In 1989, long before the onslaught of singer-songwriter biographical musicals — of Frankie Valli, Carole King, Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, to name a few — hit Broadway, a show about bespectacled, 1950s rock ‘n’ roller Buddy Holly was created in England, where it ran an unfathomable 14 years.
A year later it crossed the pond, as they say, and lasted a more modest six months in New York. Still, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story resurfaces every now and then, as it has at Boca Raton’s Wick Theatre, completing the company’s 10th anniversary season.
Born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas, the unassuming rocker quickly gained attention and a recording contract, popularizing such catchy tunes as “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue.” Whether or not he could have sustained the national stardom he achieved at a young age is unknowable, for he died in a chartered plane crash, flying from one Midwest tour stop to another in a wintry blizzard, at the age of 22.
His tragic demise — along with fellow passengers Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper — is the most dramatic occurrence in an otherwise uneventful life, at least as related by the show’s writer, Alan Janes. So while the Wick production has no trouble coming alive in the musical numbers, when the music gives way to the creaky and often far-fetched dialogue scenes, the show loses its credibility and our interest.
Matt McClure, previously seen at the Wick as Carl Perkins in last season’s Million Dollar Quartet, has made a career of playing Holly in numerous Buddy productions. In his latest go-round with the role, he also assumes the mantle of director and is credited with designing the serviceable set. McClure certainly has the show’s central character down pat, dull though he may be. It is not his fault that Holly’s performance style is largely inert, particularly compared to the flashier kinetic delivery of Valens (“La Bamba”) and Bopper (“Chantilly Lace”). As the latter two doomed stars, Giorgio Volpe and Mike Brennan all but steal the show, just as their final Clear Lake. Iowa, concert — the last 20 minutes of the evening — blows the roof off the Wick Theatre. That recreation of the so-called Winter Dance Party tour is lively in the extreme, but getting to it will probably try your patience.
High on the list of botched dramatic scenes is the New York debut of the very white Holly and his two backup singers, The Crickets (Kyle Lahr and Chris Coffey), at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre. From the group’s sound on records, the Apollo’s booker naturally assumed they were Black. Instead of a racial incident, the (unseen) audience simply accepts the Texas trio. Maybe it really happened that way, but it seems unlikely.
Then there is Holly’s love-at-first-sight encounter with music publisher receptionist Maria Elena Santiago (charming, but underutilized Allie Vazquez). He declares on the spot his intention to marry her and five hours later they are engaged. Maybe it really happened that way, but it seems unlikely.
On the other hand, the choreography by Natalie Hershman is a genuine asset, from the first act dance transitions to the high-energy gymnastic steps that adorn the Clear Lake concert. And in a welcome change of pace, the Wick production features live musicians, which make the sound of the period score absolutely electric.
The Wick often polls its audience for their wish lists when assembling its seasons. Granted that its largely senior subscribers probably recall those Eisenhower-era days when Buddy Holly dominated the pop charts, but Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story could not have been a favorite show for many of them.
BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Through Sunday, May 5. $79-$109. Call 561-995-2333 or visit thewick.org.