Displaying items by tag: Matthew D Carney

Drury Lane Theatre opens its latest musical with a warm jolt of rock ’n’ roll energy as Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, by Alan James, returns to the stage, decades after its 1989 debut at the Plymouth Theatre Royal in England. What began as a modest jukebox biography has grown into a global crowd pleaser, and Drury Lane’s production celebrates everything that made Buddy Holly a seismic force - the sound, the swagger, and the fearless creativity of a young artist reshaping American music before the world even realized it was happening.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story had already shown how actor‑musician theatre could thrive, pairing a biographical narrative with dramatic scenes and a concert‑style climax that traced Holly’s artistic evolution before building to a full musical finale. Nearly two decades later, when Million Dollar Quartet premiered, the influence was unmistakable. Million Dollar Quartet distilled that approach, replacing the cradle-to-grave arc with a single-night reenactment inside Sun Studio. Instead of character development, it relied on direct address, minimal plot, and the raw electricity of live performance. The shared DNA is clear - legendary early rock played by the actors themselves - but Million Dollar Quartet takes a different approach. It’s a performance framed as a single moment in history, whereas Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a story‑driven musical that builds toward a showcase, ultimately shaping the theatrical vocabulary that Million Dollar Quartet would later draw from.

That lineage sets the stage for what Drury Lane achieves here. This staging traces Holly’s meteoric rise from Lubbock teenager to chart-topping innovator, capturing the joy, drive, and restless imagination that defined his short but revolutionary career. Drury Lane emphasizes so well the live-show pulse, packing the evening with hits, tight musicianship, and the infectious spirit of 1950s rock ’n’ roll. The production revisits the era beautifully and recreates the thrill of watching a new sound take flight in real time. With its high-energy ensemble and a lead performance that channels Holly’s mix of sweetness and swagger, Buddy delivers both nostalgia and immediacy, reminding audiences why his influence still reverberates through rock, pop, and musical theatre. It is a dynamic tribute to a musician who changed everything - and whose story still lands with irresistible rhythm. And as the story reaches its final stretch, the production kicks fully into showcase mode, delivering a roof-raising finish that feels less like musical theatre and more like being dropped into a live 1950s rock ’n’ roll set.

Joey Chelius as Buddy Holly and Samantha Sayah as Maria Elena Santiago Holly. All photos by Kyle Flubacker.

It is no surprise that the Drury Lane cast is top notch as always. Under the sharp direction of Matthew D. Carney and the vibrant choreography of Kenny Ingram, the ensemble delivers the kind of crisp musicianship and infectious charge this show demands. Joey Chelius makes a terrific Buddy Holly - charismatic, boyish, and fully in command of the rock ’n’ roll pioneer’s sound and spirit. He brings an easy, unaffected charm to the role, pairing Holly’s trademark vocal clarity with a grounded emotional throughline that keeps the performance from ever feeling like mere impersonation. Chelius captures the spark of a young artist discovering his own power. His playful, high-energy guitar work adds an extra lift of authenticity - the kind of spirited musicianship that makes the stage feel like a live 1950s jam session. When he locks in with the band, the stage lights up with the kind of voltage that makes you forget you are watching an actor at all. He is backed by an outstanding trio of Crickets: Alek Boggio as drummer Jerry Allison, Grant Alexander Brown as bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and Elliot Coe Esquivel as guitarist Niki Sullivan, who doubles as Richie Valens and plays the hell out of “La Bamba.” Together, they create a tight, exhilarating band that feels more like a live performance when they jam than a traditional musical number, filling the room with the kind of raw, unfiltered early rock drive that Buddy Holly himself once ignited.

As someone already familiar with Holly’s catalog, I walked away an even bigger fan - the show makes his artistry feel immediate, alive, and impossible not to resist. I was also struck by a detail I hadn’t known before seeing this production. Early in his career, Holly faced strong pressure from his record label to adopt a more conventional country‑western sound and image. The show makes clear that he flatly refused to be branded that way, holding fast to the rockabilly edge and melodic style that defined his emerging voice. Rather than reshape his music to fit a marketable country mold, he committed to the sound he believed in - a choice that ultimately set him apart and helped spark a new era in American rock ’n’ roll.

