Lulu asked me what show I would like to see. It took me all of 2 seconds to say "Buddy Holly."
I was 10 years old - and forced to wear these giant black glasses by my parents. As much as my doctor said that I would never get eyesight in my left eye - my Mom insisted I wear those big goggles to protect my "good eye." Rock and roll has just made the scene and all the cool looking rockers were sans spectacles - all of them except Buddy Holly.
Before I was even old enough to know better - Buddy Holly died in a plane wreck. Everyone was so enamored with Elvis - that they forgot about this young man from Lubbock, Texas that wrote 20 hits by the time he was 22 years old - and then he was gone.
Rock and Roll crossed over into sweet middle of the road love tunes until 4 years later the kids from England started playing Buddy's music back to us. The Beatles - Rolling Stones - and many others "covered" Buddy's tunes. Beatle Paul McCartney loved the music so much he bought the rights to all of Buddy's songs.
Show tickets were 55 pounds - but Lulu went online and found a bargain for a total of 50 pounds for two tickets and two pre-show dinners. I thought - heck - if they just gave us a bowl of cereal - we would be ahead.
So just like in the movies - we got dressed up the best we could - caught the Tube to the theatre district - and went to the restaurant. There was a light London rain - but we only had to walk maybe 100 feet from the station to Maxwell's American Restaurant. Maxwell's is making a living offering early suppers to budget-minded theatre goers. The place was really big - with tons of speedy waitresses going up and down the open stairs to the kitchen. After picking one from column A and one from column B and some pre-show drinks - we were off to the Duchess Theatre.
Once inside - the manager gave us some very nice tickets. After telling him I was a bit hard of hearing - he said this was the theatre and show for me. But he did give us two even better tickets - downstairs - row 7 center stage. We were all set - and the theatre slowly filled its 900 seats around us. At 5 minutes to show time - there was a rush and every seat was filled - mostly groups of women - and a few old rockers in their 60s.
The show started out in Texas with Buddy playing country music at some barn dance. It then progressed to a recording studio in New Mexico - then two a major record label office in New York City - a set of songs at the Apollo Theatre in the Bronx - and finally his last day on earth in Clear Lake, Iowa.
I'll bet every person in Iowa claims to have been at the "Winter Dance Party." This show tried to produce that show as authentically as they could.
The cast of roughly 15 young actors - many fresh out of acting school - nailed the innocence of the 50s - and the hard driving sound of Buddy's music. Buddy's shooting star career was short - 18 months from first hit to last. He was such a prolific writer - for the next 10 years his record company released fresh songs he had written. One admires an original thought and the dreamer that believes in it and stands up for it - the little guy with a dream against the system. Buddy's little 3 member band - had a fresh - simple minimalist sound that few can create.
The show was a comedy - but in the end it was hard to hold the emotions in when that lone guitar sat on the stage next to the microphone. Several encore songs were needed to uplift the show near the end.
The show reminded me of the last time I went to visit my Aunt Grace. She was my Dad's younger sister - during the summers I spent many "vacations" at her home. Their family was close because they had to fend through the depression when their Dad left. Grace had a stroke and a bit of Dementia - she was very forgetful - something that I seem to have inherited. When I walked into her country home in Ashfield - she screamed in joy with tears in her eyes, "I know your not him, but your good enough!" Then she hugged me real big. For that moment I was back in 1959 with my big black "Buddy Holly" glasses on. I felt really good.
As we quietly left the Duchess Theatre and walked back to our flat - Lulu asked me how I liked it. I said, "I know that was not Buddy, but it was good enough!"
