Review: Raleigh Little Theatre's MEMPHIS

Loosely based on the life and career of Dewey Phillips, one of the first disc jockeys to have ever played black music on the radio in the 1950's, Memphis tells the story of a white radio DJ who wants to change the world and a black nightclub singer who is ready for her big break.

After having a long journey with four out-of-town tryouts, the musical opened on Broadway on October 19th, 2009. Despite mixed critical reviews as well as the fact that it opened in a season filled with jukebox musicals, Memphis ended up being a hit that went on to win 4 Tony Awards (including Best Musical).

Under the direction of Patrick Torres, the whole cast along with Michael Santangelo's energetic band just brings down the house! Zak Casca nails the character of 'crazy little' Huey Calhoun; Aya Wallace as Felicia Farrell truly is the heart and soul of the show; Juan Isler is perfect casting as Felicia's overprotective older brother Delray; Chase Rivers steals the show as Bobby; and Jade Arnold offers a very compelling performance as the soft-spoken Gator.

This is literally everything you want in any entertainment entity; a great cast; some awesome toe-tapping songs by David Bryan & Joe DiPietro; amazing choreography by LD Burris; a very good sense of humor; and a story that couldn't be more relevant to today's world! You just can't miss this 'FANTASTICAL' production!

This production is currently playing at Raleigh Little Theatre through September 11th. For more information, please visit: http://raleighlittletheatre.org/shows/16-17/memphis.html

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