Well, I just had one of my most interesting nights of theatre, ever.

Last night was the official opening night for BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY at the fabulous 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, WA.

I always love going to the 5th, and this is my third show there in the last four months -- previous productions of COMPANY AND WHITE CHRISTMAS were consistently excellent and wonderfully produced.

BUDDY features local Seattle musicians (Billy Joe Huels (Buddy) of The Dusty 45s and Matt Weiner & Mike Daugherty (The Crickets) of Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio.

5th Avenue describes the show as:

Northwest premiere! This smash hit musical 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 and, finally, to the fateful concert with Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba") and the Big Bopper ("Chantilly Lace") in Clear Lake, Iowa. With over 20 sensational hits -- including "Peggy Sue," "That'll Be The Day," and "Maybe Baby," Buddy proves the music never died. Packed with raw energy and an infectious beat, this rollicking tribute to one of the giants of popular music is sheer unadulterated fun. No wonder Buddy is called the "World's Most Successful Rock 'n' Roll Musical!"

Opening night festivities included before show, intermission, and after-show parties in the fabulous 5th Avenue members lounge. All the waiters were dressed '50s-diner style, with white aprons and little paper hats. The h'orderves including little mini-burgers, mini grilled cheese, and little tiny corn dogs. Fun!

The show was great -- the musicianship was excellent, and the numbers really rocked. I went with my Mom, and it was fun to see the show with someone who had been there when these songs were playing on the radio for the first time.

But the end of the show was magical. During the standing ovation for Billy Joe Huels (Buddy), he stepped to the mic and said, "I'd like to introduce Maria Elena Holly (who is, of course, the widow of Buddy Holly and a central character in the show, beautifully played by the gorgeous Jennifer Paz). Anyway, Maria Elena Holly came onto the stage, and then proceeded to boogie her way through a rocking overture of "That'll Be the Day", featuring the whole cast.

That was certainly something special. They writers of the show -- Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson -- were also on hand. The 5th made a real night of the opening -- all I can say is "Oh Boy"!

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