‘Buddy Holly Story’ a smash hit for Musical Theatre West
Trent Mills as the Big Bopper, Riddle as Holly, and Ali Márquez-Qadiri as Ritchie Valens. (Photo courtesy Musical Theatre West)
LONG BEACH — “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” is the latest smash hit musical by Musical Theatre West (MTW) presented at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. Final performances are this weekend, July 25-27.
MTW is the only theatre in the Los Angeles area completely devoted to musical theatre. It is firmly rooted in the community. This is the best musical I have seen all year.
Credited as first the first jukebox musical when it premiered 30 years ago, it is an enduring legacy to the boy from Lubbock, Texas, who left country music to create an enduring legacy as one of the pioneers of early rock and roll.
“The Buddy Holly Story” is based on the life of the 22-year-old-man with an 18-month career that was brought to a tragic end in a plane crash in 1959, along with his fellow performers the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. Don McLean called it “The Day That Music Died.” Here we have the real story: the music never died.
At the time, few recording artists were writing their own songs, and not only was Buddy Holly doing this, he was taking the rock and roll music he was hearing and blending it with other influences.
Paul McCartney, who owns the rights to Holly’s music, said, “John and I began to write because Buddy Holly was writing his own songs. It was like, ‘Wow.’”
John Lennon said: “And he wore glasses,” something Holly insisted on.
Kieth Richards said of Holly: “He was one of the first people to write, produce, and perform his own songs. A real trailblazer.”
And a teenage Bob Dylan, who wanted to be a member of Little Richard’s band, saw him just days before his death in Duluth, Minnesota.
“He was everything I wasn't and wanted to be," he said.
In 1998, while accepting a Grammy for "Album of the Year" for Time Out of Mind, Dylan recounted a deep kinship seeing Holly perform in Duluth. He stated, "I just have some sort of feeling that he was — I don't know how or why — but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way."
Keith Andrews directs and choreographs the actors who perform the music live with the energy and movement of a rock and roll concert. The music direction by Ryan O’Connel along with the scenic design by Kevin Clowes, costumes by Greer Gardner, and lighting by Paul Black heighten that effect.
Nothing can compare to the intimacy of a live onstage band and the musicianship of the central trio: Buddy Holly and The Crickets, with William Riddle as Buddy Holly; Omar D. Brancato as Joe B. Maudlin; and Laura Leo Kelly as Jerry Allison. They are stunning as the heartbeat of this production. They are supported by an equally impressive ensemble cast of actor musicians doubling up on roles. Kudos to everyone.
“This cast is truly something special,” said Paul Garman, Executive Director/Producer of Musical Theatre West. “From seasoned performers to thrilling newcomers, every single member of this ensemble brings authenticity, passion, and a love for this music. They don’t just play the roles—they live them.”
Cast highlights include:
David Kirk Grant as Highpockets Duncan.
Janaya Mahhealani Jones as Marlena Madison brings the house down as she performs the Isley Brothers “Shout” at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. This is right before the Apollo’s first white performers, Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The trio have been inadvertently booked because they sounded like a black group. At first the audience was shocked. But the Buddy Holly Trio won the Apollo Theatre audience over with their high energy, talent, and their version of “Bo Diddley.” One of the first examples of breaking the racial barriers in music.
Joining her in bringing down the house is Justin Marriel Boyd as Tyrone Powell on trumpet, high stepping with perfect comic timing totally cracking the audience up.
The second act takes place on the final solo tour performance at Clear Lake, Iowa. Joining Holly onstage in their double trouble knockout performances are Trent Mills as the Big Bopper and Ali Márquez-Quairi as the 17-year-old Ritchie Valens. Valens flips a coin to win a seat on the ill-fated plane ride.
At MTW’s performance was Downey resident Sharon Hutchinson who at intermission recalled seeing a 15-year-old Ritchie Valens perform at her high school.
Song highlights include: Reddy Teddy; That’ll Be The Day; Shout; Not Fade Away; Peggy Sue; Words of Love; Oh, Boy!; Think It Over; True Love Ways; Chantllly Lace; La Bamba; and Johnny B. Goode.
During his short career, Buddy Holly is often regarded as the artist who defined the traditional rock and roll line up of two guitars, bass, and drums.
Run – don’t walk – to the final performances of “The Buddy Holly Story.” Tickets start at $20 and are available by phone at (562) 856-1999 or online as musical.org. Student rush tickets are $15 at the box office one hour before showtime with a valid student ID.