Is Chad Kimball ever in MEMPHIS? — Page 3

I think it is worth pointing out that the role of Huey is ridiculous, lowbrow and vulgar at least in part because Kimball has chosen to play the role that way.

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In July, Chad had the white house performance than had a scheduled vacation for a week.

Regarding the difficulty of the role, i think its more physically demanding than it is vocally, and if anything they needed to write in a few more quick breaks where he could get himself a towel to wipe himself down... any 'broadway star' would get exhaused with what he has to perform... and judging by the shirtless scene, the dude is in shape.

Note: I have seen the show 4 diffrent times in the past few months and he was in every one of them.

I wish Kimball had missed tonight's performance! I saw Memphis and absolutely detested his character. There was nothing appealing about this character. He had ZERO chemistry with Glover. He sang well, but I didn't know if the sleaze was in the character or if he was just really drunk. He moved around the stage as if he had to go to the bathroom or as if someone had stuck a stick in an inappropriate place. It really ruined the show for me. I never felt anything for him and never bought into the romance. Sorry!

I'm with Heymjo -- I found him grating, lacking warmth and totally did NOT buy his attraction to Glover.

I didn't think too many of the performers had much going on as actors.

To be honest, the only thing I really enjoyed about MEMPHIS was the choreography. But my 10 year old son thought it was great. (And he's usually pretty picky!)

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He had ZERO chemistry with Glover

Huh? If anything that is the one thing they do have...

But that's part of my point: I didn't find the story plausible at all. There was no reason for them to fall in love....they just did.

I can't say I hated or even disliked Memphis -- but I sure didn't like it a lot either.

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and SHE falls in love with him because??? He promises to put her on the radio?

Attraction and love are not the same thing.

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She falls in love with him because she thinks that he will fulfill her dreams. She is young and naive and when some guy comes to her and says he is going to get her on the radio and he continues to pursue it, why wouldn't she be taken?? She doesn't know any better.

Who was that directed towards, BwayTday?

I think "Colored Woman" is a turning point in her character. She realizes that she has been a fool to listen to Huey, but at the same time, he still says he will get her on the radio and she is dreaming that it will happen. It's a huge conflict for her. Does she choose the boy who will help a black girl make her way in the white world? Or does this black girl try and make it on her own in a white world, without his help?

I think the reason we buy "falling in love at first sight" in West Side Story, Oklahoma and dozens of other shows, but not in "Memphis," is because in the other shows, the story line focuses on their love and its consequences and the characters are decent people whom we root for. In "Memphis," the guy is a sleaze who cannot rise above his own selfishness. Hence, when the opportunity arises for him to go North with her, he chooses Memphis and his own popularity instead of this "great love." He could easily have gone with her and made a life for them where an interracial marriage was more likely to be accepted, but he chose himself over her. All of these characters are cardboard cliches, as is the story. Things happen just because the authors tell us they did. No struggle in his rise to popularity??? Unlikely! That's why this play never deserved a Tony or the apparent popularity it has received. The only redeeming qualities lie in the music and the production numbers. I really detested Kimball's character and felt like I needed a shower after spending two plus hours with him.