Bucks County Playhouse (Credit: Bucks County Playhouse)
(The following is a verbatim press release provided by Bucks County Playhouse)
Bucks County Playhouse Producing Director Alexander Fraser, Executive Producer Robyn Goodman and Producer Josh Fiedler announced that the 2026 season will launch with the world premiere of “Starstruck,” a new musical with music and lyrics by Emily Saliers (“Indigo Girls”) and a book by Beth Malone (Broadway’s “Fun Home,” “Angels in America”) and Mary Ann Stratton. The production will be directed and choreographed by Playhouse Artistic Associate Lorin Latarro (Broadway’s “Tommy”, “Chess”).
Previews begin February 20, with opening night set for February 28. The limited engagement runs through March 21 at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania. (The full 2026 season will be announced soon.) “Starstruck” is presented in association with Kevin Ryan (“Ragtime,” “Gypsy”). Full casting and creative team will be announced at a later date.
“Starstruck” takes place in the small town of Sawtooth, Idaho, and follows Cyd DeBerg, as she crusades to create the first International Dark Sky Reserve in the United States. Against the wishes of her fellow townspeople — including bar owner and nemesis JD — Cyd’s efforts gain national attention, including that of NPR journalist Roxanne Cooley. Riffing on the story of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” Cyd finds herself in an unlikely love triangle where the mysterious universe, truths hidden in darkness and the collision course of love all reveal themselves at once.
“Starstruck” has been awarded space in Out of the Box Theatrics’ 2024 development series, The Goodman Theatre's Johnny Mercer writing retreat, The Rhinebeck Writers' Retreat and the Triple R Series.
“As we look for the right show to launch at the playhouse, what first pops out to me are those that depict something new,” said Executive Producer Robyn Goodman. "From Beth and Mary Ann’s original twist on a familiar story set against the concept of the dark sky reserve, to Emily’s extraordinary songs and Lorin’s passion for the project …. we’re honored to work with this team on the world premiere of ‘Starstruck’.”
“I’m so happy to be back at Bucks County Playhouse, where I first began directing,” said Latarro. “It’s meaningful to return to this stage with a brand-new musical. ‘Starstruck’ has rhythm, humor and heart — and the Playhouse is the perfect launchpad.”
“I started writing ‘Starstruck’ during the pandemic — mostly because I needed to believe in something beautiful again,” said Malone. “So, my best friend and co-writer, Mary Ann Stratton, and I decided to create something that felt alive and full of hope when the world felt anything but. We’ve both been lifelong Indigo Girls fans, so when Emily Saliers came on board to write the music and lyrics, it felt like the universe saying, ‘Yes, keep going.’ ‘Starstruck’ reminds us that even in the dark, we’re connected — to the stars, to each other and to the next brave thing we try to create.”
“Nearly forty years ago, my best friend Beth Malone and I shared a tiny apartment where the Indigo Girls played on repeat. Now, we are writing a musical with the legendary Emily Saliers, and it feels like gravity has lost its hold — my feet aren’t quite touching the ground,” said Stratton.
“Nothing in our universe stays still — we are always orbiting, crashing into each other, shifting and changing,” said Saliers. “For a songwriter like myself, this is the juiciest of metaphors to explore, and ‘Starstruck’ has given me the universe at my fingertips. I adore this musical and feel honored to be writing the music and lyrics that help bring it to life.”
Group tickets and subscriptions that include “Starstruck” are on sale now. Single tickets will go on sale December 1. For more information, visit BucksCountyPlayhouse.org. For group sales of 10 or more tickets, contact Maurya Joyce Kershner at 267-930-4816.
Previews begin February 20; Opening Night February 28; Limited engagement through March 21
ABOUT BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE
Bucks County Playhouse, steeped in theatrical history dating to its 1939 founding by a roster of theatrical royalty, is celebrating the 13th anniversary of its 2012 reopening and restoration. With more than 75,000 patrons each year, the Playhouse continues to help lead the economic resurgence of New Hope and the surrounding community. In 2014, Tony Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman and Josh Fiedler assumed leadership of the Playhouse, helping it reclaim its reputation for attracting top-tier Broadway and Hollywood talent. Productions of “Company,” starring Justin Guarini, and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” were named to The Wall Street Journal’s Best of Theatre list in 2015. In 2018, the Journal again recognized the Playhouse — and Artistic Associate Hunter Foster — for its acclaimed production of “42nd Street.” The following year, the publication hailed the Playhouse as “one of the best regional theaters on the East Coast.” Box-office records have been repeatedly broken by signature productions including “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” “Steel Magnolias” (directed by Marsha Mason), “Million Dollar Quartet,” “42nd Street” and “Guys and Dolls” (all directed by Foster), as well as “Mamma Mia!” (directed by Artistic Associate John Tartaglia and choreographed by Shannon Lewis). A brief pause during the pandemic did not diminish the theater’s momentum. Bucks County Playhouse continued producing onstage and onscreen throughout 2020, culminating in a live summer season in 2021 that welcomed an increasing number of first-time audience members. The 2023 season featured standouts such as Jonathan Larson’s “Tick, Tick ... Boom!” (directed by Artistic Associate Eric Rosen, who returned in 2024 to helm the audience and critics’ favorite “Anastasia: The Musical”), “The Bridges of Madison County,” directed by Foster, and “The Rocky Horror Show,” starring Frankie Grande. Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” became the highest-grossing show in Playhouse history. In 2024, more than 40% of the audience were first-time attendees, drawn to record-breaking productions of “Grease!” and “Anastasia: The Musical.” The Playhouse continues to attract top creative teams — artists who relish the chance to work on the historic stage where Grace Kelly, Robert Redford and Jessica Walter began their careers.
