BUDDY The Buddy Holly Story By Arrangement with Alan Janes for Theatre Partners Written by Alan Janes & Rob Bettinson Original Direction by Rob Bettinson "It's buddy brilliant!" The Sun After it opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1989, this first of the bio-musicals ran an incredible 12+ years and more than 5,000 performances in London, transferring to the Strand Theatre in 1995. A brand-new UK tour opens at the New Wimbledon Theatre on March 2nd and continues to the end of October before visiting Scandinavia in November. We are delighted to announce the immediate release of amateur and repertory rights in the UK; no productions that might clash with tour dates will be licensed during 2006. Synopsis: With the support of local radio DJ, Hipockets Duncan, Buddy and his two friends form a Country & Western band - Buddy Holly & the Crickets - and begin to carve out a career in music. After a difficult start at Decca in Nashville, they sign a contract with up and coming, innovative record producer Norman Petty. Within hours, Buddy Holly & the Crickets start to churn out hits from the recording studio built in Norman's backyard, among them "That'll Be The Day", which soon rockets up the charts and reaches number one within two weeks. Buddy Holly & the Crickets are suddenly the hottest act in the country and out on national tour.     Whilst recording in New York, Buddy proposes to Maria Elena Santiago, the Puerto Rican receptionist of his record publisher after a courtship of all of five hours! Newly married and ambitious, he completely shifts focus to New York and a rift develops between him and The Crickets. After a declaration of home truths during a recording session, the band split and Buddy unexpectedly finds himself having to pursue a solo career.     Buddy joins The Winter Dance Party, a bus tour through the Midwest quenching the teenage thirst for the new music called Rock 'n' Roll. The tour is hard work, the weather conditions appalling and the performers are alternating between sleeping in the luggage racks and dropping into hospital to be treated for frostbite.     Our story ends on Feb 3rd 1959 after a rocking concert at the Surf Ballroom in Iowa. Buddy makes the fateful decision to break his promise to his pregnant wife not to fly, as he and the other two head-liners board a small plane and take off into the night destined for their next show. During a snow storm, in the dead of night, the plane crashes and spares no survivors.     The tragedy shocks the world, snatching the lives of three of the world's most dynamic musical talents: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper.     Buddy Holly's brief life is immortalised in this dynamic and heart-rending stage show. It's a celebration of the man, his music and life that catches that unique mixture of innocence, determination, humour and charm that was Buddy Holly.     "...and the rest is just Rock 'n' Roll..." Cast: min 10M, 5F with doubling - up to 18M, 11F possible In casting the role of Buddy Holly you are looking for a young man under 25 who can lead the company, play the guitar, and who has enough stage presence and charm to grow within the show from a confident if inexperienced performer to the star who takes the audience to ecstasy in the final 'Clearlake concert'. It takes a special young man to recreate the innocence of the time with real credibility. Buddy must grow in stature within two hours from a confident if unpolished talent to become the first rock n roll superstar by the final concert. Casting Buddy correctly is the key to success - the rest will follow. Instrumentation: TRUMPET : TENOR SAX : TROMBONE : VIOLIN : 2 KEYBOARDS : 2 GUITARS (Lead/Rhythm) : BASS : DRUMS : PERCUSSION LINKS www.buddythemusical.com Theatre Partners' official BUDDY website, with full details of the 2006 UK tour www.buddyholly.com The official online Buddy Holly community