BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Comes to Houston, 2/6-7

Travel back in time when the musical Buddy -- The Buddy Holly Story comes to the Jones Hall stage for three performances, presented by Society for the Performing Arts. Performances will be at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6; and 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7.

Before The Beatles, The Beach Boys or The Rolling Stones ever played a note, rock 'n' roll was forever changed by Buddy Holly, a 19-year-old kid from Lubbock, Texas. For a few short years, Buddy Holly set the music world on fire, breaking the mold for musicians who followed.

Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story tells the true story of his meteoric rise to fame from that moment in 1957 when "That'll Be The Day" hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years later. Armed with a Fender Stratocaster guitar, his signature specs and a charismatic blend of rockabilly swagger, Buddy explodes onto the stage singing the hits that made him famous including "Peggy Sue," "Not Fade Away," "It's So Easy To Fall In Love," "Oh Boy!" and more! Other familiar tunes featured in this production include "That'll Be The Day," "Shout," "Chantilly Lace," "La Bamba" and "Why Do Fools."

This musical opened on London's West End in 1989 and continued on to Broadway before touring the world since the early 2000s. The cast features Todd Meredith as Buddy Holly - his 17th production portraying the same character; Mike Brennan as the Big Bopper; and Eddie Maldonado as Ritchie Valens.

Tickets start at $28 and can be purchased online at www.spahouston.org, by phone at 713-227-4772 or at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615 Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. For groups of 15 or more call 713-632-8113.

About Society for the Performing Arts - Founded in 1966, Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) is the largest independent non-profit presenting organization in the Southwest. Since its inception, SPA has sponsored more than 1,000 performances of the world's finest music, dance and theater events, in adherence to the belief that the arts are fundamental to the overall enrichment and quality of life within the community. In addition to presenting artists, SPA seeks to provide a variety of learning experiences for adults and children through master classes, lectures and special student performances, as well as build relationships between the performing arts and other interests within the greater Houston area and throughout the state of Texas.

Pictured: Lee Ormsby as The Big Bopper; Dean Elliott as Buddy Holly and Miguel Angel as Ritchie Valens. Photo by Johan Persson.