Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Buddy Holly’s glasses greeted guests.

You’ll Laugh, Cry and Swoon

•June 12, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

February 3, 1959 was a tragic day for rock-n-roll in America. A plane carrying Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens crashed in a snowstorm just outside Clear Lake, Iowa where they had performed at the Surf Ballroom.
It was the end of both their Winter Dance Party Tour, the age of innocence and, for some, the day the music died.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of that historic concert the Little Theatre has brought in the Rave-Ons, a phenomenally talented group, to recreate that last Surf Ballroom concert – this time in celebration of “The Night the Music Lived.”
And live it does! For two hours you will be transported back to the 50s and the music of many steamy sock hops as those of my era danced their hearts out to “Peggy Sue”, “Oh Donna”, “Chantilly Lace”, “Rave On” and 27 more memorable hits on this fantastic program.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll swoon, clap and sing along while Todd Meredith as Buddy Holly opens Act One with “Rock Around With Ollie Vee”, “Ready Teddy”, “Not Fade Away” and several other hits. Close your eyes, and it really is Buddy Holly, so perfect and nuanced is Meredith’s performance.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.