Anybody seen 'Memphis' yet?

I may be going to see this within the upcoming month on B-Way. Are any of you familiar with the music/production? How was your experience? On a secondary note, I have also heard that Adam Pascal may be touring with the show in the case that it is a success...however, this may also be complete hogwash. But I thought I'd ask anyhow!

Agree with Broadway Joe. Think I would have really enjoyed it with Pascal though (I had two understudies for Chad both times), I would go back to see him..

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I saw the show when it first opened, and it didn't do much for me, but I had fun while I was there and it was innocuous and was glad I saw it. I never really thought I'd have occasion to go back until I found out Adam would be stepping in as Huey. I've been a huge fan of Adam's since I was a kid, and went back to the show about six weeks into his run. He is tremendously good -- and if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought the part was written for him. It's a playful, goofy, sweet performance that's unlike anything I've seen him do before, and he knocks the score out of the park. His performance really changed the whole experience of the show for me, and I've honestly come to genuinely like it a lot. I don't live in New York anymore, but I try to make it to the Shubert to see him whenever I am back East. I've seen him play Huey a handful of times now, and he just keeps getting better and better. I don't know anything about the possibility that he'll tour, but he's set to be with the Broadway production at least through October. If you're a fan, I definitely say go see it.

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Updated On: 6/24/12 at 06:18 PM

I will most definitely have to check it out then, thanks for the recco!

WHAT? Memphis is on Netflix?! I have no life, all I do is watch old episodes of How I Met Your Mother on there, all the while it was in the company of a production I was planning to see. Well, damn it, I fail. And I'm hoping with Adam in lead it'll be better than it was with Kimball although I've always liked him as an actor, at least.

I saw it on tour, and LOVED IT!!!!! It is a deep show that envokes emotion, but just as equally it is a fun, splashy musical! Deffinatley go see it!

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I also watched it on Netflix and found it painful to watch. I don't know if it's because I started to hate Chad Kimball about five minutes in, but I had to force myself to finish it. I haven't seen Pascal or much of what he's done with the role. I hope it's not like Kimball's Huey. The way he portrayed it was like he was calling Southerners retards (I know that's offensive to say, and that's how he made me feel. Offended. And I'm not Southern or White). He may have made me hate the rest of the show, but I just didn't find the story that compelling. I personally wouldn't waste money on it.

I think what bugged me most about his performance was that he seemed to be making fun of special needs people. Like he was saying "Hey look I'm retarded". It WASN'T like say Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape where that's just a part of the character. All of Kimball's choices seemed to be about him not be fully there mentally. If he wanted to play it special needs, he did it wrong.

Updated On: 6/25/12 at 01:13 AM

The show itself was enjoyable and fun but nothing "spectacular". However, Pascal's performance made it fantastic (I had an u/s for Montego but she was excellent).

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My taste is probably more middle of the road than that of most people here. I really enjoyed Memphis. I saw it a couple of months ago with Pascal's understudy, Kevin Massey, in the lead and I thought he was fantastic. The dancing is phenomenal, the staging beautiful, and I liked the setting a lot. Most of the songs are enjoyable and very well sung, and I thought it was a perfectly fine way to spend two and a half hours.

^^^ That's good to know. When we entered the theater, I was sad at first to be missing Pascal's performance. But it shows you how deep the talent on Broadway is when an understudy is so excellent.

Saw the tour and really enjoyed it. Not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but I certainly didn't think it was worthy of the constant derision that gets thrown about around here whenever the title comes up for discussion. It's a solid, conventional book musical. It may not be revelatory, but I found it entertaining and could easily see why people enjoy it and I find myself revisiting the cast recording often.

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Haha, I meant with Pascal as Huey, not the actual show. But I should have specified.