I love watching the Tony Awards, and so I was PUMPED to hear that Broadway Theatre League was bringing Memphis the Musical, the 2010 Tony award winner for Best Musical to the Von Braun Center January 3-5, 2014. And I want you to share my excitement, so here are 5 reasons you’ll want to see Memphis the Musical.
BONUS: We’ve partnered with Broadway Theatre League to send one lucky reader and a friend to see the show! Enter to win a pair of tickets at the end of the post!
Reason # 1: Amazing Songs
A key feature of any good Broadway show is its songs, and Memphis: The Musical has a score full of amazing ones. You may even recognize the composer, David Bryan. He was a founding member and keyboardist in a little band called Bon Jovi. David partnered with Bryan and Joe DiPietro (known for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change).
Here’s how Charles Isherwood of The New York Times described the music:
“It evokes the powerhouse funk of James Brown, the hot guitar riffs of Chuck Berry, the smooth harmonies of the Temptations, the silken, bouncy pop of the great girl groups of the period.”
Reason # 2: Award Winning
It’s rare that Huntsville books a tour of such a recent award winning show. (check out the Memphis: The Musical Tony performance below) [youtube url=”http://youtu.be/HC18kAT4eV4″ width=”300″ height=”300″]
Quick soapbox moment: the ONLY way that any group in Huntsville can continue to bring shows like this and BETTER ones is if we as a community actually attend the current shows. So for all you folks that complain about “no good shows ever come to Huntsville,” my question to you is: when was the last time you went to a show IN Huntsville? (stepping off soapbox)
But back to the awards. Memphis actually won a total of FOUR Tony® Awards: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book, and Best Orchestrations. It also dominated the Drama Desk Awards winning 4 awards, including Outstanding Musical, and won big at the Outer Critic Circle Awards winning another 4 awards, including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Choreography.
#3: Dance
Just by taking place in the 1950’s, you should expect some sweet dance moves in any musical, but Memphis takes it up another notch: it’s set in the underground clubs of the 1950’s! So it’s no surprise that the critics have raved about it.
Here’s what a few have to say:
“The musical numbers are irresistible. Sergio Trujillo has some phenomenal dancers, and he has come up with original and incandescent dancing that no current musical and very few past ones could match.” -John Simon of Bloomberg News
“The propulsive choreography and sinuous, sexy dancing perfectly matches the music. the dancers are among the hottest in town.” -Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press
#4: Show with a Message
Memphis is also no bubble-gum, sticky sweet musical; it is a full course meal with some serious substance. The show deals with serious subjects, such as race and injustice, but it does so in an inspiring way, showing the audience that change is possible.
Toronto Star called the show “an explosion of energy, joy and emotion you won’t want to miss!”
#5: Family Friendly
It can be challenging to find activities that the whole family will enjoy, but my sources tell me that Memphis is one such activity. And just who might my sources be? The venerable Broadway.com, source for all things Broadway. Here’s what they had to say about the show:
“Breathe easy, parents! Other than a scene of violence involving a beating, Memphis is good, clean fun that sends theatergoers out on a positive message. […] Most likely, the whole family will rock and roll at Memphis.”
Event Information: Broadway Theatre League presents Memphis: The Musical
Dates and Times:
- Friday, January 3, 8:00 pm
- Saturday, January 4, 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm
- Sunday, January 5, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Location: Von Braun Center, Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
Tickets Available:
- By calling the Broadway Theatre League box office at 256-518-6155
- Online at ticketmaster.com
- By calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000
- In person at the Von Braun Center Box Office
Giveaway
Enter to win a pair of tickets to see Memphis: The Musical. The winner will be notified by email on Thursday.
Guest blogger for We Are Huntsville. Are you interested in writing a post for our site? Email katelyn@wearehuntsville.com.
WOW! Great article. I love Memphis so much and hope Huntsville does too. Thank you!
Thanks, Amy! The real thanks goes to Broadway Theatre League for continuing to bring such great shows to Huntsville. We’re lucky to have BTL in our community. Thanks for all your hard work!!