Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story

Infobox Musical
name= Buddy
The Buddy Holly Story


caption= Original Cast Recording
music= Songs recorded by Buddy Holly
lyrics=
book= Alan Janes
Rob Bettinson
basis=
productions= 1989 West End
1990 Broadway
2007 West End Revival

"Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story" is a jukebox musical in two acts with a book co-written by Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson, and music and lyrics by a variety of songwriters. Based on the life and career of early rock and roller Buddy Holly, the musical hews closer to Holly's actual life story than the 1978 film version. One of the first so-called "jukebox musicals," the show consists mostly of the songs of Holly and other early rockers.

The musical was conceived by Londoner Laurie Mansfield, who pitched the idea to film producer Greg Smith in 1988. Paul Elliot, a West End producer took on the project, and support from Paul McCartney (who owned the copyrights to Holly's music and objected to inaccuracies in the movie) insured the show's creation. [ [http://www.vergemag.com/0900/muse/muse.html From a review of a U.S. tour performance in 2000] ] The musical has enjoyed a 1989 West End production that ran for over 12 years, a successful Broadway production and numerous subsequent tours and productions around the world.

Productions

;Early productionsThe West End production, with Paul Hipp as Holly and directed by Rob Bettinson, opened on October 12 1989, at the Victoria Palace Theatre, where it remained for six years before transferring to the Strand Theatre. [ [http://www.thisistheatre.com/shows/victoriapalace97.html This is Theatre.com] ] It ran for another six years and five months for a total of more than 5,000 performances, making it one of the longest-running musicals in London history. Later in the run, Chip Esten played Holly.

Two London cast albums were released, an original cast recording in 1989, and a live recording made during a performance at the Strand Theatre in 1995. Both were released on the First Night label. [See [http://www.castalbumdb.com/rec.cfm?RNumber=129 this] and [http://www.castalbumdb.com/rec.cfm?RNumber=3464 this] information from Castalbumdb.com] .

After a Toronto tryout and fifteen previews, the Broadway production, also directed by Bettinson and starring Hipp, opened on November 4 1990, at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 225 performances. Jill Hennessey played a number of roles, including Holly's wife Maria Elena.

;Subsequent productionsThe show has also toured extensively, and productions have been mounted in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Finland, Ireland, Japan, and Singapore. [ [http://www.buddythemusical.com/globetrotting-world-tours.htm From official site's tours page] ] A 27-city U.S. tour was mounted in 2000, and tours were mounted in the UK in both 2006 and 2007. [ [http://www.thisistheatre.com/regional/buddy-the-musical.html From This is Theatre website] ]

A U.S. West Coast production, directed by Stephen Moorer and starring Travis Poelle, opened on June 6 2003, at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel, California, moving to San Jose on August 13, playing at the San Jose Stage. The success of the production led to a revival, beginning on June 8 2004, at the Post St. Theatre in San Francisco, garnering positive reviews [ [http://www.aislesay.com/SF-BUDDY.html Review from Aisle Say] ] and Bay Area Critics' awards for Best Musical, Best Ensemble, and Best Actor in a Musical (Travis Poelle). [ [http://www.theatrebayarea.org/programs/bacc2004.jsp;jsessionid=1610B7046F4A65EFB6BCAD32B801C11C?hi=1 Information about the Bay Area Critics' awards] ] Maria Elena Holly attended the show at each location, dancing onstage with the cast at curtain call. [ [http://www.shoestring.org/mmi_revs/buddythebuddyh-hc-141339581.html Review from shoestring.org] ] This production later returned to Carmel for several runs, most recently in 2008.

The West End London revival opened on August 3 2007, at The Duchess Theatre where it continues to run. This version, directed again by Rob Bettinson, is scaled down from its previous incarnations, and the role of Buddy Holly has been equally shared by Dean Elliott and Matthew Wycliffe, who played the role in the 2007 UK touring company [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/107777.html From Playbill.com news] ] . Richie Valens is played by Puerto Rican actor Miguel Angel, and J.P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper) is played by actor Lee Ormsby.

