden, I was available for Starstruck’s final weekend! I nabbed a ticket, and had a safe drive down to Pennsylvania, where en route, I figured if I was going to drive all that way, I may as well catch a Broadway matinee on my way home the next day. I made accommodations with Suzie and scheduled out my train ride later that night.

By the end of my long drive, it was slightly drizzling upon my arrival. I found street parking after a couple pass-throughs, then captured all the marque and playhouse pictures I’d seen fans posting on line. A short wait before doors opened and I was escorted to my spot in the middle of the theater’s 425-seat capacity. The creators of the show mingled with friends and fans throughout the room and Emily was seated to my right, several rows ahead of me. I heard she’d been present at most, if not all, showings and it was magical to catch her in my peripheral vision as we both took in the show together. I can’t imagine the critical mind of a creative director during a musical’s very first run!

Plot and music spoilers ahead:

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Starstruck takes place in an Idaho state park where darkness is treasured and the view of the night sky is priceless. Idaho is, in fact, actually home to America’s first designated Dark Sky Reserve, established in 2017, giving the musical real-world grounding. (Source: https://whyy.org/articles/starstruck-bucks-county-playhouse-emily-saliers-indigo-girls/)

With inspiration from “Cryanao de Bergerac” and Steve Martin’s film “Roxanne,” when a podcast journalist comes to document park ranger Cyd’s fight to create an International Dark Sky Reserve in the fictional small town of Sawtooth, Idaho, feelings spark and confusion ensues.

Likewise, the story of “Cryanao de Bergerac” is a French play about a dude with a huge nose who falls in love with his cousin, but he’s more embarrassed about the size of his nose rather than the fact they are cousins! He starts penning the love letters his bro is sending to her, thus, a love triangle unravels.

Similarly, the neurodivergent characters of Sawtooth deal with their own traumas and end up repeating these same patterns. But instead of love letters, text messages set to the lyrics of Collecting You and Mystery are sent. And who wouldn’t fall in love to Emily Saliers’ lyrics? Both songs blended so well with the direct dialogue of the storyline, and other act-openers like Galileo and Closer to Fine and the final ensemble of The Wood Song fit the general themes of the show overall.

I loved the use of these Indigo Girls songs throughout Starstruck! There presence was more than I expected, reminiscent of the Glitter and Doom project, but were out weighted by new songs that I just can’t wait to hear again. I’ve forgotten how most of the new songs sound until I see a song title or two. Though I’m especially looking forward to hearing the humorously horny re-written, Run, originally off the Despite Our Differences album, again!

Starstruck is a really cute story and a visually interstellar production full of starry skies, a cozy diner and Cyd’s astro-shelter in the open wilderness. The set was unique too because looking at the stage was like looking through a telescope - circular! The characters are quirky, nerdy every day people and totally relatable. They are full of passion, hope, a love of science, and a real understanding of how small we all are in this universe.

I love how the show focused on the importance of love, what moves us, how we express ourselves - or not, our hobbies, work, community and queerness. What I originally mistakenly assumed was a simple love story between two astronomers turned out to be so much more. Nobody get’s beamed up, but there are plenty of pop culture references and desert magic!

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After the show, I poked around the theater a bit, grabbed a ginger ale in the lounge, took selfies at the Step and Repeat and I spotted Emily with Friends across the room. She was in deep conversation by the time I made it over and I felt so rude for interrupting! I held out a little Thank You / Congrats card made by a local artist I had for her, excused myself and said,

“Hi Emily, I just wanted to give you a little thank you card.” She was pleasant, I reminded her who I was, congratulated her and gave my love to her and the family. I said,

“The next time I see the play, I hope it’s in New York,” to which she finally smiled big and agreed! She thanked me for being there and I told her about my opening night snafu. We agreed it was finally better weather and I let her get back to her friends.

It was a short and sweet encounter, but I really did feel so bad for interrupting and worried about taking up too much time, especially as folks had purchased Meet and Greets throughout the residency. She was so kind as always, I was just left wishing I had shared a profound thought, asked a question or really made her laugh! I find myself extraverted when I chat with Amy Ray, though I become more timid around Emily!

I’m just excited to see what happens with the show next!

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The morning after Starstruck, I grabbed a New Jersey transit train into New York City from Linden, New Jersey. It’s the route I’m most familiar because of all my visits to Aunt Pat’s before she moved! Once in Manhattan, weather was cool, and I walked the 16 blocks up 8th Ave to Broadway in Times Square to finally see Death Becomes Her at the Lundt-Fontanne Theater on 46th St! A major bucket list item.

I’m so grateful for friends who have showed me the NYC ropes in the past. It has helped to make me feel confident during my city adventures! It was a nice recharge to emerge out of my igloo of doom as winter ends in Massachusetts. Despite all the awful things happening in the world, the bustling people in NYC were business as usual. The city is always a refreshing reset for me.

