Old Globe's "Bright Star" has a dim and dated plot

KenderTheater (@KenderTheater)

10/4/14, 8:51 PM The new Steve Martin & Edie Brickell musical "Bright Star" @TheOldGlobe is a major disappointment given the pedigree of its creators.  Yes, it features solid production elements, a talented cast (with one major exception, the terrible actor and singer playing Major Dobbs), solid direction and some beautiful music.  But the song lyrics lack subtlety and the book by Steve Martin tells a hackneyed and boring story.  I could see the major plot "reveal" from a time zone away; it was so obvious that I felt it had to be a set up for an unexpected twist that never arrived.   Admittedly the matinee audience I saw it with (average age was in the 70s) seemed to love it.  If this is the future of American musical theater (and I sure hope it is not), we are going to be doing a time warp again.