Buddy Holly was only 22 years old when he died in a plane crash but, during that short life, the talented singer and songwriter had a major impact on rock ‘n’ roll. Marriott Theatre is sharing his music and tale June 28-Aug. 13 in “Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story” at the theater in Lincolnshire.
Previews start June 21.
Performances of the hit musical by Alan Janes (book), with lyrics and music by Buddy Holly and others, are 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sundays.
“I was lucky enough to do this show five years ago at the American Blues Theater,” said Kieran McCabe, who played Holly’s drummer Jerry Allison in that production.
“That’s when I was exposed to all of Buddy’s music. I learned it for the show and have been playing it for the last five years because the music brought that band together so closely that we made our own band called The Oh Boys, in tribute to Buddy.”
All that practice will come in handy because McCabe plays Buddy Holly in the Marriott Theatre production.
To prepare to take the lead in the show, the performer said, “I’m working on my guitar licks because my first instrument was drums.” In addition to learning Holly’s guitar licks, he is also working on Holly’s attitude on the guitar. That attitude was formed by Holly’s diverse musical influences.
“He played the banjo first,” McCabe reported. “He came from a little bit of bluegrass school. He really had admiration for the blues players.”
McCabe added that he is also working with a dialogue coach “for the West Texas drawl. Lubbock, Texas, is a little different from the other areas.”
The performer said that he is really enjoying the rehearsal process. “I am a songwriter and a music-maker myself,” McCabe explained. “Making music with my friends is my absolute favorite thing to do.”
He is particularly inspired by the songs in the show, which McCabe said “were made for dancing, and that’s what we’re doing.
“I don’t think I understood the depth of his catalog before I took the project,” said Amber Mak, who is directing and choreographing the show. But she said she knew Holly’s most famous songs and she was definitely well aware of the impact of his music.
“I’m a fan of rock ‘n’ roll, and he’s really the father of rock ‘n’ roll,” Mak asserted. She praised the beat, the rock chords, the guitar licks, and the heartfelt music that Holly created.
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Because Marriott Theatre is in the round, Mak added more choreography than is traditionally used in this show. “In order to make sure that the full audience gets to experience it, they’re moving a bit more than a Buddy Holly concert,” Mak explained.
Through her research for directing this show, Mak indicated that she began to fully appreciate “how much of a pioneer and innovator he was.”
The director also learned “what it really meant to him to be the first white group to play the Apollo Theater.”
Although staging a concert-based show in the round presents a challenge for Mak, she is enjoying the process of putting the show together.
Mak concluded, “I feel like I’m getting my own personal rock concert every single day.”
‘Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story’
When: June 28-Aug. 13; previews start June 21
Where: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Tickets: $55-$60
Information: 847-634-0200; marriotttheatre.com
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.