MEMPHIS Celebrates 500th Performance On Broadway 12/29

MEMPHIS, winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, celebrates its 500th performance on Wednesday, December 29th at 2pm at the Shubert Theatre. Tony winning book writer Joe DiPietro will be live tweeting from the performance to give fans an inside look into MEMPHIS from his point of view. Follow Joe DiPietro @MemphisBroadway on Twitter to get the inside scoop.

MEMPHIS features a Tony-winning score with music by Bon Jovi's founding member/keyboardist David Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), who also pens the musical's Tony-winning book. MEMPHIS is based on a concept by the late George W. George (producer of the Tony nominated Bedroom Farce and the film My Dinner With Andre), with direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys).

MEMPHIS takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 50's, a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun (Chad Kimball) fell in love with everything he shouldn't: rock and roll and an electrifying black singer (Montego Glover). MEMPHIS is an original story about the cultural revolution that erupted when his vision met her voice, and the music changed forever.

MEMPHIS, the show that's currently blowing the roof off Broadway, stars Tony nominee Chad Kimball (Huey) and Tony Nominee Montego Glover (Felicia) with Derrick Baskin (Gator), J. Bernard Calloway (Delray), James Monroe Iglehart (Bobby), Michael McGrath (Mr. Simmons), and Cass Morgan (Mama) opened on October 19, 2009 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 W. 44th Street). Previews began on September 23rd.

Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro), Best Book (Joe DiPietro), and Best Orchestrations (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS won four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Montego Glover), Outstanding Music (David Bryan) and Outstanding Orchestration (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS has also won four Outer Critic Circle Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan & Joe DiPietro), Outstanding Actress (Montego Glover) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo).

David Richardson of WOR Radio calls MEMPHIS "The biggest hit on Broadway" while Charles Isherwood of the New York Times says, ""David Bryan evokes the powerhouse funk of James Brown, the hot guitar riffs of Chuck Berry, the smooth harmonies of The Temptations, the silken, bouncy pop of the great girl groups of the period." The New York Post raves "Of such thrills, Broadway is made," Newsday calls the show "A smash! An extraordinary show," the Daily News promises that MEMPHIS will "Blast you out the door humming and happy" and NY1's Roma Torre cheers, "MEMPHIS ROCKS!"

MEMPHIS will launch a U. S. national tour in Memphis, TN, beginning in October, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre (203 South Main Street). Additional cities, dates and casting will be announced at a later date. The national tour will be booked by The Booking Group, contact MerEdith Blair (212) 869-9280 www.thebookinggroup.com.

Tickets for MEMPHIS range from $41.50 to $131.50 (including a $1.50 facility fee). The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday - Saturday evenings at 8pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm, and Sundays at 3pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.Telecharge.com, call 212.239.6200 or visit the Shubert Theatre Box Office (225 West 44th Street).