Rave On!

It’s time to rock it out once again South Africa. Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is back for the first time in 11 years. So dust off those black spec’s and Fender Strat guitars you’ve been hiding in your closet all these years, and get ready to dance the night away, ‘Oh Boy’.

When it comes to Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley may have perfected the art, but he certainly didn’t create it. That honour goes to a young, gawky 1950’s teenager with black-framed glasses. The boy who changed it all was Charles Hardin Holly; grew up in Lubbock Texas and was known to family and friends simply as ‘Buddy’. The boy with a flair for challenging the status quo in conservative times garnered many fans as he crossed social barriers of age and race with his catchy tunes and on stage showmanship. 

His band Buddy Holly and The Crickets were an overnight success and in the brief 18 months they were together recorded 35 songs. 20 of those songs went on to become huge hits in America, Britain and the rest of the world. Buddy’s life was cut short when he was killed in a tragic plane crash in Iowa at the tender age of 22. Also killed in the tragic crash was JP Richardson, fondly known as the Big Bopper and young Ritchie Valens, known for his hit song La Bamba.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story takes you back there in prolific detail. Back to where it all began. Producer once again of this special show is Pierre van Pletzen, a stalwart of South African theatre and TV. Being a life long fan of Buddy Holly shows in his direction of this production; and his love of the man and the music rings true in every scene. The show has many shining stars; with the biggest being Buddy played believably by Andrew Webster. You can see that Andrew has played this role many times before, as his portrayal of this legend is effortless. It’s a perfect fit: He sounds like Buddy; he looks like Buddy; and he acts like Buddy mannerisms et al. In other words for 2 ½ hours Buddy is alive again. The Crickets who are played to perfection by Jaco Muller (Seussical, The King and I) as Joe Mauldin, and Peach van Pletzen portraying Jerry Allison are endearing. New talents Zetske van Pletzen holds her own splendidly as Buddy’s adoring young wife Maria Elena, while Dillon Naicker absolutely sizzles at the ‘Surf Ballroom’ as pelvis waving Ritchie Valens.

The magic of The Buddy Holly Story lies in the music and for this, award winning musical director extraordinaire Paul Ditchfield must take a bow. His arrangements are seamless and the experience he brings yet again to this production ring true with every note sung. Paul shows us his acting side as well by playing the character of Buddy’s recording producer, Norman Petty. He is truly a man of many talents and this show would not be the same without him.

Another legend of the stage and former ‘Buddy Holly’ in both SA and London’s West End is Craig Urbani. Craig portrays JP Richardson and brings the huge personality and stage antics of The Big Bopper back to life. A real treat for all us die hard Buddy (and Craig) fans was seeing him put on the black framed glasses for old times sake in musical melody of Rave On and American Pie.

What The Buddy Holly Story does for me is to reiterate the point that SA gives audiences a world-class theatre experience. The cast is astounding, the music timeless, and the legend will live on.

So for now, until I get to experience it again, I will “Rave on” “Everyday” to the magnificent and timeless sounds of The Man, The Music, and The Legend that is Buddy Holly. With his life and music encapsulated in Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story; may this breathtaking showcase of Rock ‘n Roll continue to shine on the man who created it all; let it inspire generations to come so that his music never “Fades Away”.

Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story is playing to packed audiences at the Pretoria State Theatre from 10th October to November 7th, so book now to avoid disappointment. There are no performances on a Monday.