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Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story

Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story

Overview
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a jukebox musical
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...

 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 roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States after World War II in the late 1940s, from a combination of the rhythms of the blues, from the African American culture, and from America's country music and gospel music scenes...

er Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

, the musical hews closer to Holly's actual life story than the 1978 film version
The Buddy Holly Story
The Buddy Holly Story is a 1978 biographical film which tells the life story of rock musician Buddy Holly. It stars Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, Conrad Janis, William Jordan, and Maria Richwine, who played Maria Elena Holly....

. 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
Greg Smith
Gregory Smith may refer to:*Greg Smith *Greg Smith *Gregory Smith *Greg Lloyd Smith , internet entrepreneur...

 in 1988.
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Encyclopedia
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a jukebox musical
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...

 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 roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States after World War II in the late 1940s, from a combination of the rhythms of the blues, from the African American culture, and from America's country music and gospel music scenes...

er Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

, the musical hews closer to Holly's actual life story than the 1978 film version
The Buddy Holly Story
The Buddy Holly Story is a 1978 biographical film which tells the life story of rock musician Buddy Holly. It stars Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, Conrad Janis, William Jordan, and Maria Richwine, who played Maria Elena Holly....

. 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
Greg Smith
Gregory Smith may refer to:*Greg Smith *Greg Smith *Gregory Smith *Greg Lloyd Smith , internet entrepreneur...

 in 1988. Paul Elliot, a West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world...

 producer took on the project, and support from Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE , is an English singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record and film producer, painter, and animal rights and peace activist. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings, McCartney is the most successful songwriter in the history of popular music...

 (who owned the copyrights to Holly's music and objected to inaccuracies in the movie) insured the show's creation. 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 productions
The West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world...

 production, with Paul Hipp
Paul Hipp
Paul Hipp is an American actor, singer, songwriter and filmmaker, He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He left Pennsylvania for New York City immediately after high school...

 as Holly and directed by Rob Bettinson, opened on 12 October 1989, at the Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Palace Theatre
The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station.-Origins:The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, a small hotel and tavern built in 1832 at what was then 522 Stockbridge...

, where it remained for six years before transferring to the Strand Theatre
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...

. It ran for another six years and five months for a total of more than 5,000 performances until 3 March 2002, making it one of the longest-running musicals in London history. Later in the run, Chip Esten
Chip Esten
Charles "Chip" Esten is an American actor and singer known for his appearances on the improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.-Early life:...

 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..

After a Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...

 tryout and fifteen previews, the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...

 production, also directed by Bettinson and starring Hipp, opened on November 4, 1990, at the Shubert Theatre
Shubert Theatre (Broadway)
The Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 225 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States.Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts, it was named after Sam S. Shubert, the second oldest of the three brothers of the theatrical producing family...

, where it ran for 225 performances. Jill Hennessey played a number of roles, including Holly's wife Maria Elena
Maria Elena Holly
María Elena Holly* is the widow of the late rock and roll singer Buddy Holly. She owns the rights to his name, image, trademarks, and other intellectual property.-Early years:...

.

Subsequent productions
The show has also toured extensively, and productions have been mounted in Chicago, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...

, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...

, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Finland, Ireland, Japan, and Singapore. A 27-city U.S. tour was mounted in 2000, and tours were mounted in the UK in both 2006 and 2007.

A U.S. West Coast production, directed by Stephen Moorer
Stephen Moorer
Stephen Moorer is a stage actor, director and producer based on the Central California Coast. He founded the only year-round professional theatre in Monterey County, GroveMont Theatre in 1982, renaming the non-profit organization Pacific Repertory Theatre in 1994, when the group acquired the...

 and starring Travis Poelle, opened on June 6, 2003, at the Golden Bough Playhouse
Pacific Repertory Theatre
Pacific Repertory Theatre, a non-profit producer of theatrical productions and events, including the annual Carmel Shake-speare Festival, is the only professional theatre in Carmel, California and Monterey County...

 in Carmel
Carmel
-Geography:Israel*Mount Carmel, coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea**Mount Carmel , places named after Mount Carmel*French Carmel, neighborhood in Haifa...

, California
California
California is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...

