BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Opens at the History Theatre 10/3

History Theatre Partners with McNally Smith College of Music to produce BUDDY - THE Buddy Holly STORY, a show that is part biography, part rock 'n' roll concert which follows the bespectacled musician on this meteoric rise from a rebellious country singer to a rock 'n' roll icon and pioneer in the 1950s, ending with the unforgettable concert with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper in Clear Lake, Iowa - the day the music died.

Buddy Holly (a.k.a. Charles Hardin Holley) was not only extremely talented, but relentless in his pursuit of his music. In a time when rock 'n' roll was demonized by many Buddy stood his ground and hung on to his principles. In doing so, he rose to the top of the charts in less than two years! Buddy Holly's brief life has become the stuff of legend. With BUDDY - THE Buddy Holly STORY, writers Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson have created a celebration of that legend which catches the unique mixture of innocence, determination, humor, and charm that epitomized the emergence of rock 'n' roll into the American mainstream during the 1950s.

History Theatre is thrilled to open its 32nd season with a first-ever artistic collaboration with McNally Smith College of Music and the St. Paul Conservatory of Performing Artists (SPCPA). This rock 'n' roll musical provides the perfect opportunity for artists and students from all three organizations to explore the origins of the music and dance that we know and love today while celebrating the contributions of a remarkably talented artist who started to change the way America listened to music when he was only 20 years old.

By pooling the strengths of these three dynamic St. Paul arts organizations History Theatre will tell a story about an iconic American figure, McNally Smith students will channel their study of contemporary music and the recording industry into a unique performance experience, and students in the dance and musical theater programs at SPCPA will bring the energy and youth of Buddy's fans onto the stage while getting to work alongside professional artists in both the theatre and music industries.

BUDDY - THE Buddy Holly STORY was originally produced at the Plymouth Theatre Royal, directed by Rob Bettinson who co-wrote the show with Alan Janes. The show has enjoyed enormous success in London (where it ran for 18 years on the West End) and around the world. The production on History Theatre's stage is a first-ever artistic collaboration between History Theatre and McNally Smith College of Music featuring artists and performers, professionals and students from both organizations.

BUDDY is directed by Ron Peluso with music direction from Gary Rue, choreographed by Jan Puffer, with scenic design by Justin Hooper and Ron Peluso, costume design by Lynn Farrington, lighting design by Chris Johnson, sound and video design by Mike Pledl, and properties design by Crystal Schneider. Starring Nicholas Freeman as Buddy Holly; Josh Bourdon and Zach Spicer as The Crickets; Charles Fraser and Brittany Parker as Norman and Vi Petty; Nora Montanez as Maria Elena Holly; and featuring James Fairchild as The Big Bopper and Allen Malicsi as Ritchie Valens. The cast also includes Alyssa Divigili, Lynnea Monique Doublette, Munyaradzi Tirivepi, Brandon Petron, Ben Barna, Shana Berg, John Ensrud, David Hopkins-Hile, Shelby Alden, Shane Larson, Dominic Running, Ryan Spencer, and Camile Trocke-Fowler.

For more information, visit www.historytheatre.com

 

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