The Buddy Holly Concert starring Zachary Stephenson took the stage at Theatre at the Center on June 21st. This was definitely one of the best concerts I’ve seen in a long time. Everyone was rockin’!
When Stephenson puts on the nerdy black glasses and grabs a guitar, he becomes Buddy Holly. He has all the dance moves, the guitar riffs and that Holly signature hiccup down pat! Between songs, he shares anecdotes about Buddy Holly and about his own appearances in the role.
Zachary Stevenson as Buddy Holly - Photo: Tim Matheson
In Act I, Stephenson belts out Holly favorites like Peggy Sue, Maybe Baby, Oh Boy, and more. Just for variety, he adds A Teenager in Love, a favorite song from Dion and the Belmonts, and a couple of Ritchie Valens hits, Come On Let’s Go and Donna. He ends the act by getting the audience to join him in doing the Hand Jive, originally recorded by Johnny Otis.
Act II was even more fun. Stephenson led off with Runaround Sue, another hit by Dion and the Belmonts, before launching into Buddy Holly hits, It’s So Easey, It Doesn’t Matter Anymore and Peggy Sue Got Married. He included a Hank Williams Medley in the middle of the set. He wrapped up the show with Holly’s True Love Ways, Chuck Berry’s Johnny B Goode, and Holly’s That’ll Be the Day.
Zachary Stevenson as Buddy Holly - Photo: Tim Scott
Stephenson left the audience cheering, and of course, came back for an encore, a remembrance of that final concert with a mash-up of the final songs by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, Rave On, LaBamba and Chantilly Lace.
Zachary Stephenson has appeared in at least two Chicago-area productions of Buddy” The Buddy Holly Story that I’ve seen. He really can get into the part. I’ve also seem him in at least one production of The Million Dollar Quartet.