OFFBEAT: 'Memphis' rates as best new musical in 2011 for Broadway in Chicago

For anyone who snags tickets for the remaining performances of  the two-week run of the hit Broadway musical "Memphis," it's easy to see why it swept the 2010 Tony Awards.

This show is sensational and it's only playing until Dec. 4 at Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago.

If you read my preview story on F7, you can see the multiple Tony categories it won during the awards telecast.

And in the leads for this tour are likable and talented Bryan Fenkart as Huey, the ambitious "white" radio station DJ who breaks down musical race barriers for his listenership, and beautiful, golden voiced Felicia Boswell as Felicia, the singer who changes his world.

While Fenkart was the stand-in for the Huey role on Broadway, Boswell played the lead female role while in the New York production.

This two-and-a-half hour musical seems to fly by because it is both engaging and entertaining, while also sharing an important message of acceptance.  'Memphis' rates as best new musical in 2011 for Broadway in Chicago's season thus far.

The songs and musical numbers make you want to leap to your feet as the energy from the stage is shared equally by the eager audience.

Adding to the show moments are the supporting cast of true talents, with Quentin Earl Darrington playing Felicia's brother Delray, William Parry as Mr. Simmons and Julie Johnson in the role of Huey's mother.

Johnson does a fantastic performance as a mother torn by the poverty and son she's raised as a widow and the brutal truth about what's acceptable in the society of the day when faced with issues of black and white.

She has the audience enthralled in the Act Two with her number "Change Don't Come Easy."

Other songs to remember from this cast include "Underground," "The Music of My Soul" and "Say a Prayer."

Fenkart and Boswell deliver heart and soul performances and effortless carry the story and audience right along with them for this high-spirited ride.

The scenic design for "Memphis" is simple, yet effective because the emphasis remains on the music and the personality. There's an array of ambitious costumes by Tony nominee Paul Tazewell.

There are also plenty of favorite names dropped during the course of the story about the changing music and radio industry of the 1950s. From Perry Como, Patti Page, Lena Horne to Nat King Cole, Dick Clark and Roy Rogers.

"Memphis" is based on a concept by the late George W. George, producer of the Tony nominated "Bedroom Farce" and the film "My Dinner With Andre," with direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley ("Xanadu") and choreography by Sergio Trujillo, who is currently represented by three ongoing shows on Broadway this season: "Memphis," "Jersey Boys" and "The Addams Family."

"Memphis" is the perfect example of a stage musical that changes lives.

Tickets are $37-$95 at (800) 775‐2000 or BroadwayInChicago.com or memphisthemusical.com

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327.