Interview: Keaton Eckhoff of BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY at The King Center

Did you know there are new Broadway tours coming to the space coast? The Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Florida will kick off a new season of touring musicals with BUDDY: THE Buddy Holly STORY on December 6th and 7th. Filling the famous shoes (and glasses) of the iconic Rock and Roll singer who left us too young will be Keaton Eckhoff. I caught up with Keaton to find out more about the show, his career and what it's like singing (and playing) Buddy Holly's groundbreaking music.

BWW: Keaton, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today. We are really looking forward to BUDDY here in Central Florida!

Keaton Eckhoff: Yeah we can't wait, it's always so electric. People are so excited to get back to the theatre. You can really feel it when you're there, it's just awesome

Can you start by telling us a little bit about how you got started in the theatre?

So, I'm very fortunate both my parents actually were in the industry professionally when they were around my age. My dad was a professional singer and my mom was a professional dancer and they met doing what they love and fell in love and the rest is history. Growing up, though, I was never pressured to do anything but I just always felt like my natural inclination was to be more towards music and singing and even dancing. When I was around 15 I decided this is what I wanted to do with my life. And here we are. I'm now getting to do what I love and do what I set out to do at a young age. And every day is a blessing, especially in today's world.

I assume you went to school for theatre somewhere?

I actually went to a couple of places. I went to the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati which actually is a high school that also helps young teenagers and young adults hone their craft before college so that they can get into a good college program with good scholarships and I was able to do just that. I got accepted into Wright State University's program with a scholarship and was able to go pursue it even more after high school, which was wonderful.

BUDDY: THE Buddy Holly STORY should be familiar to but for someone who has been living in a cave or doesn't know the story, how would you describe it?

So this show really runs through the 18 months of Buddy Holly's whole career. It starts out at KDAB and you see Buddy Holly performing on a radio show and then you see him try and navigate his early career and getting his first couple hits and trying to figure out how to break into the music industry. You see him trying to record with Decca records out of Nashville, you see him get to record with Norman Petty and you hear all his songs as he's trying them out for these wonderful people who eventually end up championing his music. After that, you see him perform at the Apollo Theatre which, as we know, back in the day, was typically an all-black performance space. What's really nice about this show is the audience becomes the audience of that time period. BUDDY does a really great job of keeping the audience engaged throughout the entire show. In Act Two you get to see his love life with Maria Elena, you get to see his relationship with The Crickets evolve and you get to see his entire final performance before the dreaded plane crash.

And it is one of the first jukebox musicals I believe. What do you think makes shows like BUDDY so popular?

I think this show works so well because the music just doesn't come out of nowhere. There's always a reason that we're playing a song. It's either we're at a performance or we're at a recording studio. So there's always intention behind the music. You know how some jukebox musicals will just play a song in a spot because they need to fill time or they know the scene needs to have a song? Here there's always a reason for the song being played, which is very believable and which makes sense to the audience. Also, this is a jukebox musical where the actors perform all of the music themselves. Other jukebox musicals don't have actors musicians. You don't get to really see the making of the music, and this show does all of that, so it's it's very entertaining.

So, you play Buddy Holly. Do you find it challenging playing a well-known/real person? How about getting the voice right?

It definitely was a huge undertaking I mean I'm still studying. There's still more to learn. You can't really capture one person's entire life in two hours, but I do pride myself in taking the time to really study his interactions and his vocal inflections. I read a biography about him to get a feel for how he grew up in Lubbock, Texas, and his early youth and what helped shape him into the person that he became. The show doesn't really show the darker side of Buddy but there definitely was a darker side there, and he definitely was prone to drinking, prone to the party scene of those days. It was a rebellious time away from the morals of the previous generation. When I first did a production of BUDDY, I was understudying Buddy so that was a great time for me to learn the role and learn the songs - to get my inflections down and get the mechanics of the role down. Once I landed the national tour, I started digging into his psyche, into how he talked, how he walked, and the way he would perform.

Have you ever met anyone who knew the real Buddy Holly?

I've met a couple of people along the road this time, who knew Larry, Buddy's brother, and who knew Maria Elena, but I have yet to meet anyone who actually had known Buddy Holly. That would be wonderful, though. I've definitely read a lot about what people said about him.

So, you said you were an understudy before but were you familiar with BUDDY before that first experience? Were you a fan of Buddy Holly's music?

Sadly, I knew nothing about Buddy Holly until one of my friends, when I was working summer stock, told me that I sort of look like Buddy Holly. And he saw me playing my guitar in the lobby, and he said I should learn some of his songs. I sort of brushed it off at that moment and was like - "Yeah, whatever. I'll probably never get the opportunity to do that." But then I had worked for a theater called Fireside Dinner Theatre in Wisconsin and they were doing BUDDY, so I was able to audition for them in New York, and they gave me the opportunity to understudy Buddy so that's when I really got my hands on a lot more of his music. There are still so many songs that he has written that are not represented the show - but there are 18 of his songs in the show and even a couple of Chuck Berry songs that Buddy liked to cover.

What do you look forward to the most before you step out on stage each night?

It varies from show to show. Normally in other shows, where it's not as demanding a role, there will be a scene or feature that I would be looking forward to. But because this role is so hands-on I really just try and keep focusing on each moment because each moment needs to be the most important thing. You have to go into it with a fresh mind each and every night. So, the thing I look forward to the most is trying to keep it fresh and active. That way the audience feels like it's it's the first time.

What's it like being back on stage after so long?

It is so electric. I think everyone has just been so hungry for this and is so excited to see theatre again. We do have a really wonderful show. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform and make some money again doing what we love. Before this, during the pandemic, I was selling furniture. And, while I was good at it and enjoyed helping people, it was not what I went to school for and not what I wanted to do with my life.

What's next for you after BUDDY?

We end this tour on December 7th. They've been talking about maybe doing this again next Fall but they don't know yet. But I do have a contract coming up on January 3 on Norwegian Cruise Lines which is going to be really fun.

So thinking toward the future, do you have a dream role that you would one day like to play?

I have always wanted to play "Guy" from ONCE. I think that would be a wonderful role. But I mean I don't really think of it like that. If I get to do it, sure that's awesome, but my goal as an actor is just to keep working - to just keep doing what I love and to keep bringing joy to other human beings who need it. So that's really my dream role, and I am doing it.

Do you have any advice for young performers looking to make it into professional theatre?

I would definitely recommend taking a lot of dance classes. And, if you can get your hands on an instrument, go for it. I would advise the younger generation to just mark out where they are spending their time each day and figure out if it is leading to what they want to do with their life, to their dream. Also, make sure you start recording yourself to make reels of yourself if you have the opportunity. Record every recital that you do, record every show that you do. Also, just be a kind human being, there's no need to try and backstab anyone or be mean.

Is there anything else you would like readers to know?

Sure. If you are coming to see the show we love to hear from you. You can always reach out at my website. Also, I record my own music, I'm a singer-songwriter as well and have been learning how to produce music throughout the pandemic. I'm planning on releasing some new things within the next year, so keep an eye out for that. All my stuff right now is under Keaton Alexander and is on all streaming services. Finally, thanks again so much for coming to the show and for everything that you're doing to support live theater. It's really amazing.

BUDDY: THE Buddy Holly STORY runs at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, FL December 6th and 7th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at http://kingcenter.com or by phone at 321.242.2219. The King Center is located at 3865 N. Wickham Road in Melbourne, Florida, on the corner of Post Road and Wickham Road.

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