Emily Saliers relishes being in ‘a whole new arena’ with ‘Starstruck’

“This is so incredibly different than getting a tour or an album ready,” she said by phone. “But I love the challenge.”

Credit: Photo courtesy of Bucks County Playhouse

Credit: Photo courtesy of Bucks County Playhouse

Saliers, who along with Ray make up the Atlanta-based Indigo Girls, said the show is “definitely a long way from what people might expect of my usual songwriting, but I think in many ways it’s really a natural progression of it. It has elements of everything I’ve done — presented in a whole new way.”

Produced by the Bucks County Playhouse with Josh Fiedler and Kevin Ryan, the show at the 425-capacity playhouse is directed and choreographed by Broadway veteran Lorin Latarro.

As if “Starstruck” doesn’t boast enough of its own star power, three award-winning icons — including comedian-actor Tig Notaro, writer-producer-philanthropist Glennon Doyle and Olympic gold medal soccer player Abby Wambach — have joined the creative team as executive producers.

“It’s great that they’ve joined in support of this project, and I must say I think it’s a labor of love for all of us, everyone involved,” Saliers said. “And yes, it’s certainly a lot of labor, but that’s the nature of musical theater. It’s a true collaborative effort in a whole new arena for me. So it’s just exciting on a new level.

“Doing this show has given me a new appreciation for anyone working in theater, especially regional. You don’t get paid a lot, and you’re in there from 10 to 6 or longer, practicing, blocking and learning music, so it’s all about the love of doing it.”

Featuring songs by Saliers and book by Tony Award nominee Beth Malone and Mary Ann Stratton, “Starstruck” is a timely take on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac tale.

Set in Idaho, the new narrative follows “Cyd DeBerg” as she attempts to create the first International Dark Sky Reserve in the United States. Her efforts gain national attention as well as the interest of journalist Roxanne Cooley.

Being traditional musical theater, an improbable love triangle quickly ensues.

“Well, of course,” Saliers said with a laugh. “But that makes it interesting — and it’s good for songs.”

Credit: Photo courtesy of Bucks Country Playhouse

Credit: Photo courtesy of Bucks Country Playhouse

She said the show was conceived during the pandemic in 2020. “Beth and Mary Ann had this really cool story idea. They called to see if I’d be interested in doing the music for it. Well, I said yes — immediately. It’s a really updated take on the Cyrano legend, and this one has its own storyline and its own flair. My job was to provide the music that carries the plot.”

Saliers’ storied musical history and extensive catalog directly influenced writers Stratton and Malone.

“I had been an Indigo Girls fan for my entire life,” said Stratton. “I met Emily at a function, and later I called her with the idea for the show. The minute she said yes, I knew we really had something. ‘Starstruck’ literally came to life because of her involvement. She’s a genius, and she has an incredible fan base, so I knew we both had to write something that would be worthy of her music.”

Credit: Joan Marcus

Credit: Joan Marcus

While it took shape, Stratton and Malone held a few readings and stripped-down presentations as interest increased. “It all just grew so fast,” Saliers continued. “It seemed like it wasn’t long until the Bucks County Playhouse was involved and a full-blown production was planned. Little steps became bigger steps, and now here we are.

“It’s been a lot of fun just getting to this stage. It’s a long, slow climb. The average show can take eight to 10 years to go from concept to pinnacle, which is Broadway. I’m just excited to contribute something hopefully interesting to the process.”

Saliers’ contribution is a unique set of original songs, a mix of familiar and new music that advance the plot. But “Starstruck” is not a standard, jukebox-style musical.

“Beth and Mary Ann had some of my catalog songs in mind,” Saliers said. “(At first) we used some existing material that Amy and I had recorded on Indigo Girls records. But I thought it was much more interesting to write some new music that really fit the specific situations.”

She added that more than half the show’s compositions are new and written (and often rewritten) especially for the show’s characters, in a striking contrast to her working process with the poetic symbolism of Indigo Girls collections.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Bucks Country Playhouse

Credit: Photo courtesy of Bucks Country Playhouse

“Some songs might work in the moment for this show, and then, as the story changes during rewrites, the music has to change along with it,” she said. “It could change in the moment, on any day. That’s a completely different way of working than I was used to with Amy. We write our songs, bring them to the table and then we make an album. This is a completely different process, and I absolutely love it.”

The new technique presents some unusual challenges. “It’s like, ‘OK, where do we use songs that have already been written and not make them feel sort of shoehorned into the story?’” Saliers said. “Because the story needs to stand on its own. My usual approach to songwriting didn’t always match the character, so Beth and Mary Ann were a great help with the type of language they wanted to convey.

“These songs serve the show,” she added. “But they can stand alone as individual pieces of music. There has to be a lot of open-mindedness about what works and what doesn’t in a situation like this one. It’s a highly collaborative sort of thing. You must leave any ego or singular artistic statement at the door to really make it work. I’m totally energized by the entire process, and I’m learning so much for my songwriting toolbox for whatever comes next.”

It’s a direction Saliers had been wanting to explore for “quite some time,” she said. “I had been wanting to write for film and television, and I love musical theater.”

Several years ago, Saliers and singer-songwriter-actress Jennifer Nettles collaborated on a set of material intended for a live theater event. “That was probably when I realized I really loved writing for the stage. I think those songs that Jennifer and I wrote will eventually be heard. But right now, I’m just focused on this show.”  

For her hometown fans, Saliers hints that an Atlanta-area showcase of “Starstruck” songs and vignettes could happen at some point. Until that is on the books, Saliers offered a bit of advice for her metro, national and even international fans:

“Why not make a little road trip from wherever you are to Bucks County, Pennsylvania? It’s beautiful here, and the communal spirit is incredible. I’m hoping you’ll make the trek if you can!”

Lee Valentine Smith is an Atlanta-born artist, writer and musician. A regular contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, his work has been syndicated internationally. He has appeared at Music Midtown, on CBS Radio and on Air America. He also served as art director, consultant and archivist for projects with ’80s hitmakers the Go-Go’s.

Credit: ArtsATL

Credit: ArtsATL

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