Maine Public Insider's Look - BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story

Before The Beatles, before The Stones, rock and roll was born. Over 90 years ago, a young man from Lubbock, Texas, changed the face of popular music, only to die tragically in a plane crash aged just 22. Now, Maine State Music Theatre presents “BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story,” which tells the story of the three years in which he became the world’s top recording artist with such hits as “Peggy Sue,” “That’ll Be The Day,” “Oh Boy” and more. Experience again, or for the very first time, this electrifying musical about Buddy Holly, the iconic, 1950s rock ‘n’ roll pioneer and his fellow headliners on the Winter Dance Party Tour, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, that fateful day in February 1959: the day the music died.
“BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story,” with a book by Alan Janes and featuring the music of Buddy Holly and others, opened at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre in 1989, where it ran for over 12 years. Subsequent smash hit productions included a thrilling Toronto try-out which preceded a commercial run at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. Decades of wildly successful productions from around the world followed, including a record-breaking production at MSMT in 2014.
“For my 10th anniversary season, I knew I just had to do this show again, which was such a runaway success in my first year ‘in charge’ of MSMT,” says Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark. “We sold out and you couldn’t get a ticket - people were calling and begging us for seats! We’re very excited to return in 2023 with ‘BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story’ and then, the be-bopping that’s sure to follow up and down the aisles!”
“BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story” will open with preview performances on June 28, and an official opening of June 29 at the Pickard Theatre at Bowdoin College, with performances continuing through July 15, 2023.
The cast for MSMT’s revival of “BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story” include Andrew Harvey in the title role of Buddy Holly, Diego Guevara as Ritchie Valens and Jayson Elliott reprising his role at MSMT in 2014, Big Bopper. Also featured in the cast/on stage band are Hailey Aviva, Noah Berry, Justin Marriel Boyd, Luke Darnell, Mike Dorsey, David Girolmo, Angela Howell, Sarah Hund, Jannie Jones, Adam Lasalle, Sarah Miramontes, Troy Valjean Rucker, Ken Sandberg and Scott Wakefield.
MSMT’s production and creative team of “BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story:” Angela Howell (Director, Music Director, Choreographer), Donavan Dolan (Production Stage Manager), Charles Kading (Scenic Design), Ryan Joyner (Projections), Annalise Caudle (Lighting), Shannon Slaton (Sound Design), Jane Alois Stein (Costume Design), Kevin Foster (Wig and Hair Design).
Tickets for “BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story,” and all MSMT productions, can be purchased only by calling the Box Office at 207.725.8769 or by visiting www.msmt.org.