Like most people, I was aware of Buddy Holly and his sad story. Hearing “American Pie” roughly a million times made that inevitable. What I didn’t grasp was how very young, very determined, and very talented he was when he made musical history.
Broadway Palm is offering Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story as its 240th production. As Holly, Hunter Henrickson gives a remarkable performance. With the entire evening built around him, he expends an enormous amount of energy singing and playing. A running gag in the show is that Holly’s mother was always concerned about whether he was getting enough to eat. Henrickson had better make sure to chow down. He must burn thousands of calories in this role.
Besides, Henrickson, the stage pulses with an array of actors who are also more than capable musicians. Kyle Wels Lahr and Robert Brandon are the original Crickets with Jack Supan a later addition. Lahr’s real life wife Miranda Simonne Lipes plays a mean piano. And trumpet. Gotta love that.
Another revelation to me was Holly and The Crickets’ performance at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York City. The sarcastic welcome of Ruthgena Faraco, Gregory Holmes, and Maya Senecharles to this invasion of these very white boys into their domain was fun to watch.
If I had one teeny, tiny bone to pick, it would be with the mini dance numbers during set changes. The dancing was enjoyable but, at least to me, not always germane to the era in which the show was set. I’m guessing choreographer Natalie Hershman is a mere baby who wasn’t around to see these dances in real time as some of us (cough, cough) in the audience were.
I was really hoping the show wouldn’t end on a downer. I needn’t have worried. By the end of the evening, most of the audience was on its feet, “bop”ping along with the cast. If ever there were a feel good musical, this is it.
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story runs through February 15, 2025. For tickets, call 239.278.4422.
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