Samantha Sayah offers a gentle, grounding presence as Maria Elena Santiago Holly, anchoring the emotional stakes of Buddy’s personal life with warmth and quiet strength. She provides a steady, heartfelt counterbalance to the show’s high‑voltage musical energy, reminding us of the love and partnership that shaped Holly beyond the spotlight. She also adds a charming layer to the live music, stepping in with the band on keyboard while doubling in another role with easy versatility. Marta Bady is terrific across multiple roles, matched by Eric Andrew Lewis, who shines in a variety of roles and puts his vocal talent on full display. Together they deliver one of the night’s standout moments when they tear into “Shout” and absolutely bring the house down. Bady plays several roles throughout the show, including Marlena Madison, the smoldering and vibrant co‑host/performer at the Apollo Theater, and she’s compelling in every one of them. She brings a confident, magnetic stage presence that elevates each number she touches. Productions like this often skew male‑driven simply because of the era they depict, which places a particular weight on the women in the cast. Here, the two female performers supply all the necessary feminine energy, charisma, and sensuality that help charge the production with the same spark Buddy Holly inspired in his fans - a blend of modern edge and romantic warmth that defined his music.

Marta Bady and cast.

Russell Mernaugh is another standout, slipping into several characters with ease, but it is his turn as The Big Bopper during Buddy’s final showcase that truly stops the show - an unforgettable moment that is off the charts good.

Beyond the performances, one of the unexpected pleasures of this production is watching Buddy Holly’s rock ’n’ roll evolution unfold as the show progresses. Drury Lane emphasizes the early chapters of his career, showing him as a shy, slightly unpolished teenager pushed toward the country genre his record label expected him to embrace. Holly’s early career also reflects a familiar music-industry pitfall: he accepted a restrictive record deal that undervalued his talent - a pattern that has continued to affect young artists from his era all the way to the present day. Those early scenes capture the tension between who he was told to be and who he was becoming - an artist quietly steering himself away from Nashville conventions and toward the raw, rhythmic spark of the new sound that felt truer, bolder, and entirely his own. As the productions unfolds, that tentative spark grows into full-fledged confidence. The shift is fascinating to watch: a young musician testing boundaries until he suddenly realizes he is creating something revolutionary.

The show’s greatest thrill comes from the music - a steady stream of Buddy Holly hits that still come alive with the invention and joy he poured into them in the late 1950s. Musical Director Chuck Mead’s fine choices amplify that spirit, shaping arrangements that feel larger than life at times without ever losing the raw simplicity that defined Holly’s sound. Drury Lane’s production treats these songs not as museum pieces but as living, breathing bursts of the raw spark of early rock, and Joey Chelius really delivers, driving each number with clarity, charm, and an effortless command of Holly’s style. Classics like “Peggy Sue,” “That’ll Be the Day,” “Everyday,” and “Oh Boy” land with fresh vitality, while the amped-up concert sequences bring the crowd to its feet. The band’s tight harmonies, crisp instrumentation, and sheer exuberance remind audiences just how groundbreaking Holly’s music was - and why these songs continue to resonate across generations.

Buddy Holly’s world comes alive so vividly thanks to the outstanding work of the design team - Lauren Nichols’ scenic design, Rachel Boylan’s period-perfect costumes, Lee Fiskness’ dynamic lighting, and Leland Plumridge’s crisp, full-bodied sound. The sets move fluidly from the intimacy of a recording studio to a series of performance stages, including a striking recreation of the famous Apollo in Harlem, NY. This core team does a fantastic job creating an atmosphere that feels authentic, immersive, and at times downright electric, giving the production its vibrant sense of place and time.

(left to right) Elliot Coe Esquivel, Alek Boggio, Joey Chelius, Grant Alexander Brown as Buddy Holly and the Crickets in Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story.

It is impossible to watch Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story without feeling the weight of how young he was when his life ended - just 22, still in the earliest stretch of a career that was already reshaping American music. The production doesn’t dwell on the tragedy, but knowing what comes after gives the final moments an undeniable ache. And because the show focuses, rightly, on celebration rather than sorrow, it’s worth briefly stepping beyond the edges of the stage to revisit the real history behind that night - not to overshadow the production, but to deepen the audience’s appreciation of what it’s honoring. Holly chartered the plane because the tour bus had broken down repeatedly, had no heat, and had already hospitalized his original drummer with frostbite - forcing a local substitute to step in. He simply wanted to get to Fargo early to rest, do laundry, and escape the miserable travel conditions.

The seats on the flight were traded for entirely practical reasons among Holly’s actual Winter Dance Party band and tour mates. J.P. Richardson (“The Big Bopper”), sick with the flu, asked current Crickets bass player Waylon Jennings for his seat, and Jennings agreed. Ritchie Valens and touring guitarist Tommy Allsup flipped a coin for the remaining spot, and Valens won. None of these decisions were driven by fear of the flight itself. The pilot, Roger Peterson, was young but licensed, and witnesses reported a normal takeoff. In reality, Holly was flying in dangerous winter weather - not a dramatic “storm warning” scenario, but conditions poor enough to make the trip risky, and they played a major role in the crash.

