Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story

by arrangement with Alan Janes for Buddy Worldwide Limited
Directed by Ron Peluso
Musical Direction by Ivey Award-winner Gary Rue
Choreography by Jan Puffer

October 1–October 30, 2022

1956-1959. Part bio-musical, part rock ‘n roll concert, and part toe-tappin’ & hand-clappin’ celebration of the music of Buddy Holly. This young talent from Lubbock, Texas had a meteoric rise to fame and rose to the top of the charts with his music in just four short years. His appearance in Minnesota was part of the legendary Winter Dance Party tour that brought him to Duluth and St. Paul just before his final at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. You’ll be dancin’ in the aisles with songs like Oh, Boy!, Heartbeat, Every Day, Rave On!, as well as The Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace and Ritchie Valens’ La Bamba and more!

LISTEN/WATCH

Learn more about the show

Why audiences continue to fall in love with Buddy Holly’s songs (Star Tribune, 9/28/22)
Appeal of Buddy Holly’s Music (KBEM)

Read the Rave Reviews

“Buddy” Rocks at History Theatre (thestagesofmn.com, 10/2/22)
It’s a show you can watch over and over (playoffthepage.com, 10/11/22)
A sure-fire, proven crowd-pleaser (talkinbroadway.com, 10/10/22)
Celebrate the life and music of rock ‘n’ roll legend Buddy Holly (cherryandspoon.com, 10/4/22)
Oh boy! Energy in History Theatre’s ‘Buddy’ will not fade away (Pioneer Press, October 2015)

Song list

This production has closed.

Act 1: 56 minutes

Act 2: 63 minutes

15-minute intermission

Cast

Buddy Holly – Nicholas Freeman*
Joe Mauldin, Bassist for The Crickets – Matt McIntyre
Jerry Allison, Drummer for The Crickets – Adam Gauger
The 4th Cricket – Brandon Petron
Hipockets Duncan, Norman Petty, Emcee at Clear Lake – Charles Fraser*
Vi Petty, Hayrider, Ensemble – Laurie Flanigan Hegge*
Apollo Emcee, Jack Daw – T. Mychael Rambo*
Apollo Singer, Ensemble – Monica E. Scott*
J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), Hayrider, Ensemble – Brendan Nelson Finn
Ritchie Valens, Hayrider, Ensemble – Fernando Collado*
Maria Elena and Ensemble – Fernanda Badeo*
Mary Lou Sokoloff, Ensemble – Emily Rose Skinner*
British DJ, Ensemble- Peyton Dixon*
Hayrider, Keyboards – Jake Endres*
NYC DJ, Ensemble – Andrew Newman
Teen Dancers/Ensemble – Junie Edwards, Junia Morrow, Connor Moss, Lucy Ross, Princess Ann Nelson, Kendall Olson, Dakarai Opoka, Frida Ross, Adeline Winesett
Understudies – Mitchell Benson, Steve Grisdale, Jack Lambert*, Eric Morris*, Rodolfo Nieto*, Antonia Perez, Gary Rue, Emily Rose Skinner*

Creative team

Director – Ron Peluso*+
Musical Director – Gary Rue
Assistant Musical Director – Jake Endres*
Choreographer – Jan Puffer*
Stage Manager – Lee Johnson*
Assistant Stage Manager – Elizabeth M. Desotelle*
Intimacy Coach – Eva Gemlo
COVID Safety Manager – Peter Simmons
Scenic Designer – Justin Hooper
Lighting Designer – Chris Johnson
Sound Designer/Video Designer – C Andrew Mayer
Costume Designer – Kathy Kohl
Properties Designer – Kirby Moore
Costume Assistant – Meghan Kent
Artistic Director – Ron Peluso*‡
Producing and Directing Associate – Richard D. Thompson
New Works Associate – Laura Leffler
Production Manager – Lee Johnson*
Technical Director – Gunther Gullickson
Master Electrician/ Sound Engineer – Nick Walberg
Assistant Master Electrician/Programmer – Nick Fetting
Spotlight Operater – Andrew DeCollo
Stage Electricians – Kurt Jung, Parker Love, Sasha Blinnikoa, Mike Lee
Master Carpenter – Zachary Morgan
Carpenter – Brian Hesser
Scenic Painter – Erika Soukup
Open Captioner – Laura Wiebers
ASL Interpreter – Paul Deeming, Linda Gill
Audio Describer – Laura Wiebers