MEMPHIS
By Gary Murray
Starring Bryan Fenkart, Felicia Boswell and Rhett George
Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Music and Lyrics by Davie Bryan
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn recently died. For those who do not know, he was the bass player for Booker T and the MG’s, a session master who worked in Memphis with Stax/Volt Records. He is one of the most important men of Memphis soul, a player in the same league as the legendary Motown back-up band, the Funk Brothers. And he was a white guy.
There have been many white people moved by soul music, the heavy back beats and serious grooves touch a part of their heart. One of those early pioneers of giving the masses these tunes was Huey Phillips, a Memphis DJ who just wanted to play the music that spoke to him. He broke the color barrier at a time of separate but equal. The Broadway re-telling of his tale is the basis for the new musical Memphis. This Tony winning play is as a part of the Dallas Summer Musicals in Fair Park.
The story of Memphis is based on the late disc jockey who was known by the nom de plume of “Daddy-O-Dewey”. His radio show “Red Hot and Blue” in Memphis was the first to blend R&B, pop, jazz, rock & roll and country into an eclectic mix that appealed to the kids. Eventually, Huey became the biggest star in this small fishpond. He was also the first person to play Elvis singing “That’s All Right” and doing the first interview with the future king of Rock & Roll. He is an unsung hero from the early days of rock.
The first act of the work is the rise and the second is the fall. After a quick opening and cleaver way of showing the segregation that was Memphis in the early 1950’s, we are taken to a seedy underground nightclub on the wrong side of the tracks. The opening number “Underground” shows the audience how talented the main act Felicia actually is. She belts out a serious blues number that fills the stage with rockin’ rhythm. It also affirms that the races are to be kept on different parts of town.
Huey (Bryan Fenkart) is a regular guy who hears music coming from a club. It touches his soul as the first glance of Felicia touches his heart. He is smitten by the woman, something that is just not done by ‘good Christian people.’ They sing the duet “The Music of My Soul” the first of many show-stopping numbers. Huey makes a promise to Felicia that he will get her music on the radio.
Basically, Huey takes over the local radio station, locking himself into the booth. Once he begins to play ‘race’ records, the switchboard lights up. He proves he is right about what music people want to hear. He has this wild jive talking style of banter that no one has ever heard on the radio. It is a wild ride for listeners.
The company does “Everybody Wants to be Black on a Saturday Night” a high-kicking, foot stomping number where the dancers get to show off how the music touches emotions way down deep. Not everyone is happy with the changes that are coming. His mother (Julie Johnson) tries to warn her son about the ramifications of being around people who are different than them.
The first Act ends with ‘Say a Prayer’ a touching testament to the power of banding together for what is right. Felicia is hurt by a gang of men who do not like people who do not know their place.
The Second Act is Huey getting his own television show, playing records and black kids dancing. Many people in the town have figured out that Huey and Felicia are more than just friends. In the rural South, this is just not accepted and they live in constant fear of being found out. Felicia wants them to move to a safer and more tolerant city.
The suggestion of the television is achieved in a cleaver manner, with two old-style cameras that project black and white images to the giant drop screen that is center stage. It gives a feeling of both the live performance and the feeling of being at a television broadcast.
The networks are interested in Huey for a national show, just without all the black kids dancing in the background. They want to make a show where all the kids who dance are white. They are also looking at a Philadelphia DJ Dick Clark.
RCA is also interested in Felicia and want her in NYC. She wants to get to a place where interracial couples are more accepted. She fears for her life but even more for her budding career. The two leads become star-crossed lovers, two who are on different paths. Mama and the company sum up the idea with “Change Don’t Come Easy” the biggest number in the entire Second Act and a crowd rising show stopping musical hit.
Bryan Fenkart has a massive job on stage with Memphis. He is on the boards for almost every moment in the work. He gushes over the crowd with a slick and smooth banter, an infectious personality that builds trust with everyone he comes in contact with. It is a charming reading that draws one in.
Felicia Boswell just nails her performance to the back walls of the Music Hall. She has one of the purest yet most sultry voices one will ever hear on that stage. She sings with a conviction that blends the best of old soul with Gospel in a rafter rattling testament to powerhouse vocalizations. She alone is worth the price of admission to see Memphis. This is an actress who should be destined for superstardom. Every person in the audience knew that they have seen something special when she takes her final bows.
Memphis won 4 Tony Awards in 2010 and this touring version is just the kind of work that should bring audiences to the Music Hall in Fair Park in droves. It is warm and wonderful and an evening that should not be missed. I cannot wait to experience it again.
Memphis plays at the Dallas Summer Musicals at Fair Park May 15-27th Tickets available at ticketmaster.com
