Review: Town Hall's MEMPHIS Hits You Right in the Soul

The tiny space that is the stage at Littleton's Town Hall Arts Center isn't the first place I'd expect to squeeze in a show like Tony-Winning Memphis, it nearly blows the roof of the place--although that's what makes their production so delightfully immersive and electric.

Set throughout the 1950s, Memphis follows the tumultuous rise of black music on the airwaves and the cultural speed bumps slowing it down. When white disc jockey Huey Calhoon (Carter Edward Smith) meets Felicia Farrell (Krisangela Washington), a black singer who performs at her brother Delray's bar on Beale Street, Huey takes it upon himself to boost Felicia's career in an act of love, sending the two on journeys through the entertainment industry.

Despite the formulaic plot, it's one of those refreshing musicals that really isn't based on any prior works. With music and lyrics by David Bryan of Bon Jovi and and book by Joe DiPietro (recognizable for penning I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), it's got an exciting and driving score, and the story is clever enough to keep the show moving nicely. 

There's a bit of a white savior plot I feel like culturally we've been evolving away from since the musical's 2009 Broadway debut; however, it plays okay as a midcentury plot device.  Loosely based on real-life Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips, Huey's desire to spread black music across the airwaves lends itself less toward exploitation and more about introducing his favorite jams to a wider (see also: whiter) audience, propelling it into popular culture. 

Smith plays Huey familiarly to how I've seen the character before, with a strange southern twangy accent the show can't help but joke about. He embodies him wholeheartedly though, making the accent less gimmicky and showing his heart's in the right place, albeit a complicated one. As Felicia, Washington is in a perfect place to showcase her spectacular vocals. A recording artist in her real professional life as well, Washington provides Felicia with an authentically polished sound. She plays her with a kind relatability, humble and with a fierce determination. 

Other standouts include P-Jay Adams's explosive Act 1 finale vocals as Gator, who's silent until that point; a wonderfully layered performance from Jozeph Mykaels as Felicia's brother Delray; excellent vocals from Joseph Sanford IV as Bobby; and a showstopping number from Abby Apple Boes, who plays Huey's unwavering mother Gladys. 

Co-Directed by Mykai Eastman and Billie McBride, Memphis has a solid flow of energy that pulsates in each number. Choreography also by Eastman is a thrill, including some pretty impressive features from the cast. Music director Trent Hines leads a rousing live, onstage band, which I always love experiencing at Town Hall's intimate space.

The show is nonstop energy featuring a dynamic cast of performers, bringing one of the newer Broadway classics to the level it needs to be played. 

Memphis plays Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton through June 17.

Photos by RDG Photography

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