Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story is as much a biography of rock-and-roll music as of its titular hero. At Florida Studio Theater the spectacular rise of both comes to vivid new life via an impressive cast of actors-musicians. Director Jason Cannon has wisely guided them not to imitate the characters they play but to interpret their artistic and emotional effects.
Michael Perrie Jr. excels in portraying guitarist-singer Buddy Holly as one who follows his convictions of what his music should be. He gives a good example to his group members from the moments they commit themselves to rock, though sponsors or managers want Buddy and band to do popular — especially Country — music. To Buddy’s credit, he remains stubborn in his resolve to develop the music that contemporary audiences want. He’s also never racist, evidenced by his marriage to Latina Maria Elena (lovely Monica Rodrigues) and work with Latino Richie Valens (sexy, acrobatic Armando Gutierrez) and for African American audiences and performers.
A major section of Buddy deals with Buddy and group’s appearance at the all-black New York Apollo Theater, having been mistakenly booked as The Crickets. But when performers (including Apollo regulars) and audiences enthusiastically mesh, the name becomes permanent. Rock and Roll also becomes Buddy's and their repertoire, when they are catapulted to fame.
Before Holly’s set at the Apollo, its audience (and FST’s) is treated to some of its leading Black performers. Marlene (FST’s always-popular, powerful Jannie Jones) and the flamboyant Tyrone (exuberant Troy Valjean Rucker) star. “Blue Days, Black Nights” precedes “Rock Around with Ollie Bee” with a lot of clapping and spirited exclamations by Marlene.
In Act II, Buddy Holly and The Crickets (Richie with Seth Eliser as energetic drummer Jerry A and Spiff Wiegand’s big bass Joe B.) are set to perform at a major patriotic event. (In their rise to Fame they have picked up Jimmy Lewis’s incredibly animated promoter and Big Bopper as well as Danielle Erin Rhodes’s creative pianist.) In contrast to the spirit of the group’s “True Love Ways”, on comes a thoroughly prejudiced gal (Rhodes doubling) to start the event by slanting “America the Beautiful.” Her costume tells all, as does all of designer Susan Angermann’s variety of dress, especially sparkling performance attire.
When Buddy and The Crickets get back to normal, they perform such well known hits as “Chantilly Lace” and “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Gutierrez as Richie makes his impassioned “La Bamba” almost a musical play in itself.
The Buddy Holly Story has an upbeat musical ending with “Raining in My Heart” and “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.” Luckily, Ryan Hallsaver, who’s played a manager and been a competent narrator throughout, de-emphasizes Buddy’s tragic death by recalling how well he did after a difficult beginning. What stands out is how he was admirable both personally and for his contribution to music.
The period set features an upstage platform backed by metal circles on polls surrounding the instrumental space, from which the musicians often move to perform downstage. Buddy delivers all of his songs from the downstage edge of the proscenium, where we can see his stylistic strumming and facial expressions behind his microphone. Most everyone’s dramatic or motion-enhanced performance is also close to the audience.
Like costuming, the enhancing light scheme by Ben Rawson couldn’t be more colorful (or just normal when needed for such activity or somber moments). Sound is, though, sometimes more loudly miked than might be expected — a minor quibble. No argument, however, about the probability future audiences will show such appreciation of the show as did the opening night one by generous sing-alongs, standing-dance ending, and applause.