, moving to San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose or San José is the third-largest city in California and the tenth-largest in the United States. The county seat of Santa Clara County, it is located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region commonly referred to as Silicon Valley...

 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 and Bay Area Critics' awards for Best Musical, Best Ensemble, and Best Actor in a Musical (Travis Poelle). Maria Elena Holly
Maria Elena Holly
María Elena Holly* is the widow of the late rock and roll singer Buddy Holly. She owns the rights to his name, image, trademarks, and other intellectual property.-Early years:...

 attended the show at each location, dancing onstage with the cast at curtain call. 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
Duchess Theatre
The Duchess Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, London, located in Catherine Street, near Aldwych.The theatre opened on 25 November, 1929 and is one of the smallest 'proscenium arched' West End theatres. It has 479 seats on two levels....

 where it ran until 7 February 2009 ensuring that the 50th Anniversary of Holly's death was honoured on 3 February with a special performance incorporating several new numbers for that one night. This version, directed again by Rob Bettinson, is scaled down from its previous incarnations, and the role of Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

 has been equally shared by Dean Elliott and Matthew Wycliffe, who played the role in the 2007 UK touring company. Richie Valens is played by Puerto Rican actor Miguel Angel, and J. P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. , called JP by his friends but commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star. He is best known for his recording of "Chantilly Lace"...

) is played by actor Lee Ormsby.
The 50th Anniversary Tour is currently playing across the UK with Glen Joseph and Oliver Seymour-Marsh as Buddy.

Characters



  • Buddy Holly
    Buddy Holly
    Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

  • Hipockets Duncan
  • Joe B. Mauldin
    Joe B. Mauldin
    Joe Benson Mauldin, Jr. is ranked among the top rock bassists and became a recording engineer at Gold Star Studios, the legendary Los Angeles studio that became the hit factory for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and other major 1960's rock performers.Mauldin was the bassist in the group The Crickets,...

  • Jerry Allison
    Jerry Allison
    Jerry Allison is an American musician, best known for being the drummer for The Crickets...

  • Norman Petty
    Norman Petty
    Norman Petty was an American musician, songwriter, and pioneer record producer of the Southwest who helped shape modern popular music, including pop and rock....

  • Vi Petty
  • Tommy Allsup
    Tommy Allsup
    Tommy Allsup is an American musician.Allsup began his career in music in 1949 as a guitarist with the Oklahoma Swingbillies. In 1958, recording at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico, he was asked to work with Buddy Holly. Allsup agreed, and played with Waylon Jennings, who played bass...

    , the fourth Cricket

  • Maria Elena Santiago
    Maria Elena Holly
    María Elena Holly* is the widow of the late rock and roll singer Buddy Holly. She owns the rights to his name, image, trademarks, and other intellectual property.-Early years:...

  • The Big Bopper
    The Big Bopper
    Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. , called JP by his friends but commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star. He is best known for his recording of "Chantilly Lace"...

  • Ritchie Valens
    Ritchie Valens
    Richard Steven "Ritchie" Valenzuela , better known by the stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist....

  • Dion DiMucci
    Dion DiMucci
    Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter who blended elements of doo-wop, pop, rock and R&B styles.-Early years:Dion was born to an Italian-American family in the Bronx...

  • 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.


Synopsis



Act I
In Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is an American city in the state of Texas. Located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, it is the county seat of Lubbock County, and the home of Texas Tech University. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 199,564,...

, 19 year old Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

 is an up and coming country music
Country music
Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...

 singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist...

. He and his two friends, Joe and Jerry (The Crickets
The Crickets
The Crickets are a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s.Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day," released in 1957....

), 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
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state...

, 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
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades...

 relationship.

A contract with pioneering record producer Norman Petty
Norman Petty
Norman Petty was an American musician, songwriter, and pioneer record producer of the Southwest who helped shape modern popular music, including pop and rock....

 results in a string of hits, including the 1957 hits "That'll Be the Day
That'll Be the Day
"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison and recorded by various artists including The Crickets, The Beatles and Linda Ronstadt. Although Norman Petty was given a co-writing credit on it, he was not actually involved in the composition, but only in the production of...

