Rhett George News

The Kennedy Center presents Memphis in the Opera House from tonight, June 12 to July 1, 2012.

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore MEMPHIS. Back in 2011, I had the opportunity to see the show on Broadway and I met the fantastical Chad Kimball. Later that year, I went to see the Direct from Broadway showings at my local movie theater (yes, I went 3 times). You could say I'm a bit obsessed. Now here I am, a year later at the first National Tour cast's party in my hometown of Buffalo, NY.

"Everyone want[ed] to be black" on Tuesday Night at the Ohio Theatre as MEMPHIS came to town and literally tore down the house. From its onset, MEMPHIS was clearly a liberating celebration in every sense of the word. Its jumping and jiving, soulful, high energy rock-n-roll, powerful singing, and endearing story take you on a nonstop whirlwind from start to finish.

The Kennedy Center presents Memphis in the Opera House from June 12 to July 1, 2012.

While it may look through its world through "rose colored glasses", MEMPHIS celebrates a time when race music was beginning to catch on with a white, mostly teenaged audience. It's a crackling, amusing, and fast-paced show (book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, music and lyrics by David Bryan) that takes you on a musical journey through the eyes of young Huey, a wannabe DJ, who gets his wish, and may get his girl, if they can survive the glare of the fifties, when mixing of the races was against the law. Does this all sound heavy? Well it's not, not by a long shot. Instead, it's a bouncy and bluesy production that's easy to take and listen to. It's currently playing the Fox Theatre (through May 13, 2012), and there's a reason this show is so successful, it's just edgy enough to appeal to the jaded, and it lightens the tone of this historical racist behavior just enough to succeed with the masses.

The birth of rock 'n' roll would seem to be too broad a topic to be covered in the short span of a Broadway musical, but Memphis has found a way to successfully tell one aspect of that story with a compelling plot and memorable music.

Hockadoo! The 2010 Tony winning Best Musical MEMPHIS will continue to blow the roof off of theatres across the country into the 2012 -2013 season. The season will kick off on September 11th in Portland, OR at the Keller Auditorium, and a return engagement is scheduled in the city where it all began - Memphis, TN at the Orpheum Theatre. On Wednesday, March 14th MEMPHIS celebrated its' 1,000th performance on Broadway where it continues to bring audiences to their feet on a daily basis.

Lee Summers' Just A Piano Concert Series celebrates its' sixth year at the Triad Theatre. Since 2006 The Just A Piano Series has presented top artists. The list includes Broadway Stars, such as Roz Ryan, Norm Lewis, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Tituss Burgess, Alton White, Chester Gregory, Shoshana Beane, Julie Reiber, Jerry Dixon, Kevin Anthony, Aisha DaHaas, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Rhett George, Marva Hicks along with Tony Award Winners like Adriane Lenox, LaChanz, Melba Moore and Lillias White, Grammy Winners and Nominees such as Caron Wheeler and Ryan Shaw, guest TV and Film stars such as Mario Cantone and more. Featured pianists include Shelton Becton, Brian Whitted, Zane Mark, Timothy Graphenreed, Michael Mitchell, Jo Lynn Burks, Ray Leslee, Onaje Allen Gumbs and many more! Guest directors have included Tamara Tunie, Leonard Joseph, Leslie Dockery and more!

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical will be presented by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts for two weeks, through March 25, as part of the Ordway's 2011-2012 Theater Season.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical will be presented by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts for two weeks, March 13-25, as part of the Ordway's 2011-2012 Theater Season.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical will be presented by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts for two weeks, March 13-25, as part of the Ordway's 2011-2012 Theater Season.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, and the show that's currently blowing the roof off Broadway, opened to rave reviews and is coming to Heinz Hall from December 27, 2011 to January 1, 2012.

Memphis opened in Toronto this past Wednesday at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Hometown boy Sergio Trujillo came up from the Great White Way to celebrate with Dancap President Aubrey Dan and the Tony Award from when the show won Best Musical in 2010. BWW was on hand to bring you photos of the production and all the fun after!

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, and the show that's currently blowing the roof off Broadway, opened to rave reviews and is coming to the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines on Tuesday, April 24 to Sunday, April 24 for eight performances only as part of the Willis Broadway Series.

Memphis, the musical, is a lot like Memphis, the city: You either love it or you hate it. But if you let its sincerely heartfelt story and evocatively written music wend its way into your heart, you'll find your soul. With the national touring company now ensconced at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday, it's easy to see why Memphis won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical, its spirit is infectious, its music glorious and its cast - what a stunning ensemble they are! - nothing short of wondrous.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, and the show that's currently blowing the roof off Broadway, opened to rave reviews and is coming to Heinz Hall from December 27, 2011 to January 1, 2012.

The national touring production of MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, kicked off on October 16, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre in - where else - Memphis, TN, where it played through October 23. The company is now in Houston, where is plays through the weekend, and will next head to Tulsa from November 1 through November 6). Production shots have just been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a first look below!

The national touring production of MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, kicked off on October 16, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN (203 South Main Street) where it will play through October 23. Check out highlights from the tour below!

The national touring production of MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, will kick off on October 16, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN (203 South Main Street) where it will play through October 23.