'O, Boy' Holly falls just a little bit short
There's nothing wrong with "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" that a good writer couldn't fix. And there's nothing wrong with Drury Lane Theatre Oak Brook's diligent, well-meaning albeit less than scintillating revival that a shot of adrenaline wouldn't improve.
The main problem with the 1989 jukebox show, a standard bio-musical tracing Holly's rapid rise and brief reign as one of the country's earliest and most influential figures in rock 'n' roll, rests with Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson's clumsy book that fails to go beyond the superficial in telling the story of this seminal musician responsible for standards like "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day." The banal narrative serves mainly to link Holly's songs, appealing rockabilly-cum-rock tunes which, thanks to their irresistible hooks and smattering of twang, make the weak narrative tolerable.
"Buddy" marks the directorial debut of choreographer Tammy Mader and the introduction of the theater's new sound system which delivers concert-quality sound to a show whose second act unfolds as re-creation of Holly's final show before he was killed in an Iowa plane crash along with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.
The production also marks the return of likable Justin Berkobien. A lanky young man with tousled hair and an "aw shucks" demeanor, he plays the bespectacled, tousled-haired Holly determined to play his music, his way. Like most of the cast, Berkobien doubles as a musician, playing a Stratocaster (the American Standard, not Holly's signature Fender). He's ably backed by bassist Cody Siragusa and drummer Jim Barclay as the rest of Holly's famed trio The Crickets which expands to a quartet with the addition of guitarist Michael Mahler.
Berkobien doesn't so much imitate Holly's voice as evoke its gentle, affable tone. Notwithstanding the occasional wavering pitch, he also does a credible job mimicking the singer's distinctive vocal hiccups. And while he adequately reflects the budding artist's enthusiasm and egoism (especially in the early scenes), Berkobien's acting feels tentative and musically, his performance feels flat about midway through the show. That said, he bookends "Buddy" with a couple of spirited performances, tearing it up with Act One's stripped-down "Ready Teddy" and concluding with a rollicking encore of "Oh Boy," in a robust arrangement by music director Malcolm Ruhl. Ruhl, who brilliantly reduced Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" score to a four-piece string band for American Theatre Company last year, does the reverse here, turning spare tunes into brassy anthems.
The thing is, castmates Byron Glenn Willis as a smooth crooner and Apollo Theatre emcee; The Chantels-inspired trio of Karen Marie Richardson, Lili-Anne Brown and Neda Spears; Tony Sancho as Ritchie Valens and Casey Campbell as The Big Bopper have more charisma. Too often, "Buddy's" supporting players generate more heat than its headliner. Perhaps it was a case of opening night jitters and Berkobien will settle down and command this well-meaning homage the way he should.
"Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story"
Rating: 2½ stars
Location: Drury Lane Theatre Oak Brook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace
Times: 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 1:30 and 8 p.m. Thursdays; 8:30 p.m. Fridays; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 6 p.m. Sundays through July 27
Running Time: About two hours, 10 minutes with intermission
Tickets: $24- $54 (lunch and dinner packages available)
Parking: Free lot adjacent to theater
Box office: (630) 530-0111 or drurylaneoakbrook.com
Rating: For most audiences