For Juan Hernandez, being the musical director for a different kind of performance than what he’s worked with in the past has been a challenge but a fun one.
This week, he’ll see the final show come together as the musical “Bright Star” hits the stage at Ector Theatre.
The show will take place at 7:30 p.m. on April 27, 28 and 29 with tickets available for purchase at tinyurl.com/5yjz9hd2.
Hernandez is the Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies at Odessa College and has been in charge of the music side of things for the production.
The show is an American folktale inspired by a true story.
It tells the moving tale of love and redemption against the backdrop of the American south in the 1920s and 1940s.
There will be plenty of blue grass music in this musical which was written and composed by comedian Steve Martin and Edie Brickell as the show is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the 1940s with flashbacks to 1923.
For Hernandez, learning the music for this production has been an interesting ride.
“I went to school for choral conducting and all of my training has been done with classical music so this is a different style,” Hernandez said, who’s also worked with Lin Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights’ back in 2018. “Fast forward to 2023, I have the opportunity to do this. It’s been interesting because I’m not used to this kind of repertoire. But lately, I’ve been anchoring for a more popular style from around the planet, just to bring different styles of music to the audience.”
He loves the fact that this musical has a lot of American folk style in it.
“There’s a lot of interesting instruments being used in the ensemble,” Hernandez said. “We have a quartet of strings. We have a viola, a violin, a cello, and a bass. We also have a mandolin and a banjo. It’s a very interesting flavor. I love the music. This is the first time that I’ve done this kind of repertoire with specifically folk. I love it. This is beautiful.”
There will be eight musicians total in the pit orchestra.
The production has been in the works since January after the cast list was announced and Hernandez has enjoyed the experience.
It’s been a different experience for Hernandez, not just in learning a new style of music, but also in the way he’s conducted rehearsals.
“During rehearsals, I’m helping the ensemble sing so I’m leading the rehearsals from the piano,” Hernandez said. “I also have to learn the music and all the parts in the piano which is something that I’m not used to because in the past, I’ve been very blessed to be working with colleagues who play pianos in rehearsals but here, it’s just me. Learning the music has been a good challenge. I’ve always wanted to do something like this. I’ve always wanted the opportunity to play the piano and lead the ensemble. It took awhile to learn the whole music but it’s been a rewarding experience.”
The production is a collaboration between Basin Theatre Works, Odessa College and Odessa Arts.
“It’s very important for the community to see that there are different organizations that are working together to bring a show to everyone,” Hernandez said. “The first thing we wanted to do was tell everyone that this is a big project for everybody. It’s been interesting to collaborate with the different organizations. It’s interesting to network because West Texas may be a small area but there’s so much art and culture going on. It’s important for us to support and communicate with each other.”
Working alongside Hernandez is director Josh Rapp who is also the director of theatre at Odessa College.
“We’re both very flexible and we work great together,” Hernandez said of working with Rapp. “We delegate and tell one to do this and the other to do that. We communicate a lot. It’s important to communicate with the director just to make sure everything goes over smoothly. But working with Josh has been very nice. We know what we’re doing on our own space and we bring it together.”
As the show gets ready to open this week, some of the final tweaks that Rapp and Hernandez have been going over with the cast and crew has been making sure everyone knows their cues on stage.
“At this point, we have to make sure they don’t forget any entrances because sometimes you can get carried away when acting,” Hernandez said. “The good thing is that the day of the show, I will be conducting from the pit and giving them entrances to give them more security but the main thing is to make sure the cast members don’t need me at all so they can enjoy the show on stage.”
For more information about the show, go to tinyurl.com/5yjz9hd2.
If you go
- What: “Bright Star.”
- When: 7:30 p.m. April 27-29.
- Where: Ector Theatre.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/5yjz9hd2
