THE ARTS ETC
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MEMPHIS
MULTIPLE AWARD WINNER
THRILLING AUDIENCES AT THE BUSHNELL
Book and Lyrics by JOE DiPIETRO
Music and Lyrics by DAVID BRYAN
Music Producer/Music Supervisor
CHRISTOPHER JAHNKE
Choreographer
SERGIO TRUJILLO
Director
CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY
MEMPHIS
REVIEWED BY DONNA BAILEY-THOMPSON
There’s no way “Memphis” could have escaped winning four Tony® awards, four Drama Desk awards, and four Outer Critic Circle awards. The musical excels in all departments – direction, story, music, dance, costumes, set – capped by a stellar cast that performs from the heart.This is an outstanding musical drama, punctuated by beautifully-trained voices, enlivened by high-kicking dancers who shimmy and shake, one minute sexy, the next keyed by their muscles’ memory to dance for the joy of it all.
Contrary to the moods “Memphis” creates combined with the implied authenticity of the narrative, “Memphis” is not based upon a true story but a concept by the late producer, George W. George. However, the life of the exuberant DJ Dewey Phillips suggests the story is based loosely on his life and career. (Please see below.)
Set in the 1950s when segregation was honored in the South, Huey Calhoun (Bryan Fenkart), a loose-as-a-goose white man who loves music so much he follows the sounds of the energetic, passionate singing of a black girl, Felicia (Felicia Boswell) whose voice siren-like entices him to enter an all-black club. The musicians are shocked by white Huey’s visit. Doesn’t he realize that he’s trespassing on the black people’s turf? Nope. Music, not the color of people’s skin, govern Huey’s life. To win acceptance, he demonstrates his own musical ability, a wide, free-ranging black music assault on a jumpin’ beat, the non-stop energy of rhythms that dare anyone to sit still. My toes were seduced and tappin’ like jumpin’ beans.
With Huey’s innate showmanship, everyone’s star rises – especially the dynamic Felicia’s. “Memphis” isn’t coy: of course Felicia and Huey fall in love. Those threatened by the coupling of black and white physically attack the lovers. Everyone, regardless of color, had feared the inevitable confrontation. The ugliness of prejudice is a painful reminder to those who lived through Jim Crow and a shock to those who didn’t.
Based upon the superior quality of national touring shows, I believe it’s safe to declare that the “Memphis” still playing on Broadway (Shubert Theatre) and the road company performing at The Bushnell are interchangeable: the professionalism is that high. Cast notes include this fact: “Bryan Fenkart (Huey) made his Broadway debut in Memphis as the Huey stand-by and is honored to originate the same role on the first national tour.”
There are 21 musical numbers, each one moving the story forward, its arresting quality fostering rapt attention. The choreography is nothing short of explosive.
Everyone in the cast deserves accolades, but other than the romantic leads, the two who come readily to mind are the deeply resonant voice of Quentin Earl Darrington who plays Felicia’s protective brother Delray; and Julie Johnson who plays Huey’s mother, Gladys, who scuttles her starchiness and lets herself be her exultant self and just about stops the show.
The finale plants a seed of hope for the happiness of Huey and Felicia. When the curtain calls stopped, the audience roared and jumped to its feet. The terrific Memphis band resumed playing while the theater emptied and the performance became a knock-out memory.
(Click image to play video)
Memphis disc jockey, the late Dewey Phillips -- also known as “Daddy-O-Dewey”is thought by many musical historians to be the person most responsible for integrating American radio from 1948 to 1958. His struggle to integrate American music and popular culture in the City of Memphis was the inspiration for the Tony Award-winning musical, MEMPHIS.
By showcasing both black and white musicians, he was instrumental in integrating musical tastes and promoting wider acceptance of black artists, allowing in turn rockabilly and rock n’ roll to emerge as national trends. By 1954, his shows were popular throughout the mid-South among both white and black audiences.
During the years of his “Red Hot and Blue” broadcasts on WHBQ, he had the Number One Show with a biracial teen audience. His disc jockey style used on this program was that of the now stereotypical character of the hyperactive, fast-talking, crazy-acting disc jockey.
Dewey would rule the Memphis airwaves for ten years until he was fired by WHBQ in 1958 for refusing to go along with the station’s new Top 40 format. He moved from one small station to the next for the last ten years of his life. Phillips died in 1968 from heart failure at the age of 42.
WHO’S WHO ( THE MEMPHIS TOURING CAST )
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MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical,
the show that’s currently playing to packed houses on Broadway,
opened at The Bushnell on January 10, 2012 for a limited engagement.
David Richardson of WOR Radio calls MEMPHIS "The biggest hit on Broadway" while Charles Isherwood of the New York Times says, "David Bryan evokes the powerhouse funk of James Brown, the hot guitar riffs of Chuck Berry, the smooth harmonies of theTemptations, the silken, bouncy pop of the great girl groups of the period." The New York Post raves "Of such thrills, Broadway is made," Newsday calls the show "A Smash! an extraordinary show," the Daily News promises that MEMPHIS will "Blast you out the door humming and happy" and NY1's Roma Torre cheers, "MEMPHIS ROCKS!"
Performances of MEMPHIS will take place at The Bushnell’s Mortensen Hall from January 10 – 15, 2012. Performance times are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30; Friday at 8:00; Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00; and Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30. Tickets range from$17 - $72, plus applicable fees, and can be purchased by calling The Bushnell box office at 860-987-5900 or by visiting www.bushnell.org. The Bushnell is located at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford.
Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro), Best Book (Joe DiPietro), and Best Orchestrations (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS won four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Montego Glover), Outstanding Music (David Bryan) and Outstanding Orchestration (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS has also won four Outer Critic Circle Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan & Joe DiPietro), Outstanding Actress (Montego Glover) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo).
MEMPHIS takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 50’s, where a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun fell in love with everything he shouldn’t: rock and roll and an electrifying black singer. MEMPHIS is an original story about the cultural revolution that erupted when his vision met her voice, and the music changed forever. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves -- filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock 'n' roll.
The show features a brand new Tony winning score with music by Bon Jovi’s founding member and keyboardist David Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change), who also pens the musical’s book. Bryan and DiPietro also collaborated on the award-winning off-Broadway hit, The Toxic Avenger. MEMPHIS is based on a concept by the late George W. George (producer of the Tony nominated Bedroom Farce and the film My Dinner With Andre), with direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo, who is currently represented by three shows on Broadway (Memphis, Jersey Boys and The Addams Family).
Scenic Design for MEMPHIS is by Tony® Award winner David Gallo (The Drowsy Chaperone, Reasons to Be Pretty), Costume Design is by Tony nominee Paul Tazewell (In The Heights), Lighting Design is by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Jersey Boys) and Sound Design is by Ken Travis (The Threepenny Opera).
The national tour of MEMPHIS is produced by Junkyard Dog Productions, Barbara and Buddy Freitag, and Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff, with Latitude Link, Jim and Susan Blair, Demos Bizar Entertainment, Land Line Productions, Richard Winkler, Alex and Katya Lukianov, David Copley, Dancap Productions, Inc., 2 Guys Productions, Patty Baker, and Dan Frishwasser, in association with Eric and Marsi Gardiner, Linda and Bill Potter, Broadway Across America, Memphis Orpheum Group, Vijay and Sita Vashee, Apples and Oranges Productions, Brian and Betty Dovey, John Yonover and Ron Yonover, Loraine Boyle/Chase Mishkin, Remmel T. Dickinson/Shadowcatcher Entertainment, Jocko Productions/Scott and Kayla Union.
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