'Memphis' a rock 'n' roll good time
There might be no more jubilant show running here right now than “Memphis,” the hip-swiveling, back-flipping, R&B-fueled musical about a white DJ in early 1950s Memphis who helps jump start a cultural revolution when he introduces rhythm and blues — known as “race music” — to his hometown listeners.
But what propels this touring production of the 2010 Tony Award-winning show isn't the unremarkable book by Joe DiPietro (whose mastery of mass appeal musicals is evident in the ubiquitous “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change”), or the tuneful, solidly crafted score by Bon Jovi co-founder and keyboardist David Bryan, who incorporates R&B, gospel and blues with bouncy early rock ‘n' roll.
What animates this production — with smooth, swift direction by Christopher Ashley and magnificent, retro-with-a-twist choreography by Sergio Trujillo — is its dynamic young cast. It's led by the earnest, endearing Bryan Fenkart, who plays Huey Calhoun, a poor, white, R&B-loving DJ so delectably quirky he circles back around to hip.
On a visit to an underground Beale Street club, Huey falls for a feisty, sexy, African American singer named Felicia (the petite Felicia Boswell, who has a powerhouse voice and the stage presence to match), who headlines the club owned by her overprotective brother Delray (Quentin Earl Darrington, a richly resonant singer and 2010 Jeff Award winner for his performance in Drury Lane's “Ragtime”).
True believer Huey eventually snags an on-air shift where he introduces black music to young, white listeners, to the chagrin of their parents and the delight of the owner (William Parry), who sees the ratings of his once sleepy station skyrocket.
Over the objections of Delray and Huey's bigoted mother (Julie Johnson), Huey begins dating Felicia, promising her he will get her music played on the radio. Of course, their professional success exacts a personal toll. But that's not all that stands in their way.
Racism and segregation play a significant role in “Memphis,” which — to its credit — also addresses the issue of Caucasians co-opting African American music and culture and profiting from it. Moreover, Fenkart's Huey is a flawed, complex character: committed, defiant, arrogant, self-important and by the end of the musical, humbled. And, the suggestion that music helps minimize racial and cultural divides is valid.
Yet, I couldn't help feel that DiPietro and Bryan merely scratched the surface by embracing predictable conventions like Huey's mama finally seeing the error of her bigoted ways or Huey refusing to compromise when corporate bigwigs try to homogenize his show. The fact is, “Memphis” has the potential to be more than it is. That much is evident late in the show during an exchange between Felicia and Huey, which includes some profound observations about race that hint at a more significant story waiting to be told and more compelling issues waiting to be addressed.
That said, “Memphis” has a really good sense of itself. So, the book is hokey and the plot predictable. Broadway in Chicago's production is a high-energy, fine-looking, gorgeously sung spectacle that doesn't take itself too seriously, just seriously enough.
“Memphis”
Location: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com
Showtimes: 2 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25, 27 and 30 and Dec. 2; 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 26 and Dec. 3; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29; 2 p.m. Dec. 4
Tickets: $37-$95
Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes with intermission
Parking: Nearby garages
Rating: For teens and older, some sexual content, some violence