Review: Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Birmingham Hippodrome / UK Tour)

Review by Clancy Haynes

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If I’m honest, I would say that you could fit my Buddy Holly knowledge on the back of a tiny postage stamp. I know he was a musician. I know he wore glasses. I know how he died. I know he’s the title of a Weezer bop from the 1990s. That is it. I think my parents quite liked him because they met in the dance halls of Worcestershire in the 1950s, but while I appreciate the importance of the early pioneers of rock and roll, it’s not really my sort of thing. With this in mind, I approached Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, expecting to be educated and entertained, and for the most part, I wasn’t disappointed.

Buddy tells the story of the eponymous musician’s rise to fame, from his humble beginnings as a reluctant country and western act in Lubbock, Texas, to his now legendary final performance in Clear Lake, Iowa. Legendary, as he died hours later in a tragic plane crash that also killed fellow singers Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Holly’s short-lived career was phenomenal in how it helped shape contemporary music, and his influence is easily recognisable in works by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other names from the 1960s and 70s. My main takes from the show were how very young Holly was when he died (22 years old) and how many great early rock and roll songs he was responsible for in such a short period of time. Buddy Holly’s importance to modern music is undeniable and if you were thinking of denying it, you’d do well to consider the lyrics of Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’, as it references the plane crash as ‘the day the music died’.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story claims to be the original jukebox musical, having debuted in 1989, and it is undeniable that the songs, many of which are Holly’s hits, but also include those by his contemporaries, are the big draw here. The majority of the show plays like a concert (particularly at the end with the Clear Lake set) with songs being performed as Buddy and The Crickets play them for live audiences, record company executives, and radio show hosts. Occasionally, we are treated to the evolution of a song, most notably ‘Everyday’ and ‘Peggy Sue’, but the songs are used as pure entertainment rather than to hit any emotional points in the story. Having seen a few other jukebox musicals recently that used well known songs in innovative ways, the pure performative use of songs, while expertly executed, became a little repetitive and sometimes left me wanting something different.

This show boasts an insanely talented cast. A J Jenks was phenomenal as Buddy, perfectly balancing his nice guy ‘aw shucks’ personality with the steelier, stubborn, more determined side that was instrumental in ensuring he was able to do his music his way. Jenks embodied Holly during the songs, particularly during the Clear Lake concert section, where he really seemed to let loose and enjoy himself. Miguel Angel shone in the dual roles of Tyrone Jones and Ritchie Valens. As Jones, the MC at the Apollo, Harlem, Angel lit up the stage with a sparkling performance of ‘Reet Petit’ and continued the fireworks when joined by Laura-Dene Perryman as Marlena Madison for a performance of ‘Shout’. The audience was practically out of their seats for these songs and performed their encouraged sing-alongs with glee. Another standout performance was from Thomas Fabian Parrish as Norman Petty (The Crickets’ manager) and as the Clear Lake MC. In this latter role, Parrish excelled in an ad-libbed section, working the crowd like a pro. The whole cast was amazing, playing multiple parts and stepping in to play instruments as the band, which sounded incredible.

There are two standout sections in the show: The Crickets’ gig at The Apollo in Harlem, New York, and the Clear Lake concert on that last, fateful night. The Apollo sequence adds an element of historical social commentary, as the boys prepare to play for a black audience that isn’t necessarily aware that Buddy Holly and The Crickets are white. Of course, with classic musical magic, the boys rapidly win over the audience, leading to a rousing short set of songs, ending the first act on a lively version of ‘Oh Boy’. The Clear Lake concert is pure joy as the whole cast comes on stage to form the Buddy Holly orchestra, and it feels like we are treated to the very best of early rock and roll. Everyone on stage looked like they were having the time of their lives, and it was all some of the audience could do to stop themselves from getting out of their seats and dancing the night away.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story immerses the audience in the rise of early rock and roll in the 1950s. For an audience made up of people who were close to my parents’ age, this was exactly what they wanted. The murmurs of excitement when the band started to play ‘Heartbeat’ and the romantic sighs when Buddy sang ‘True Love Ways’ to his new wife, were rather endearing and added to the nostalgic feeling of the show. I felt that I was in the minority in wanting a little bit more from the show. While we were shown the bare bones of Holly’s rise to fame, I wanted to know more. We met the Crickets when they already had a record deal, albeit not in their preferred music genre, and I was interested in how they achieved that initial step. Disagreements within the band were, of course, inevitable, but happened rather quickly and with very little explanation, so I didn’t feel as invested in the ‘story’ part of the Buddy Holly Story as I wanted to be.

With an incredibly talented cast and a nostalgic concert feel, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a must-see for anyone who is a fan of early rock and roll. You may not learn as much about Holly and the Crickets as you thought you might, but you will certainly be wowed by their legacy and the sheer joy of their music.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is at the Birmingham Hippodrome until 30^th August and tours the UK into 2026. Dates and tickets at https://www.buddythemusical.com/tickets