Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Despite terrific production values, Tammy Mader's staging doesn't solve the often-clunky storytelling in the piece. But the concert sequences are bravura, and this big, highly experienced cast makes sections of the show work—parts I'd never seen work before. And by the end of the night, after Casey Campbell's Big Bopper and Tony Sancho's Ritchie Valens have thrown their hot coals onto Berkobien's fire, even the chandeliers start to swing."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Wielding a vintage Fender Stratocaster, Berkobien doesn't impersonate Holly so much as channel him. His performance illuminates the intense artistic commitment that made the gawky, bespectacled Texas youth into an internationally famous singer-songwriter before his death at the age of 22. The supporting cast is excellent, and music director Malcolm Ruhl's arrangements highlight Holly's innovative, enduringly influential fusion of country, black, and Latino idioms."
EpochTimes
- Highly Recommended
"...This high energy show that wowed the audiences at Drury Lane Oakbrook has now taken up residence at Drury Lane Water Tower Place and should be there for a long time. Most of the original cast has made the trip led by Justin Berkobien who has the sound of the legend, Buddy, to a "T". His Crickets, Cody Siragusa and Jim Barclay are as sharp as they were before and they have added Alan Schmuckler as Tommy. Derek Hasenstab returns as Hipockets, the DJ that helped Holly get rolling. Rick Pickren handles the role of Norman Petty with style and Jennifer Loftus returns as Vi Petty ( she is quite the musician herself)."
Centerstage
- Highly Recommended
"...For those theater-goers or out-of-towners who can't get tickets to "Jersey Boys," or for audiences who want to experience yet another jukebox musical that traces the roots of a musical pioneer, this transfer from Drury Lane Oakbrook to Drury Lane Water Tower is tailor-made for you. It's slick and stylish, but full of heart, and it's filled with over 25 country, rockabilly and rock 'n' roll classics."
HollywoodChicago.com
- Recommended
"...It is the cast – led by Berkobien – who make this show a sweet treat. Aided by the talents of John Steven Crowley, Tony Sancho and Tempe Thomas, the level of musicianship these young performers collectively possess is nothing short of extraordinary. This cast alone warrants a trip out to the theatre."
Edge
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Though the Bopper’s "Chantilly Lace" and Valens’ "La Bamba" are done with all the Vegas-like professionalism of a typical oldies revue, a confident Berkobien takes on the challenge of interpreting some of Holly’s lesser-known cuts ("Heartbeat," "Raining in My Heart") and reminds us that, had he lived, Holly probably would’ve beaten the Beatles in the transformation of rock and roll from a teenage pastime into an art form. It’s all enough to make you wish they’d left Buddy Holly’s story alone and just stuck with the songs."
Time Out Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...To call Janes and Bettinson’s structure a “book” would be charitable. We join the plot in progress: Buddy starts and ends with Buddy onstage; at the top of the evening, the Crickets are already gigging in Lubbock. We move swiftly past Holly’s Nashville failure to the group’s chart-topping rock & roll success and its fateful booking at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. Any potential insight into Holly’s formative years, inner workings or offstage life is excised in favor of squeezing in more songs."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...The music lives on in this slick, polished and tune-full show. It has played worldwide to more than 20 million people on tour and it ran for 12 years since it opened in London in 1989. Tammy Mader’s high energy and tight staging gives these early rockers space to thrill us with their music. This is a fun night of nostalgia for many and an introduction to classic rock for teens."
