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The North Fork Community Theatre’s Youth on Stage program celebrates its 55th year with a production of Bright Star, the Tony-nominated musical featuring music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. The production runs Thursday, July 16, 2026 through Sunday, August 2, 2026, at the North Fork Community Theatre in Mattituck.
Inspired by a true story, Bright Star is a sweeping tale of love, loss, and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and 1940s. With a bluegrass-infused score by the unlikely but celebrated musical team of comedian, actor, writer, and banjo player Steve Martin and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, the musical weaves together two generations and two timelines in a moving story of secrets, second chances, and the enduring power of love.
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The story follows Billy Cane, a young soldier returning home from World War II with dreams of becoming a writer, and Alice Murphy, the sharp and determined editor of a Southern literary journal. As their lives become intertwined, the story reaches back two decades to reveal the events that shaped Alice’s life and the secrets that connect the past to the present.
The 2026 Youth on Stage cast features Abby Tyler as Alice Murphy, Joseph Podlas as Jimmy Ray Dobbs, Anderson S. Hipp as Billy Cane, Julia Sheldon as Margo Crawford, Cameron Hipp as Mayor Dobbs, Adler McGough as Daddy Murphy, Catherine Abbott as Mama Murphy, Ryan Zollweg as Daddy Cane, Zachary Lieberman as Stanford, Nate Ferguson as Daryl Ames, Kaitlynn Mazurkiewicz as Lucy Grant, and Chas LoRusso as Dr. Norquist.
The cast also includes Lilly Garcia, Rebecca Nyilas, and Hannah Quigley as Spirits; Sammie Mazurkiewicz as Florence; Julia DiGirolamo as Edna; Sam Gilvarry as Max; and Alexander Wegman as Young Daddy Cane. Featured dancers are Lilly Garcia, Kaitlynn Mazurkiewicz, Sammie Mazurkiewicz, Rebecca Nyilas, and Hannah Quigley. The ensemble includes Ellie Arm, Julia DiGirolamo, Nate Ferguson, Sam Gilvarry, Lilly Garcia, Chas LoRusso, Kaitlynn Mazurkiewicz, Sammie Mazurkiewicz, Rebecca Nyilas, Gretchen Ocker, Hannah Quigley, Lorelei Schaary, Alexander Wegman, and Ryan Zollweg.
The production is directed by Liz Liszanckie, with assistant directors Kat Motlenski and Jocelyn Podlas. Katrina Lovett and Grace Lukachinski serve as producers, with Matthew Adams-Korn as music director, Jenna Spates as choreographer, and Amelia Lauren as stage manager. Grace Smith is assistant stage manager, Katrina Lovett is costume designer, Anderson Hipp and Stephen Ness are handling props, Ellie Arm is sound designer, and Robert Taylor serves as tech consultant.
Special thanks are extended to Anthony Graziano for production photography.
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A 55-YEAR TRADITION OF YOUTH THEATRE
The North Fork Community Theatre’s Youth on Stage program has presented a musical every summer since 1971, providing young performers with the opportunity to learn, grow, and participate in all aspects of theatrical production. Open to actors, singers, and dancers ages 14 to 22, the program encourages young people to take creative risks, develop their skills, and become active members of a theatrical community.
Over the past 55 years, Youth on Stage has presented an extraordinary range of musicals, including The Music Man, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Into the Woods, A Chorus Line, Footloose, Legally Blonde, Pippin, Rent, 9 to 5, Cinderella, and School of Rock, among many others.
The program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020. After a 2021 season of Summer Showcases, Youth on Stage returned to full productions with Rent in 2022, followed by 9 to 5 in 2023, Cinderella in 2024, and School of Rock in 2025.
For more than half a century, Youth on Stage has helped generations of young people discover the transformative power of theatre—not only as performers, but as artists, collaborators, leaders, and members of their community.
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PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Bright Star performs at the North Fork Community Theatre, 12700 Old Sound Avenue, Mattituck, NY.
Thursday, July 16, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 17, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 18, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 19, 2026 — 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 23, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 24, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 25, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 26, 2026 — 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 30, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 31, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 1, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 2, 2026 — 2:30 p.m.
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Tickets are available through the North Fork Community Theatre.
For more information, visit the theatre’s website at www.nfct.com or call 631-298-NFCT (6328).
The North Fork Community Theatre is dedicated to producing theatrical productions for the entertainment and enrichment of the community, promoting the study, production, and appreciation of all forms of dramatic arts, and fostering interest in theatrical endeavors throughout the surrounding community.
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