Book, lyrics and score echo stories and songs already heard about blacks breaking into the pop music and media industry mid twentieth century. But “Memphis” draws its local honesty from Huey, the white fellow who falls in love with black underground music and single-handedly shines a public spotlight on it in Memphis, Tennessee.

Naturally, he falls in love with the gorgeous and talented vocalist Felicia (Montego Glover), and naturally, the families bristle like starched linen at the thought of merging families. Despite the familiar story-line and soundtrack "Memphis" the musical has undeniable heart and some of the best dancing on Broadway.

Dances are shaped by traditional routines made famous by the likes of the Four Tops and Temptations, but choreographer Sergio Trujillo (and associate choreographer, Kelly Devine) lather combinations with unexpected kick-step and shimmies syncopating our expectations. Acrobatic flips, barrel turns and split jumps ultimately share time with dirty dancing style couplings and some very funky line dances that jazz-up our spirits.

As the story goes, Huey commandeers the microphone at a radio staion and blasts his black club pals' music over the air teasing the teenage urge to move round and round to hip-bumping music. From there, the unlikely hits-maker creates a wildly successful music and dance television show.

But it’s not all sunshine and daffaodils in Memphis. Good 'ole boys knock some sense into Huey and his lover Felicia, forging an irreparable split in their relationship. Huey starts to lose his balance and push the censors to the edge of their puritanical prayer books and Felicia pushes her bright career up north.

What stays with you are the performances and Kimball's knock out personification of an uneducated, color-blind, white Southern guy with a pure love of R&B and the moxie to upend the establishment in the service of his cause.

In the end, Huey believes more than anyone else in the future of R&B, race relations and a better America.

Directed by Christopher Ashley with punchy relish, he gets a huge lift from the mighty pit band that drills the most out of David Bryan's music. And even if the lyrics by Di Pietro and Bryan along with DiPietro's book don't add up to "Showboat" the musical does grab your heartstrings and stick in your mind.
C.Ipiotis