Characters

*Buddy Holly
*Hipockets Duncan
*Joe B. Mauldin
*Jerry Allison
*Norman Petty
*Vi Petty
*Tommy Allsup, the fourth Cricket
*Maria Elena Santiago
*The Big Bopper
*Ritchie Valens
*Dion DiMucci
*Shirley, Peggy Sue, Mary Lou Sokoloff, Maria Elena's aunt, Clearlake MC, Decca producer, Candy, Murray Deutch, Jack Daw, performers at the Apollo, DJs, sound engineers, session musicians, Hayriders, etc.

ynopsis

;Act IIn Lubbock, Texas, 19 year old Buddy Holly is an up and coming country music singer. He and his two friends, Joe and Jerry (The Crickets), want to experiment with the new and controversial style of music called rock 'n roll. They struggle for a time in Texas and then in Nashville, where producers want Buddy to record country and western music, ignoring Buddy's pleas to "do it his way". The escalating argument almost results in a fist fight between Buddy and the Decca producer, thus ending Buddy's Decca relationship.

A contract with pioneering record producer Norman Petty results in a string of hits, including the 1957 hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue" (the latter a last-minute change of title from "Cindy Lou" at the behest of the group's drummer). The group then appears at the Apollo Theater in Harlem (where theater musicians and audience are mistakenly expecting a black group), resulting in The Crickets being the first white group to perform there, where they are enthusiastically received.

;Act IIFollowing these successes, The Crickets begin to record in New York City, where Buddy meets and impulsively marries Puerto Rican record publisher receptionist Maria Elena Santiago.

After a break-up with the Crickets, Buddy starts a solo career, leading to his being signed as one of the headliners on the 1959 "Winter Dance Party." Fed up with the terrible Midwestern weather and tired of traveling by tour bus, 22-year-old Holly breaks a promise to his pregnant wife not to fly. Following a February 2 1959 concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, he and two other stars, the Big Bopper and young Ritchie Valens (a last minute replacement for another musician), depart on a small plane during a blizzard, a fateful decision that places them in musical history books in an unexpected and tragic way.

ong list

;Act I
*Texas Rose (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury)
*Flower of My Heart (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury)
*Ready Teddy (Music and Lyrics By Robert Blackwell and John Marascolo)
*That'll Be the Day (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, and Buddy Holly)
*Everyday (Music and Lyrics By Charles Hardin (Buddy Holly) and Norman Petty)
*Sweet Love (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury and Caren Cole)
*You Send Me (Music and Lyrics By Sam Cooke)
*Not Fade Away (Music and Lyrics By Charles Hardin and Norman Petty)
*Peggy Sue (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, and Buddy Holly)
*Words of Love (Music and Lyrics by Buddy Holly)
*Oh, Boy! (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bill Tilghman);Act II
*Think It Over (Music and Lyrics By Jerry Allison, Norman Petty, and Buddy Holly)
*True Love Ways (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Buddy Holly)
*Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Music and Lyrics By Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy)
*Chantilly Lace (Music and Lyrics By J. P. Richardson)
*Maybe Baby (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Buddy Holly)
*Peggy Sue Got Married (Music and Lyrics by Buddy Holly)
*Heartbeat (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bob Montgomery)
*La Bamba (Traditional, Adapted by Ritchie Valens)
*Raining in My Heart (Music and Lyrics By Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant)
*It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Music and Lyrics By Paul Anka)
*Rave On (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bill Tilghman)
*Johnny B. Goode (Music and Lyrics By Chuck Berry)

Awards and nominations

London production
*Laurence Olivier Award for Musical of the Year (nominee)
*Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical (Hipp, nominee)Broadway production
*Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Hipp, nominee)
*Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Hipp, nominee)
*Theatre World Award (Hipp, winner)

References

* [http://www.vergemag.com/0900/muse/muse.html Detailed plot summary and information about the genesis of the show]
* [http://www.buddythemusical.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.stage-door.org/reviews/princ97.htm Review of a Toronto production]

External links

* [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4619 Internet Broadway Database listing]
* [http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/10.16.03/buddy-0342.html Interview with Maria Elena Holly]