Felicia Farrell played by Zoe Branch stands on stage with ensemble members behind her.
Emma Gray
Editor
Parkland’s theatre will be showing performances of its latest musical “Memphis” until April 22.
The musical, directed by Jeff Dare, opened at Parkland on April 5, with nearly all of the seats filled with a lively audience.
The musical follows the story of Huey Calhoun, played by Jake Fava, as he goes from being a guy who can’t hold a job to a famous radio star to a radio host with only one listener on a show at the end of the radio dial. Along the way he falls in love with a singer named Felicia Farrell, played by Zoe Branch, and fulfills her dream of getting on the radio.
The musical takes place in Memphis in the 1950s and deals with race relations of the time head-on. It tells a hopeful tale of how music helped nudge tolerance and understanding along while showing the daily struggles, dangers, and need for more change.
The most striking aspect of Parkland’s take on “Memphis” is the set. The set brings to life downtown Memphis complete with neon signs and live music.
The set also featured a large staircase which, depending on the scene, led up to the exit of the bar, to the front door of Calhoun’s mother’s house, or to the upstairs of the grocery store. Depending on which scene was going on, the stairs either faced the audience or were turned to face off stage. Between scenes, crew members seamlessly transitioned from one state to the other, swiveling the staircase and moving staircase railings from one position to another.
The stage was laid out so that on either side of the main stage, on the aprons of the stage, there were windows into different rooms. From the audience’s point of view, on the left lay the radio station in which Calhoun brings his dream of being on the radio to life. On the right side was an open wall behind which the live band sat, in full view of the audience. The ability to see the band throughout the performance made the show captivating and brought more energy to it.
Energy was not lacking throughout the rest of the show, however. From the singing to the dancing, the play bounced with energy. At multiple points, ensemble members were seen doing running leaps, cartwheels, and full splits. At each trick, the audience let out whoops to show they were impressed or entertained.
As can be expected for any opening night show, there were hiccups along the way. Besides a few minor wardrobe mishaps, the only hiccups which detracted from the show were a few sound problems. During the first act, a microphone was left turned on while back stage for a minute or two, allowing the audience to hear the whispers of actors and crew back stage over the speakers. At other points though, microphones on actors on stage seemed too quiet, making the words hard to hear.
Most of the show, though, was perfectly audible and pleasant to listen to. The cast members sang their hearts out, holding their own with difficult songs. At a few points it was difficult to make out the words being said or sang, but the emotions being portrayed always came across clearly.
One emotional scene which was done particularly well was the scene during which Calhoun and Farrell talk about whether they should move to New York so they can be together and be safe from bigotry and laws which threaten them in Memphis. Both characters came across as genuinely distressed and their pain could not only be seen in their body language but also could be heard in their voices.
Overall Parkland’s production of “Memphis” is a thoroughly enjoyable show with a deep emotions, funny moments, and beautiful performances across the board.
Performances will be on April 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 15 and 22 at 3 p.m.. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for students and seniors, and $10 for children, with special pricing available for large groups.
For more information and to reserve tickets, visit theatre.parkland.edu and click on “Memphis.”