" and "Peggy Sue
Peggy Sue
"Peggy Sue" is a rock and roll song written by Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty, and originally performed, recorded and released as a single by Buddy Holly and the Crickets in early July of 1957. The song was also released on Buddy Holly's self-titled 1958 album...

" (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
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with African-American performers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the home of Showtime at the Apollo, a...

 in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African-American residential, cultural, and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.Harlem has been defined by a series...

 (where theater musicians and audience are mistakenly expecting a black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...

 group), resulting in The Crickets being the first white group to perform there, where they are enthusiastically received.

Act II
Following these successes, The Crickets begin to record in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...

, where Buddy meets and impulsively marries Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...

 record publisher receptionist Maria Elena Santiago
Maria Elena Holly
María Elena Holly* is the widow of the late rock and roll singer Buddy Holly. She owns the rights to his name, image, trademarks, and other intellectual property.-Early years:...

.

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
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four geographic regions within the United States of America that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau....

 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
Surf Ballroom
The Surf Ballroom is a Historic Rock and Roll Landmark at 460 North Shore Drive, Clear Lake, Iowa on the northeast shore of a lake of the same name....

 in Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,161 at the 2000 census. The city is named for the large lake on which it is located. It is the home of a number of marinas, state parks and tourism-related businesses. Clear Lake is also a major stop on Interstate...

, he and two other stars, the Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. , called JP by his friends but commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star. He is best known for his recording of "Chantilly Lace"...

 and young Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Richard Steven "Ritchie" Valenzuela , better known by the stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist....

 (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.

Song list


Act I
  • Rose of Texas (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury)
  • Flower of My Heart (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury)
  • Ready Teddy (Original Show)(Music and Lyrics By Robert Blackwell and John Marascolo)
  • Rip It Up (West End Revival)
  • That'll Be the Day
    That'll Be the Day
    "That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison and recorded by various artists including The Crickets, The Beatles and Linda Ronstadt. Although Norman Petty was given a co-writing credit on it, he was not actually involved in the composition, but only in the production of...

     (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty
    Norman Petty
    Norman Petty was an American musician, songwriter, and pioneer record producer of the Southwest who helped shape modern popular music, including pop and rock....

    , Jerry Allison, and Buddy Holly)
  • Brown Eyed Handsome Man
  • 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
    You Send Me
    "You Send Me" is a 1957 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song was his first secular single released through Keen Records, an imprint of RCA Victor Records. His first non-gospel single, "Lovable," was released earlier that year under a pseudonym...

     (Music and Lyrics By Sam Cooke
    Sam Cooke
    Samuel "Sam" Cook was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music....

    )
  • Not Fade Away
    Not Fade Away (song)
    "Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and first recorded by Holly's band The Crickets in Clovis, New Mexico, in May 1957. The song's rhythm pattern is one of the classic examples of the Bo Diddley beat; Crickets drummer Jerry Allison pounded out the beat on a cardboard...

     (Music and Lyrics By Charles Hardin and Norman Petty)
  • Peggy Sue
    Peggy Sue
    "Peggy Sue" is a rock and roll song written by Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty, and originally performed, recorded and released as a single by Buddy Holly and the Crickets in early July of 1957. The song was also released on Buddy Holly's self-titled 1958 album...

     (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, and Buddy Holly)
  • Words of Love (Music and Lyrics by Buddy Holly)
  • Oh, Boy!
    Oh, Boy! (song)
    "Oh Boy!" is a song originally performed by Buddy Holly's band The Crickets. It was written by Sonny West and Bill Tilghman; the band's manager Norman Petty added his name as co-composer. The song was recorded June 29 - July 1, 1957 at Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, with Holly singing lead...

     (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)
  • Star Spangled Banner
  • Why Do Fools Fall in Love
    Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)
    "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart,...

     (Music and Lyrics By Frankie Lymon
    Frankie Lymon
    Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an African American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was comprised of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...

     and Morris Levy
    Morris Levy
    Morris Levy was an American music industry executive, who is best known as the owner of the record label Roulette Records...