Broadway Facts: Did you know…

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A theater must have at least 500 seats to be classified as a Broadway theater.
“Off” and “Off-Off” Broadway theaters get smaller and smaller
The Gershwin is the largest Broadway theater with over 2000 seats
Broadway was originally a Native American trail, later named Breede Weg (Broad Way) by Dutch settlers and is the longest street in NYC (33 miles)
Out of the 41 Broadway theaters, only four are actually located on Broadway
Most theaters are between 41st & 54th streets between 6th & 8th avenues
There is never Row “I” as to not to be confused with “1”
The Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show, holding the record with 13,370 performances in over 33 years, with 15 actors playing Phantom, each with a custom mask

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This was my first time at the gorgeous Lundt-Fontanne Theater. It was shrouded in purple lights and a gothic set. I was sat in the fifth row, on the aisle, on the far left side of the room. Being so close to the stage action was stimulating and overwhelming in the best ways!

I’ve been following the Tony-winning hit musical comedy revitalized since it previewed in Chicago, and have been listening to the Death Becomes Her soundtrack once it hit Broadway in October 2024! I can not get enough of the dramatically catchy tunes and my excitement was palatable.

The story follows the dark comedy film, Death Becomes Her, from 1993 starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis with minimal story changes and even more humor and sass. The event even concludes with a poison bottle shaped disco ball! It’s always been a favorite movie of mine and this campy musical just hits the spot! I could have craved this as a kid and I’m so glad people are expertly creating things at such a high caliber that I could have only dreamed of!

I met a couple ladies from Ohio sitting next to me. They joked they took a bus in, like the old people do! We talked about the Radio City Rockettes and places they’ve been in New England. One of them had a loud laugh and she made sure everyone on stage heard it, but it was genuine and seemed appreciated. Especially in reaction to the Ohio joke in the show’s dialogue.

The top of the show starts with Michelle Williams, of Destiny’s Child fame, as Viola Van Horn, emerging from below the stage as the music begins, and the audience went wild. She came right to the front corner of the stage during “If You Want Perfection” and I just wanted to reach out and feel the fabric on her costume! The costumes were exquisite! From gowns to unitards, from velvets to satins, from purples to reds. Collars, sequins, sparkles, slits, and smoke, oh my! Beautiful, structured and rich! Being that close to the stage you can not only see the costume design detail, but the cast’s facial expressions, knowing the ensemble can see you too! It’s a rush.

Sitting at the edge of the theater, I had an angled view which enable me to watch the audience watching the show at times. I could also see side-stage and slightly behind set props where actor transitions during the “Don’t Say I Didn’t (Warn You)” montage, and the recreated iconic fall down the stars, a cat fight, and a detached head were made possible! Theater magic just delights me and there were still a couple character pop-outs that surprised me and made me cheer like a crazy person!

The whole show was just so good! Jennifer Simard plays Helen, Chris Sieber plays Ernest and Betsy Wolfe has taken over the roll of Madeline! I also saw Betsy Wolfe at my only other Broadway experience when she took the lead in the Waitress back in 2017 at the Brookes Atkinson Theater (now renamed the Lena Horne Theater).

So I guess I only go see Betsy Wolfe shows on Broadway!

As much as I wanted to, I wasn’t able to stay and meet the cast at the stage door before I needed to catch my 5 o’clock train and get back on the highway by 6pm! On my journey home, I thought about how impressed I am with the energy it takes to be a full-time Broadway performer and I brainstormed questions I could has asked the cast.

With such greats like Meryl Steep and Megan Hilty originating the roll of Madeline in film and on stage, I wonder where Betsy pulls her inspiration from for the roll. I see glimmers of both other actresses, but know she puts her own spin on it too. How do folks balance making a character their own?

I want to know how Jennifer uses her voice the way she does! Like a voice-actor stretching notes on either end of the scale so well, but so comically too.

I could talk about Michelle’s voice, her beautiful gospel tones and how she is the Bridge Queen all day. Big shoes to fill if she ever moves on! But I’d like to ask her how she handles the stamina it requires to be in a show for a year and a half now! What is it like to stay so motivated and in-love with the project and character?

I’d love to know where Chris and company find the courage and confidence to present themselves so rawly on stage, act, and let people perceive them so willingly.

I also wondered if they all dream about the show and how often the songs must run through their heads in their off time.

Being such a quick, impromptu trip, I missed all my city friends, but I still had a really great time! Whenever I’m in the city, I wonder why I don’t live there. Then I think about moving there and it sounds like a nightmare! I’m just glad I can visit!

I hadn’t been to New York in over a year! I knew I would have regretted missing Starstruck and I knew I needed to see Death Becomes Her before the original cast switched over too much. Major bucket list items. Now I know I can hit a 2pm matinee and make it home for 10pm!

The rush of excitement had my body vibrating for a couple days after the trip. Both shows were amazing, but I went in most bias! I can’t imagine a life without theater.