The talk of the town -- TheatreWorks' 'Memphis' faces hype, falls short The talk of the town -- TheatreWorks' 'Memphis' faces hype, falls short (January 30, 2004)

By Julie O'Shea

"Memphis" -- the tale of a slick-talking deejay who introduced the South to "race" music during the 1950s -- seemed destined for mega-hit status long before it landed in Mountain View last week.

After all, it has celebrated playwright Joe DiPietro ("I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change") joining forces with Bon Jovi rocker-composer David Bryan. And the fanfare down Castro Street during last weekend's opener could be seen all the way from Highway 101.

There is indeed a lot to admire about this production, from its elaborate, multi-colored set (designed by Bill Stabile) to a score full of truly memorable tunes and a cast of electrifying voices that brought the audience inside the Mountain View Performing Arts Center to its feet Saturday night.

The story is set in the 1950s, during a time when racism was still a prevalent part of American life. But for deejay Huey Calhoun, a "happy white boy" played by Chad Kimball, skin color is, well, only skin deep. And when he wanders into Delray's, a black nightclub on Memphis' Beale Street, he naively doesn't understand why he doesn't fit in.

It's their rhythm and blues, he tells the club patrons, which beckoned him through the front door. Taking the microphone, Huey belts out "The Music of My Soul" and immediately wins over the African-American audience in the club.

It's a given even before Huey walks into the club that he will eventually date the pretty gal in the slinky evening gown (a.k.a. Felicia Farrell). In his quest to bring Felicia's sultry voice to the radio waves, Huey manages to introduce rock 'n' roll to the world. And in a salute to real-life Memphis deejay Dewey Phillips, the deejay credited with giving Elvis Presley his first bit of airtime, the King of Rock (played by Peninsula actor Jeff Leibow) makes a brief cameo on stage.

However, the story, developed by George W. George and loosely based on the rise and fall of Phillips, seems painfully outdated and also, at times, downright predictable. This could be forgiven if the two leads -- played by Kimball as motor-mouthed Huey and Montego Glover as the voluptuous nightclub singer Felicia -- had any hint of sexual chemistry.

While the theme of "Memphis" centers around rock 'n' roll music and race relations in the deeply segregated South, it's hard not to also see this as a love story.

On their own, Kimball, with his boundless energy, and Glover, with her honey-coated singing, are captivating. But put them together, and they seem like an odd couple -- uncomfortable and unsure as to how lovers are supposed to act. Had director Gabriel Barre spent a little more time nurturing this part of the show, the outcome, not to mention the limp second act, would have no doubt been sensational.

Instead, Barre seems to have dedicated too much time jazzing up scenes that would have worked better if they were toned down instead, namely the television studio sequence, which didn't need all the gaudy display screens and the guy in the plastic alligator getup.

"Memphis" debuted in September at the North Shore Music Theatre near Boston and arrived on the Peninsula last week to finish off its world premiere run with TheatreWorks. Producers are hoping, with a few tweaks, the show will eventually be ready for Broadway.

The opening number, "The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll," wonderfully led by Derrick B. B Baskin, J. Bernardo Calloway and Glover, sets the tone for "Memphis" and leaves its audience with the promise of great things to come. And while that promise may not live entirely up to its potential, the show's on the right track.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

Information

What: TheatreWorks presents "Memphis" by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan based on a concept by George W. George.
Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.
When: Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays through Fridays 8 p.m. Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (8 p.m. only on Jan. 24, Feb 14); Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., (2 p.m. only Feb. 8 and 15); closes Feb. 15.
Cost: $20-$48
Call: 903-6000 or visit theatreworks.org

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