FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

5th Avenue Taps Seattle’s Music Scene for its Tribute to Buddy Holly

Dusty 45s Front Man Billy Joe Huels Stars as Rock Pioneer

Performances: February 13 - March 4, 2007
Opening/Press Night: February 15, 2007 8:00 p.m.

SEATTLE - The 5th Avenue Theatre joins forces with Seattle’s music scene for its latest production: BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY. Four extraordinarily talented local musicians from the Dusty 45s and Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio will star as Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and the Crickets. BUDDY charts the meteoric rise of the legendary Buddy Holly, from his country roots in Lubbock, Texas, to his groundbreaking debut at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre in 1957 and, finally, to that fateful concert with the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens in Clear Lake, Iowa. Packed with raw energy and an infectious beat, this rollicking tribute to one of the giants of popular music is sheer unadulterated fun. BUDDY originally opened in London in 1989 and went on to win two Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. It played for 13 years in London and then toured all over the world, winning countless theater awards.

The 5th Avenue’s search for an actor/musician who was worthy of wearing Buddy Holly’s trademark horn-rimmed glasses ended with Seattle’s favorite rockabilly/Americana roots band, the Dusty 45s’ front man Billy Joe Huels.

“My first show ever at the Tractor Tavern was actually a tribute to Buddy Holly,” Huels says. “I sang and played three of his tunes, and it almost felt like I was Buddy playing the Apollo Theatre for the first time – Buddy was a bit nervous having never played to an all black audience, and I was nervous having never played to a crowd packed full of rowdy rockabilly greasers!”

Director of BUDDY, David Bennett, says, “Not only is Billy Joe an incredibly talented musician, he possesses the same qualities as Buddy Holly – he is a charismatic performer, very accessible and also vulnerable.”

February 3, 2007 marks the 48th anniversary of “The Day the Music Died” – the tragic plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, “the Big Bopper” – immortalized by Don McLean’s 1971 ballad “American Pie.” This tragedy shocked the nation as three of its most dynamic talents were snatched away simultaneously.

The news was earth-shattering for Buddy’s wife of six months, Maria Elena. Their story of love at first sight, whirlwind courtship and tragic ending is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest romances. To mark the debut of BUDDY in the Northwest, Maria Elena Holly will visit Seattle in February for the show’s opening, where she will meet the cast and creative team.

“They’ve done a terrific job of putting the highlights of Buddy’s career into two hours,” Maria Elena Holly says. “Just seeing the people enjoying themselves, and getting up to dance to Buddy’s music – that makes me so happy.”

The 5th Avenue Theatre’s cast is comprised entirely of Seattle-based professional actors and musicians. The cast of 26 includes: Billy Joe Huels (The Dusty 45s) as Buddy Holly, Matt Weiner (Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio) as Cricket bassist Joe B. Mauldin, Mike Daugherty (Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio) as Cricket drummer Jerry Allison, Jennifer Paz as Buddy’s wife, Maria Elena, Peter Crook as producer Norman Petty, Angie Louise as Vi Petty, Kelly Van Camp (The Dusty 45s) as the Big Bopper and Brandon O’Neill as Ritchie Valens. Other cast members include: John Ackermann, Brad Allison, Dane Andersen, Eric Chappelle, Jadd Davis, Lisa Estridge, Greg Fulton, Richard Gray, Jarvis Green, Cayman Ilika, Peter A. Jacobs, Chad Jennings, Anna Lauris, John Patrick Lowrie, Chris Monroe, Dave Pascal, Billie Wildrick and Ty Willis.

BUDDY is directed by David Bennett (Miss Saigon, My Fair Lady) and choreographed by Kathryn Van Meter. The projections are designed by Martin Christoffel and Lara Kaminsky, and the sets are designed by James Wolk. The conductor/musical director is Richard Gray. Tom Sturge is the lighting designer, Melanie Taylor Burgess is the costume designer and Mary Pyanowski is the hair/make-up designer. Anne Kearson is the production stage manager. The book was written by Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson. The 5th Avenue Theatre presents BUDDY by arrangement with Alan Janes for Theatre Partners.

BUDDY HOLLY (Music & Lyrics) was one of the most influential creative forces in early rock ‘n’ roll. He was among the first to produce his own music, the first to make prominent use of the Fender Stratocaster guitar, the first to double-track his voice in the studio, and the first besides Chuck Berry to write, sing, and play lead guitar at once. He broke rock’s racial divide, winning over an all African American audience with his performances at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre. After he and the Crickets took “That’ll Be the Day” to the top of the charts in 1957, Holly became a superstar in the U.S. and England, writing and releasing classic songs at a remarkable rate: “Oh Boy,” “Rave On,” “Peggy Sue," “Well Alright,” “Heartbeat,” “Everyday,” “Maybe Baby,” “It’s So Easy,” “Words of Love,” and many others. Holly split with the Crickets in late 1958 and began a solo tour with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, “the Big Bopper.” Following the Surf Ballroom performance in Clear Lake, Iowa, their plane took off into a snowstorm on February 3, 1959, and crashed shortly after 1 a.m. on, killing all onboard. Despite a tragically short career, Buddy Holly left behind a legacy of more than 30 timeless hits, an unheard-of figure in today’s pop world. His influence helped shape some of today’s greatest musical icons, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.

BILLY JOE HUELS (Buddy Holly) is best known for his work as the front man for the Dusty 45s. As a trumpeter, guitarist, singer and songwriter he contributed his talents to four independently released recordings for the band. Three-time winners of the Seattle Weekly Music Awards, the Dusty 45s have toured nationally while playing clubs that range from the Troubadour in Los Angeles, California, to the Continental Club in Austin, Texas. Huels is currently involved with several musical acts while working on his first solo recording.

MATT WEINER (Joe B. Mauldin) can be spotted in Seattle almost nightly playing bass and singing with drummer Mike Daugherty in Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio, as well as with Holotradband, Miles & Karina, and many others. He has performed and recorded with The Hot Club of Cowtown, The Asylum Street Spankers, Del Rey, Danny Barnes and Rani Arbo.

MIKE DAUGHERTY (Jerry Allison), a Baltimore native, can be seen almost every night, somewhere in Seattle, playing drums and singing with Matt Weiner and Casey MacGill in the Blue 4 Trio.

Tickets to BUDDY are priced from $20 to $73. Tickets are available over the phone by calling (206) 625-1900 / toll free (888) 5TH-4TIX, online at www.5thavenue.org or in person at the box office in downtown Seattle. There is no service charge when purchasing tickets in person at The 5th Avenue Theatre Box Office.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle’s premier musical theater. In 1980, the non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre began producing and presenting top-quality live musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the Northwest community. The 5th Avenue Theatre maintains a subscription audience of 24,000 and an annual attendance of more than 225,000. It ranks among the nation’s largest and most respected musical theater companies. The theater is committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its Educational Outreach Program which includes: The Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, The 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Student Matinee Program and Spotlight Nights. Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, the exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Marilynn Sheldon and Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong, The 5th Avenue Theatre continues to achieve the highest standards in all aspects of artistic endeavors and facility operations, while preserving its artistic, architectural and historic legacy. Visit www.5thavenue.org.

Please contact Molly Fortin, Interim Public Relations Manager, at (206) 625-1418 with questions or to schedule individual interviews. Photos available upon request.