Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story

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Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a jukebox musical with a book by Alan Janes and music and lyrics by a variety of songwriters.

Based on the life and career of early rock and roller Buddy Holly, it traces his life's trajectory, beginning as a country music singer in Texas with The Crickets, who eventually sign a contract with innovative record producer Norman Petty, the hit song, recording “That'll Be the Day”. With success, the Crickets start to record in New York City, where Buddy meets and impulsively marries Puerto Rican record publisher receptionist Maria Elena Santiago. The ambitious Buddy leaves the Crickets to his start a solo career, leading to the 1959 Midwestern tour, "Winter Dance Party". Fed up with the weather conditions and traveling by bus, Holly makes a fateful decision following a February 3, 1959 concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, breaks his promise to his pregnant wife not to fly, as he and two other headliners, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper (a last minute replacement for Waylon Jennings), board a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza heading for Moorhead during a blizzard and crash into musical history books in an unexpected and tragic way.

The West End production, with Paul Hipp as Holly directed by Rob Bettinson, opened on October 12, 1989 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, where it remained for six years before transferring to the Strand [1]. It ran for another six years and five months for a total of more than 5,000 performances, making it one of the longest-running musicals in history.

Two London cast albums were released, an original cast recording in 1989, and a live recording made during a performance at the Strand Theatre in 1995. Both were released on the First Night label.

After fifteen previews, the Broadway production, again directed by Bettinson and starring Hipp, opened on November 4, 1990 at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 225 performances. Jill Hennessey played a number of roles, including Holly's wife Maria Elena.

[edit] Song list

Act I

Texas Rose (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury)
Flower of My Heart (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury)
Ready Teddy (Music and Lyrics By Robert Blackwell and John Marascolo)
That's All Right (Music and Lyrics By Arthur Crudup)
That'll Be the Day (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, and Buddy Holly)
Blue Days, Black Nights (Music and Lyrics By Ben Hall)
Changing All These Changes (Music and Lyrics By J. Denny)
Peggy Sue (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, and Buddy Holly)
(I'm) Looking for Someone to Love (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Buddy Holly)
Mailman Bring Me No More Blues (Music and Lyrics By Ruth Roberts)
Maybe Baby (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Buddy Holly)
Everyday (Music and Lyrics By Charles Hardin and Norman Petty)
Sweet Love (Music and Lyrics By Paul Jury and Caren Cole)
You Send Me (Music and Lyrics By Sam Cooke)
Not Fade Away (Music and Lyrics By Charles Hardin and Norman Petty)
Words of Love (Music and Lyrics by Buddy Holly)
Oh Boy (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bill Tilghman)

Act II

Listen to Me (Music and Lyrics By Charles Hardin and Norman Petty)
Well All Right (Music and Lyrics By Jerry Allison, Norman Petty, Joe Maudlin, and Buddy Holly)
It's So Easy to Fall in Love (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty, and Buddy Holly)
Think It Over (Music and Lyrics By Jerry Allison, Norman Petty, and Buddy Holly)
True Love Ways (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Buddy Holly)
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Music and Lyrics By Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy)
Chantilly Lace (Music and Lyrics By J. P. Richardson)
Peggy Sue Got Married (Music and Lyrics by Buddy Holly)
Heartbeat (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bob Montgomery)
La Bamba (Traditional, Adapted by Richie Valens)
Raining in My Heart (Music and Lyrics By Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant)
It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Music and Lyrics By Paul Anka)
Rave On (Music and Lyrics By Norman Petty and Bill Tilghman)
Johnny B. Goode (Music and Lyrics By Chuck Berry)

[edit] Awards and nominations

London production

Laurence Olivier Award for Musical of the Year (nominee)
Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical (Hipp, nominee)

Broadway production