As the subtitle suggests, this musical tells the story of Buddy Holly – or at least the story of his rise to fame, for the show starts while Buddy is looking for a record deal. Naturally it contains all his most famous songs, and given just how well known and loved those songs are, it must be a daunting task to take on the role.
Full disclosure here – I probably would not have gone to see this show if I hadn’t been taking my mother, who really likes Buddy Holly’s music, given that she spent much of her youth listening to it. But along I went, looking forward to an enjoyable afternoon, and I have to say this show delivered enjoyment by the bucketload. Alex Fobbester played Buddy (he alternates performances with Glen Joseph), and he was absolutely fantastic. Like the rest of the cast, Fobbester played his instruments live during the performance and they did full and complete justice to the songs.
The story charts his career, taking in his marriage to Maria Elena, and his fallout with backing band The Crickets.
The second half of the show is given over to a performance of touring show that Holly was doing with The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens when all three were killed in a plane crash in 1959. This gives Thomas Mitchells and Jordan Cunningham playing Big Bopper and Valens respectively the chance to shine, as they perform those singers’ most famous songs – Chantilly Lace (Big Bopper) and La Bamba (Valens) – and they both thrilled the crowd.
The entire audience were up on their feet clapping along by the end of the show, with many of us dancing in the aisles. The standing ovation that the cast received at the end was very well deserved. And me? I am most definitely a Buddy Holly convert, and am in fact sitting typing this with Buddy Holly’s music playing in the background. For a career that last less than two years, this man gave the world of music a precious gift and a lasting influence. Whether you are a Buddy fan or not, I strongly recommend this show.
For anyone who is interested, here is a list of songs that feature in this production:
Rose of Texas
Rip It Up
Changing all those Changes
That’s Be the Day
You’ve Got Love
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Everyday
Shout
Not Fade Away
Peggy Sue
Words of Love
Oh Boy
Listen to Me
Think it Over
Well Alright
True Love Ways
It’s So Easy
Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
Chantilly Lace
Maybe Baby
Peggy Sue Got Married
Heartbeat
La Bamba
Raining In My Heart
It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
Rave On
Johnny B. Goode
Between the Pages 
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