BUDDY Extends at Florida Rep

Florida Repertory Theatre's production of "Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story" is now extended to April 24th in the Historic Arcade Theatre. "Buddy" opened to critical acclaim on March 18th, and has been breaking box office records and garnering praise from critics and audiences alike.

Florida Weekly's Nancy Stetson raved, calling it "one of the most perfect musical productions," saying the show is "fresh...exciting and inciting."

Of the cast of instrumentalists, Elizabeth James of BroadwayWorld.com gave high praise, "this is a phenomenal, talented, fun cast...each have shining moments...I was thoroughly impressed how each cast member played multiple instruments!"

Dave Elias of NBC-2 also raved about the ensemble's work, and singled out Michael Perrie's performance of Buddy as "outstanding...not only does he look like him with the signature thick rimmed glasses, but his vocals are astounding."

Tickets for "Buddy" start at $69/$65 and are available online at www.FloridaRep.org and through the box office at 239-332-4488. Audiences are encouraged to book early because ticket prices increase with demand, and tickets for the show are selling fast.

"Seeing audiences dance in the aisles to this music is incredibly rewarding" said Florida Rep's Artistic Director, Greg Longenhagen. "We've all been through so much since 2020, and it does my heart good to see full houses every night and to see so many happy people dancing out of the theatre every night with smiles on their faces. We chose to produce 'Buddy' for just this reason, we all needed an escape and we needed to celebrate being able to gather again. We're so humbled by the rave reviews and the kind words from our audiences over this production, and we're pleased to be able to extend the run so more of you can experience the joy!"

Sixty years ago, a young man with thick, black glasses changed the face of popular music. "The Buddy Holly Story," tells the story of the three years when Buddy became the world's top recording artist and a musical legend! The musical follows Buddy's meteoric rise from country star to a pioneer of early rock 'n' roll. In just a few short years in the 1950s, Buddy's music revolutionized the industry, this musical takes audiences along for the ride - with all of Buddy's hits along the way like "Everyday," "Peggy Sue," "That'll Be the Day," and so many more.

The ensemble cast of actor-musicians plays multiple roles, and each is making their Florida Rep debut - though many cast members are "Buddy" veterans. Led by Michael Perrie, Jr. as Buddy Holly, the cast includes Noah Berry, Matt Cusack, Armando Gutierrez, Merritt David Janes, Samantha Sayah, Veronica Stern, and Garrick Vaughan.

Ensemble-member and Associate Artistic Director, Jason Parrish ("Let's Fall in Love"), directs the production and is joined by an expert creative team including musical director Matt Cusack (Broadway's "One Man, Two Guvnors"), choreographer Amy Marie McCleary (resident director/choreographer at Broadway Palm), scenic designer Bert Scott ("A Doll's House, Part 2"), costume designer Stefanie Genda ("Million Dollar Quartet"), Lighting designer Julie Duro ("Million Dollar Quartet"), sound designer Adam Trummel ("Driving Miss Daisy"), stage manager Ruth Kramer ("Alabaster"), and assistant stage manager Sarah Goshman (Florida Rep debut).

"Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" is generously sponsored by Ellie Fox.

"Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" plays in the Historic Arcade Theatre through April 24th. Performances are Tuesday - Saturday at 7 PM, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 PM. There are no performances April 15 - 17, and the best availability for tickets is after April 13.

Florida Rep's parking lot opens 2 hours before each performance and offers guests FREE PARKING across the street from the Arcade Theatre.

Florida Repertory Theatre is committed to the safety of its patrons, volunteers, staff, and artists. Until further notice, Florida Rep is operating with enhanced health and safety measures, and current protocols are outlined at the theatre's website by clicking this link: https://www.floridarep.org/buy-tickets/protocols-for-safety

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