The Alexandra, Birmingham – until 7 March 2020
Reviewed by Joanne Hodge
5*****
I was born almost exactly 20 years after the ‘Day the Music Died’, but due to my parents’ love of his music, I grew up surrounded by the sounds of Buddy Holly.
This 30th anniversary tour of Buddy – the Buddy Holly story – is a nostalgic extravaganza, and try as I might, I could not find fault with it in any way.
From the authentic-sounding 50’s radio playing as we waited for curtain-up, to the final rip-roaring riffs of his guitar, this was a two hour journey through time, taking us back through the spectacular soundtrack of the bespectacled boy from Lubbock, Texas.
As we approached the end of the show, I’d began to hope that somehow history had been wrongly recorded, his fate would be changed, and we would have been graced with many, many more years of his music!
Director Matt Salisbury and Musical Director Dean Elliott deliver us an absolutely flawless edition of Alan Jones’s work. The whole ensemble are superbly cast, each astounding with both their acting and musical talent – I was genuinely in awe.
AJ Jenks is an outstanding Buddy – the boy with the big glasses and ideas to match. His natural charisma shines from the stage, and I’d say that what he can’t do with a guitar, or his voice, isn’t worth knowing about.
Other notable performances for me came from Joshua Barton as The Big Bopper and Ben Pryer as Ritchie Valens. Their time on stage may be shorter than others, but bore no less impact. I feel I was likely drawn to them as you know as you’re watching what is to come, which leaves each joyous note or raucous hip-roll with a tinge of sadness.
I genuinely did not want the show to end, and could watch again and again, a feeling I believe was likely shared by the rest of the audience who were singing and dancing in the aisles long before the curtain call.