MEMPHIS Script 'Tweeked' to Prepare for Cousin Brucie's Cameo Performance

‘Cousin Brucie' Morrow, the legendary radio host, will be making a guest appearance in the Tony award winning musical MEMPHIS from May 3 - 8. While the deejay has indeed been a fixture in the radio industry since the 1950's, it took a little creative maneuvering on the part of the show's writing team to place him as a radio host in Memphis, Tennessee in 1951. In a recent interview with the Record, he explained, "I play the white disc jockey, but they rewrote it so this white disc jockey is Cousin Brucie. Isn't it amazing what poetic license can do?"

Morrow is no stranger to the stage. He has acted in productions of GREASE, BYE BYE BIRDIE and SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ. Yet having the role in MEMPHIS has a special significance for him. As a mainstay on New York radio starting in the 1950's, Morrow witnessed firsthand the bigotry that took place during the golden age of rock and roll. "The people who owned the radio stations didn't think there was an audience, a market, for black music." Morrow told the Record. "They didn't feel that white people wanted to hear black music. But they were so wrong. And that's what MEMPHIS is about".

Cousin Brucie has had the opportunity to be a part of some of rock and roll's greatest moments. In 1965 he had the honor of introducing The Beatles to a stadium full of screaming fans. In 1987, he played a borscht belt magician in the movie "Dirty Dancing". It is no surprise then that when producers approached him about making an appearance in MEMPHIS, he jumped at the opportunity. "They said, ‘Do you want to do it?' and I said, ‘Are you kidding? I'm a big ham. I love to be on stage!'" 

‘Cousin Brucie' Morrow will be making a guest appearance in MEMPHIS from May 3 - 8. For more information, please visit: www.memphisthemusical.com/