Memphis

Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and David Bryan (music and lyrics) devised a history based story about the early days of Rock ‘n’ Roll as the music genre was created in Memphis.  This slight and highly condensed history shows how white people appropriated the music from black people.  At the center of this story is Chad Kimbal as Huey, a high school drop out who wrangles his way into a radio DJ job––a white guy who starts to play “black” music on the radio.  The white kids go crazy for it the way they swoon over Conrad Birdie in another musical about the early days and everyone starts dancing to the beat together.  The score is made up of original songs that sound like the music of the era and it was nice to hear an original score in a new musical for a change.  This very same story might have been a harness for hits of the 1950s and we’d have another jukebox musical on our hands.  MEMPHIS distinguishes itself by simply being original.  If we don’t learn very much, or even get an accurate picture of the birth of Rock, we do get some electric numbers filled with energetic dancing and some fantastic vocals––mainly from Montego Glover as singer on the rise Felicia.  For all the very real excitement of this musical, the end result of the story is lackluster, with an ending that doesn’t register as completely satisfying, even if an energized finale in shiny gold costumes attempts to spark fireworks.  

Although the history of Rock ‘n’ Roll is the world of the show, the main focus is on Huey’s growing relationship with Felicia––not only a no-no, but illegal at the time.  Huey’s mom (Cass Morgan) doesn’t approve and Felicia’s brother (J. Bernard Calloway) doesn’t approve, but the lovers are going to defy the odds ala GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER.  

The elaborate unit set by David Gallo uses a brick wall and pillars with warehouse windows as the pallet.  On top of this, bits of scenery are added to depict a radio station, night club, kitchen and other locations.  The design is economical, yet rich enough in detail to seem fully realized.  Paul Tazewell’s costumes add most of the visual color and pizzaz to the show and Howell Binkley’s saturated colors of light helped complete the stage pictures beautifully.  Sergio Trujillo’s choreography was such a workout that the heavier members of the cast might find themselves swimming in their costumes after a few weeks in the show.  Most of the dancing depicts nightclub activity or presentational TV or show-within-the-show choreography.  Nothing about the dancing actually serves to push character, plot or story––it’s all just for fun.  The numbers  keep the energy up in an otherwise troubled story and Christopher Ashley’s direction keeps everything moving along with clean precision.  The first act plays with good pace and a forward thrust, while the second act has the feeling of one continuous downhill spiral to the uneventful end.  

MEMPHIS is lucky to be opening in a fall season with no other new musicals with which to compare it.  Under those ideal conditions, MEMPHIS could make it all the way to June and nab a Tony or two.  In another season, MEMPHIS might flounder.  This is a nice show, entertaining really, but missing that special something that makes all the elements come together for something stunning.  Up town in Harlem, the new national tour of DREAMGIRLS has opened as a reminder that another show about the contributions of black artists in the music industry once did it spectacularly right.