REVIEW: 'Buddy' at Toby's Columbia

Something very interesting is happening onstage at Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, which recently opened at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia.  Unfortunately, it isn’t the story, the direction, or the star of the show.  No, what is interesting is that the supporting characters are far more interesting than the other things.

I think it problematic (and a symptom of the problems with this production) that Joe B. Maulin, Jerry Allison and a studio artist known only as “the 4^th Cricket” (played by Jose Antonio Ramos, Evan Shyer/> and Luke Smith, respectively) are more interesting to watch than Buddy Holly himself (played by Matthew Schleigh).  Even more odd is that the one time Mr. Schleigh really lets go and seems to be embodying the late, great Holly is during the extensive concert sequence which ends the show, when he is performing a song Buddy Holly is not famous for, “Johnny B. Goode.”  Other interesting moments are provided by the MC at the Apollo (Ray Hatch), the Big Bopper (co-director Shawn Kettering) and Ritchie Valens (Jeffrey Glen Hitaffer).

This oft told tale (at least two movies, not to mention the film La Bamba, and the song, “American Pie”) by design offers no real surprises.  You know going in that Buddy was too young to die, had too short a career, and was a brilliant, if misunderstood, musician.  The world lost a great pioneer that fateful night in Iowa.  But the majority of the problem with this show is that the book (by Alan Janes and Rob Bettison) is, well, dull.  Perhaps they didn’t have much to work with – an 18-month career couldn’t hold that much drama.  But it says a lot about the story when the chief conflicts center around Holly’s mother’s concern that he isn’t eating, a 5-hour romance leading to a marriage which leads to (gasp!) conflict in the group, and various recording issues – surprise, surprise! - Buddy wants to play rock ‘n roll, but his country label isn’t happy.  Good for Buddy Holly that he was such a straight arrow - he didn’t drink, cussed minimally, was a decent husband and a driven artist.  Bad for us that he was boring in life, at least as portrayed in the script.  And since we know how it ended, the element of surprise is gone, but then again so is the heart.  Without that, we don’t really care.  I mean, yes, it was a tragedy, but as it played out in front of us, the announcement of his death left me flat.  Not moved to tears, no mild thoughts of “damn, what a loss.”  Nothing.

Now, one can blame the lack of heart with the book for only so much of the trouble.  The very nature of the story is surprisingly untheatrical, and the staging by Mr. Kettering and Toby Orenstein, does nothing to change that.  To be fair, I can think of no other way it could have been done, either.  Extended (and I mean EXTENDED) scenes in a recording studio, a radio studio and yes, even a rock concert, really don’t leave much room for creative staging.  After all, when you record, you stand still, when you are on the radio, you sit still, and even at a concert, you either onstage playing or in the audience watching.  Still, one of the hallmarks of Toby’s has long been taking seemingly impossible-to-stage-in-the-round shows and doing them brilliantly – A Chorus Line and Sunday in the Park with George by their very nature required a certain static, set staging, and they were still re-done at Toby’s to brilliant effect.  Here, nothing moves.  It shouldn’t, realistically, but boy, do the minutes creep by when there is no drama AND no movement.  Another hallmark of Toby’s staging has also been the magnificent and heretofore unnoticeable movement/staging so that the whole audience can see.  With Buddy, the staging sticks out like a sore thumb.  For the same reason that extended scenes in a recording studio are dull to watch – no movement – it is bizarre to watch Mr. Schleigh consciously walk around the microphone so we can all see him croon “Everyday,” for example.

The real Buddy Holly died long before I was even born, but I have seen many tapes of his performances.  Yes, he was geeky, and desperately plain.  To hear him talk is a snooze, but when he picked up a guitar and sang, you knew music was in his soul.  The heart and emotion exuded from his every pore and even his eyes, concealed behind those famous glasses.  Mr. Schleigh does everything technically right.  His accent is consistent, he knows all the words, can play all the songs on guitar, and knows all of his blocking.  Perhaps having to do it all – play the music, know the lines, and imitate a legend – is a little much to ask any performer, and he does a decent job.  But at least as far as the opening night performance, he is technically good, not great, and barely passable, emotionally.  I suspect that a few weeks from now, when the show becomes so much a part of him that he can simply relax and let it flow, Mr. Schleigh will be pretty darned good.  I hope so, because the kid obviously has a lot of talent – knowing Toby and her crew, if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be there at all.  The closest he comes to the Buddy I think he could be is when he finally lets loose on “Johnny B. Goode.”  I have to confess, I am not entirely sure Buddy Holly actually did that song, but I am pretty certain Buddy Holly would never have gotten so into it that he’d roll around the floor.  I could be entirely wrong.  But even if I am, and he really did, it is so incongruent with the rest of the performance in this production, it bears mentioning.

There are a few standout moments and performances in this Buddy.  Even though they are required to stand still (they play drums and string bass), the two original Crickets, played by Jose Antonio Ramos and Evan Shyer/> exude youthful charm, energy and a palpable sense of love for music the real men must have had.  Shyer and Ramos are so interesting to watch they even at times unconsciously upstage their leader.  And when the 4^th Cricket, played by Luke Smith comes in, he joins the other two with equal gusto.  When the Crickets break away from Buddy Holly, it is a loss, not only in life, but in this production.  Another brief breath of life comes in the form of the MC at the Apollo, who does a mean James Brown/>-like performance in “Good Times” and “Party”.  Normally, I’d say he was overacting or scenery chewing, but Ray Hatch’s performance brings everyone onstage up a few notches, so any histrionics are forgiven.  And in the final scenes at the Winter Dance Party, the standouts are the Big Bopper (Shawn Kettering) and Ritchie Valens (Jeffrey Glen Hitaffer), whose renditions of “Chantilly Lace” and “La Bamba” go beyond mere imitation.  Both numbers are actually staged in an interesting way and both actors appear to love what they are doing.  Mr. Kettering might do better to stick to performing, rather than directing.  Had the rest of the show as much zest as his own number, the show would be a must-see hit.  As it stands (literally and figuratively) his production of Buddy leaves much to be desired – it alternates between mildly interesting and downright boring.

One actor who has no musical moments, but does a very good job, even with predictable, pedestrian dialogue – Darren McDonnell as record exec Norman Petty, who gets Buddy started on his now famous career.  McDonnell infuses some moments of genuine acting and dramatic tension, and makes even the most banal lines believable.  The other interesting non-singing role of Maria Elena, Buddy Holly’s wife doesn’t fair as well.  As played by Virginia Cavaliere, Maria Elena starts off as a stereotypical Hispanic and ends up being a testy Yoko Ono/> wannabe.  Her forced, overly-thick accent and mannerisms have taken the portrayal of Hispanics back a few steps, sadly, and Maria Elger as her aunt, Miss Santiago, seems to be channeling Anita in West Side Story – one would not have been surprised to hear Elger launch into “A Boy Like That.”  Both are just inches away from being offensive.

Perhaps with some shows under their belts, the cast will relax and have a little fun.  The great moments will be greater and the decent moments will be great, I’m sure.  And Mr. Schleigh, as Buddy Holly, will, I’m sure, improve.  You got the part, kid, now DO SOMETHING WITH IT!

Ticket prices, including a dinner buffet, and performance times vary.  Go to www.tobysdinnertheatre.com or call 410-730-8311 for more information and to make reservations.

PHOTO by Chris Christiansen: TOP: Matthew Schleigh as Buddy Holly, and BOTTOM (L to R) Shawn Kettering as the Big Bopper, Matthew Schleigh as Buddy Holly and Jeffrey Glen Hitaffer as Ritchie Valens in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.

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