Holly goes lightly: The Big Bopper (James Turano) and Buddy Holly (Josh Solomon) headline their last concert in Clear Lake, Iowa, in Village Players Theatre’s production of Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story.
Photo courtesy of Village Players Theatre
Despite Buddy Holly’s tragic early death at age 22 in a 1959 plane crash, there is nothing maudlin or melancholy about Village Players’ lively, energizing production that celebrates the short but influential life of this rock ‘n’ roll innovator. “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” by Alan James and Rob Bettinson, skillfully directed by Janet Louer, is a whole lot of fun. No matter what your age, if you’re looking for a show that’s a genuine good time that will get your toes tapping, don’t miss this engaging musical bio. There’s never a dull moment.
The songs are so infectious. They range from such late ’50s Buddy Holly tunes as “Peggy Sue,” “Everyday,” and “That’ll Be the Day,” as well as some of the best-remembered hits of legendary stars Ritchie Valens (“La Bamba”) and The Big Bopper (“Chantilly Lace”). Last Saturday night the preview crowd couldn’t resist singing along during many numbers. There was much lively audience participation.
One big factor making this wonderful show so exciting is that the music is always up close and powerful. There’s no piano or combo hidden behind a flat. Rock performers are right on stage, giving their all in the classic rock ‘n’ roll manner. The music, which is the heart of the show, is all performed live, which pays off brilliantly, capturing the raw vibrancy and improvisational quality of the early rock era.
In the title role, Josh Solomon gives a dynamic, likable performance. He throws himself into each song, playing excellent guitar with utter abandon. If memory serves from my junior high years, Holly wore pompadoured curls. But otherwise Solomon really provides an inspired impersonation of that skinny, ambitious kid from Lubbock, Texas-from his geeky, horn-rimmed glasses to his stubborn self-confidence that would never allow him to take no for an answer. There was no way Buddy Holly would be just another country singer.
Holly was a talented, no-nonsense performer who concerned himself with every aspect of his career, including his music arranging and record production.
Buddy Holly’s two musical sidekicks, The Crickets, were essentially a pair of garage band musicians who are strongly played by Daniel J. Rosenthal and Riley Thomas. These three became a trailblazing group, one of the first to write their own material as they burst on the scene with a whole new sound in the late ’50s.
Maria D. Ramirez is quite touching as Maria Elena Santiago, a Latino receptionist Buddy proposed to on their first dinner date. She’s a sweet young woman who loves her husband, yet they dwell in an intolerant white world. (In reality, Ms. Santiago miscarried Holly’s baby shortly after his fatal plane crash.)
Jim Turano is hilarious as the swaggering Big Bopper. His leopard-print jacket is a hoot. Many of us kids who were addicted to this music on the radio actually thought he was African-American. Early rock blurred traditional racial distinctions.
Scott Gryder is great as Ritchie Valens, whose “swivel-hip” moves made parents nervous. Betty Scott Smith, always a V.P.delight, gives a cute cameo performance as a temp receptionist at a record company.
The large cast creates an impressive ensemble. There are too many strong performances to mention everyone individually. Carl Occhipinti plays a recording impresario who also doubles on the electric guitar during the climactic Iowa concert. Michael Dickson is perfect as Hipockets, a Lubbock, Texas, radio deejay who stuck his neck out for The Crickets. Dan Marco is solid in a variety of roles, from a Decca record producer to a roving reporter.
Alison Harvey is Vi Petty, one of the “go for” girls who worked in early rock recording studios who often ended up providing vital sound back-up and musical implementation when she wasn’t making coffee.
Early rock ‘n’ roll music, which coincided with the opening years of the Civil Rights Movement, often made white parents jittery. So many of the biggest hits were considered “colored” music that adults assumed could “poison minds” and draw good kids into the pits of hell. This conflict is reflected in the play.
The musical recreates two exciting and memorable concerts. The first was The Crickets’ appearance at the Apollo in New York City where they were booked sight unseen, thus becoming the first white act to play the Harlem landmark venue. Initially, Holly and The Crickets got the cold shoulder but then they won over the all-black crowd. Buddy Holly managed to bridge some of the racial divide that marked early rock ‘n’ roll music.
Ericka Aychel’le, Julia Black, Kamaran-Alexis Madison, and Vallea Woodbury are terrific as doo-wop performers at the Apollo. These incredible divas also appear in the big climactic concert number. They’re such a good time!
The second act is basically a condensed reconstruction of Buddy Holly’s last performance in which he and co-rockers Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper took to the stage just before boarding their doomed plane, heading for Fargo, North Dakota, in the middle of a blinding snowstorm.
Don McLean’s 1971 ballad “American Pie” immortalized their Feb. 3, 1959 plane crash as “The Day the Music Died.”
The biographical elements about Holly’s short but influential career are sketchy at best, but the song list is one Holly gem after another, and the entire show is a rousing good time. Mercifully, the evening ends on an upbeat note. With that plane crash, the ending could have been a real downer.
Janet Louer’s playful choreography is fun, though as one of the dinosaurs who well remembers the period I could nit-pick a bit. Such dance steps as “The Swim,” “The Jerk,” and “The Twist” did not burst onto the scene until the ’60s.
Melanie Marr is the musical director. The set is designed by Cornelius Marr and Paul Geiger. Gina Capetta created the 1950s costumes. Carl Turner is stage manager.
The details are all perfect, from the vintage microphones to the swirling taffeta skirts. The down-home accents all seem accurate, too.
