Last Night at Memphis

Last night I had the great pleasure of attending opening night of Memphis, the Tony Award winning musical that just pulled into town for a five night run at PPAC! 

I arrived early for a special pre-show talk with producer and RI native Sue Frost, and boy am I glad that I did.  Knowing the story behind something always allows me to enjoy it that much more, and Sue’s inspired and relatable story behind the making of Memphis could not have gotten me more excited to see the show. 

Memphis is the first show Frost took on after taking a leap of faith and leaving her longtime role as Associate Producer at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT to start her own production company, Junkyard Dog, in 2006.  For her first independent undertaking, Memphis was a true passion project.  Frost noted, that as a producer, “you have to fall in love with a show, you're going to be spending a lot of time with it,” and it’s clear that she did just that. 

When Frost first saw Memphis, she knew it had a lot of heart, but described the production as “undercooked.”  Met with harsh reviews, the show was deemed dead in the water by critics when Frost decided to pick it up and nuture it into a Broadway hit.  “My role is to create an environment in which creative people do their best work,” said Frost.  So she took on a number of new roles, including large-scale fundraising, to shine Memphis up for the big stage. 

What intrigued me most is the grassroots nature of the campaign that eventually earned Memphis a home at Broadway landmark the Shubert Theater and a 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical.  Frost revealed that 70% of Memphis’ backers are first time Broadway show investors, and it remains a “word of mouth” show, earning each packed house by recommendations rather than big names.  On her decision to keep the original cast when taking the show to Broadway, she said, "we have stars, you just don't know who they are yet."  Not only was she loyal, she was right on the money.

I arrived last night not knowing much other than Memphis was about a young DJ who crossed racial lines in the 1950s by playing the music that would shake rattle and roll it’s way behind a much bigger cultural revolution.  I had never heard the names Bryan Fenkart, Felicia Boswell, or Julie Johnson, and to be quite frank, even with my two years living and working in the arts in New York City, my Broadway knowledge was minimal.  What I do know is music that gets you dancing in your seat, singing that sends chills through every single seat in a packed theater, and writing that gets you laughing, breaks your heart at times, and leaves you inspired at the end of the night.  I fell in love with the whole production last night, and judging by the enormous standing ovation, I wasn’t the only one!

A collaboration of Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan and playwright Joe DiPietro, Memphis sizzled from the very start, set in a smoky blues club with sultry female lead Felicia (played by Felicia Boswell) declaring “There ain't no daytime on Beale Street, only nighttime!” The music emanated with the distinct Southern soul that keeps Memphis and Nashville on every music lovers’ list of must visit destinations.  There was clap your hands gospel, bear your heart blues, and of course, a healthy dose of hip-twisting rock and roll. 

An utterly endearing mix of charm, humor, and honesty had everyone cheering ‘Hockadoo’ along with Bryan Fenkart in his role as male lead DJ Huey Calhoun (I guess you have to go see it to get that reference, and I guarantee you’ll be saying it too!).  Lucky he had Felicia to keep him on his toes!  The captivating chemistry between the two took center stage, and resonated with the heart behind past and present movements for marriage equality.  It was enough to melt even the most stubborn of minds, including Huey’s Mama. Played by Julie Johnson, the character everyone begrudged in Act 1 surprised an entire audience with her scene-stealing, spine-tingling second act solo. 

Every aspect of the performance was filled with the heart Frost described.  I left PPAC wanting to put on a record, wanting to dance, and wanting to make the world a better place.  If you want a feel-good  reminder of the heart and soul that continues to inspire and shape our generation, I cannot recommend Memphis enough. 

Memphis runs through December 9^th.  For showtimes and ticket information, please visit PPAC.

A very special thanks to Hayley McGuirl, for arranging last night's "Tweet Seats" to tremendous, trending success!  Head to Twitter to view the full tweet seat experience from last night's performance.