Memphis Opens at the Shubert

New musical Memphis celebrates its opening night at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre.

With a score by Joe DiPietro and Bon Jovi’s David Bryan that mixes gospel, rhythm and blues, and early rock ‘n’ roll stylings with a contemporary sensibility, Memphis follows the fictionalized life story of Huey Calhoun, a young, white radio disc jockey growing up in Memphis in the 1950s. Fueled by the music he hears in the black bars on Beale Street, Huey’s on-air antics and unstoppable enthusiasm for “race records” creates a new white audience for African-American music. Then he falls in love with beautiful black singer Felicia Farrell, and his personal life transcends the race line, too, with grave consequences.

Leading the cast are Chad Kimball as Huey Calhoun and Montego Glover as Felicia Farrell. The cast also features Derrick Baskin (Gator), J. Bernard Calloway (Delray Jones), James Monroe Iglehart (Bobby), Tony nominee Michael McGrath (Mr. Simmons) and Cass Morgan (Gladys Calhoun), as well as Jennifer Allen, Brad Bass, Tracee Beazer, Kevin Covert, Hillary Elk, Dionne Figgins, Rhett George, John Jellison, Sydney Morton, Vivian Nixon, John Eric Parker, Jermaine R. Rembert, LaQuet Sharnell, Ephraim Sykes, Cary Tedder, Danny Tidwell, Daniel J. Watts, Katie Webber, Charlie Williams and Dan’yelle Williamson.