    )
  • Chantilly Lace
    Chantilly Lace (song)
    "Chantilly Lace" is the name of a rock and roll song, written and originally performed by The Big Bopper in 1958.Originally cut for Pappy Daily's D label. Mercury bought the recording and released it in the summer of 1958,...

     (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
    Bob Montgomery (musician)
    Bob Montgomery is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer/publisher.Montgomery was born in Lampasas, Texas. He was a songwriting partner and best friend of Buddy Holly, performing together as the duo "Buddy and Bob" while teenagers in high school...

    )
  • La Bamba
    La Bamba (song)
    "La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a top 40 hit in the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs.-Traditional origins:...

     (Traditional, Adapted by Ritchie Valens)
  • Raining in My Heart
    Raining in My Heart
    "Raining in My Heart" is a popular rock and roll ballad recorded by Buddy Holly with the orchestral backing by Dick Jacobs. The music and lyrics are written by the songwriting team of Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant. It was released as a single on Coral Records in 1959, peaking at #88 on the...

     (Music and Lyrics By Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant)
  • It Doesn't Matter Anymore
    It Doesn't Matter Anymore
    "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" is a pop ballad written by Paul Anka and recorded by Buddy Holly in 1958. The song reached #13 as a posthumous hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in early 1959 shortly after Holly was killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The single was a two-sided hit, backed...

     (Music and Lyrics By Paul Anka
    Paul Anka
    Paul Albert Anka, OC is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1990.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...

    )
  • Rave On! (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bill Tilghman)
  • Johnny B. Goode
    Johnny B. Goode
    "Johnny B. Goode" is a famous 1958 rock and roll song by Chuck Berry. It reached #8 on the Billboard pop chart, and remains one of Berry's best known songs.-Characteristics:...

     (Music and Lyrics By Chuck Berry
    Chuck Berry
    Charles Edward "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.Chuck Berry is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music...

    )
  • Oh, Boy!
    Oh, Boy! (song)
    "Oh Boy!" is a song originally performed by Buddy Holly's band The Crickets. It was written by Sonny West and Bill Tilghman; the band's manager Norman Petty added his name as co-composer. The song was recorded June 29 - July 1, 1957 at Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, with Holly singing lead...

     (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bill Tilghman)


Cast list


UK Tour 2009
  • Buddy Holly - Glen Joseph
  • Buddy Holly - Oliver Seymour-Marsh


West End Revival

  • Buddy Holly - Matthew Wycliffe
  • Buddy Holly - Dean Elliott
  • Joe B Mauldin - Greg Last
  • Jerry Allison - Nick Sayce
  • HiPockets Duncan - Mike Lloyd
  • Norman Petty - Sean Needham
  • Vi Petty - Kerry James
  • Maria Elena - Lucia Rovardi

  • The Big Bopper & Decca Producer - Lee Ormsby
  • Ritchie Valens - Miguel Angel
  • Murray Deutch & Clearlake MC - Gavin Barnes
  • Apollo DJ - Chris Grahamson
  • Mary Lou Sokoloff & Shirley - Wendy Paver
  • Apollo Performer - Hayley Berkley
  • Musician - John Bannister
  • Swing - Joanna Heap


Awards and nominations


London production
  • Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical 1991 (nominee)
  • Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical 1991 (Hipp, nominee)
  • Manchester Evening News
    Manchester Evening News
    The Manchester Evening News is a British daily newspaper published each week day and on Saturdays which is owned by the Guardian Media Group. It is distributed throughout Greater Manchester. It sells 81,326 copies a day and gives away 99,574....

     Best Actor in a Musical and Best Touring Musical (nominees) 1992
  • What's On Stage Theatregoers Awards Best Musical Revival 2008 (nominee)


Broadway production
  • Tony Award
    Tony Award
    The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and...

     for Best Actor in a Musical (Hipp, nominee)
  • Drama Desk Award
    Drama Desk Award
    The Drama Desk Award, presented since 1955, is the only award that recognizes excellence in shows produced in all sectors of New York theatre, including Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway and legitimate not-for-profit theaters. It is widely considered one of the top American theater awards...

     for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Hipp, nominee)
  • Theatre World Award
    Theatre World Award
    The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...

    (Hipp, winner)

External links