It’s also worth remembering that the show is, at heart, a feel-good celebration - not only of Holly, but of the three extraordinary artists who lost their lives that night. Still, for the sake of historical clarity, their deaths were the result of circumstances that never should have existed. The tour bus failures, the brutal cold, and the frostbite suffered by a band member were all consequences of a music industry unwilling to provide even basic support for the musicians it relied on. The concert they were traveling toward was not a high-stakes engagement; under safer, more humane conditions, the artists should have been given the option to delay the trip. Instead, a combination of grueling tour logistics and record-label cost-cutting placed them in harm’s way, costing the music world three bright stars.

Holly died in that crash on February 3, 1959, alongside fellow rock and roll trailblazers Ritchie Valens (just 17 years old), and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, as well as Peterson. The accident - later immortalized as “the day the music died” - cut short three rising careers in a single instant. Holly had recorded only a few years’ worth of material, yet his influence still reverberates through rock, pop, and country. And watching his world come alive so vividly onstage, you can’t help but wonder what other genius music he might have created had he been given even a little more time.

Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story is an easy show to wholeheartedly suggest - a colorful, high-energy celebration of a musical pioneer whose influence still echoes across generations. It is a fantastic homage to an incredible artist. Drury Lane Theatre’s production captures both the thrill of Holly’s sound and the poignancy of his too-short life, delivering an experience that feels as heartfelt as it is electrifying. This musical runs August 19 through October 18 at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, with a run time of 2 hours including a 20-minute intermission and comes highly recommended.

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Drury Lane Theatre announces the appointment of Matthew D. Carney as its new Artistic Director. A longtime collaborator and key member of the artistic team at Drury Lane, Carney steps into the role following more than a decade of artistic contributions that have helped support the theatre's signature style and high standard of excellence.

Carney joined Drury Lane Theatre in June 2013 and, over the past 13 years, has served as Associate Artistic Director, Casting Director, and Company Manager. His extensive work with the organization includes directing the upcoming production of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, serving as Casting Director for more than 70 productions, and acting as resident director for the annual Theatre for Young Audiences production of A Christmas Carol. He has also worked as assistant director on productions including The 39 Steps, Steel Magnolias, Shrek, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and as costume designer for The Gin Game. Carney holds a BFA in Theatrical Design and Technology focused in Costume Design from Wright State University.

Kyle DeSantis, President of Drury Lane Productions, welcomed Carney as the new Artistic Director, "When my grandfather first raised the curtain in 1949, he created something special: a place where families discovered the magic of live theatre, children experienced their first Broadway musical, and a passion for performance was handed down through generations. Matt is just the person to carry on the  Drury Lane legacy. I have worked with him for over a decade – his artistry and leadership never ceases to amaze me. I am looking forward to his continued transcendent journey with Drury Lane. I am elated to collaborate with him as he guides us into the next era of world-class theatre in Chicagoland!

"I am deeply honored to lead the next chapter in Drury Lane's story," said Carney. "I am excited by the opportunity to build on Tony DeSantis' legacy while embracing a fresh perspective for a new generation of theatre goers. My goal is to cultivate a space where artists feel inspired to tell classic stories in new ways, audiences feel welcomed and moved by their experience, and every production reflects the excellence Drury Lane is known for."

In his new role, Carney will oversee artistic programming and production at Drury Lane Theatre, helping to shape future seasons while continuing the organization's long-standing commitment to delivering world-class entertainment. Carney's appointment marks an exciting continuation of Drury Lane's tradition of artistic excellence and collaboration.

About Drury Lane Theatre    

Built from scratch. Built in Oakbrook. Built for you. 

Founded by Anthony DeSantis over 70 years ago, Drury Lane remains a family-run organization under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis. Drury Lane Theatre continues as a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, producing world-class theatre in collaboration with some of the nation's leading actors, directors, and creative minds. Drury Lane Theatre produces the highest quality theatrical experience that immerses and supports artists and audiences in the exploration of what it means to be human and to experience the transcending power of the performing and visual arts. Drury Lane strives to create an environment in which every individual or group is welcomed, respected, supported, valued and able to fully experience and participate in this transformative art form. 

The theatre has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for over 360 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane proudly employs thousands of professional actors, musicians, designers, and crew members to entertain upwards of nine million audience members and counting.