Memphis Non Equity Tour — Page 2

Since we're discussing casting for tours here, has anyone heard anything about the Phantom tour?

Or should I post a thread about it?

Director is Adam Arian. He was assistant director for the show at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, and 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle.
Adam Arian

I haven't heard these people sing but this seems like very good casting. These people seem to be excited to be a part of it and that always works for Memphis. People who are excited to be in Memphis are always great, and with any show usually. They always give great heartfelt performance in Memphis, at least from when I've seen it.

I guess that makes sense because they are going to a ton of cities. I guess I'll do my best to see them as much as I can. Thanks for the info!

The cast has been announced! Joey Elrose will play Huey and Jasmin Richardson will play Felicia! The cast is not on the website yet but I added Jerrial Young as a friend a couple weeks ago and he posted the cast list. Very excited!

here's the list

Joey Elrose - Huey
Jasmin Richardson - Felicia
RaMond Thomas - Delray
D. Scott Withers - Mr. Simmons
Avionce Hoyles - Gator
Jerrial Young - Bobby
Pat Sibley - Mama
Kenny Francoeur - Male Ensemble (Huey u/s)
Jonathan Ragsdale - Male Ensemble (Huey u/s)
Jonas Shumpert - Male Ensemble
Eddie Urish - Male Ensemble (Mr. Collins)
JT McKenzie - Male Ensemble
Kyshawn K. Lane - Male Ensemble
Daniel Hines - Male Ensemble
Sidney DuPont - Male Ensemble
Keely Beirne - Female Ensemble (Felicia u/s)
Oyoyo Joi Bonner - Female Ensemble (Felicia u/s)
Taylor Broadard - Female Ensemble
Kaitlin Niewoehner - Female Ensemble
Laurie E. Gardner - Female Ensemble
Jose Gonzalez - Male Swing
Erika Conaway - Female Swing

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Here's something I found from Avionce Hoyles, he's playing Gator http://youtu.be/rpW7RqLf_NI

So far I think it looks like the right direction.

Has anyone seen them yet? I'll be seeing it next week I can't wait!

Has anyone seen this production yet?

I got to catch the show while it was in Mass. a couple weeks ago! It was so great to see this show again. The set is a little different. It's definetly smaller but that makes sense because they're going to multiple cities a week, and during Radio instead of Huey raising up on the walkway he just walks up the stairs. Nothing major but the set is still beautiful! A few things are staged differently too. I'm being a little too specific probably but I just noticed that people are standing in different places for songs and stuff. Just something I noticed. The cast did a really great job. Jasmine has a great voice for Felicia except hitting the high notes is a struggle for her but she does a terrific job. Joey Elrose wasn't as good as Bryan Fenkart (who was perfection in my opinion) but he did fine. Sometimes I felt he was a little over the top with the acting. Huey is an over the top character but it just didn't feel natural. He did a great job singing and Memphis Lives in Me was definitely the highlight of the show. One of my fav songs ever! Overall I had an amazing time and it was great to see the show again! If you guys have any questions about the tour feel free to ask me! Go see Memphis!

Mike,
You are comparing it to the Broadway production. The first national tour was significantly different than the Broadway production. The current tour is only nominally different.
Huey has never risen up on a walkway during the tour. The tour set has always featured a static, solid catwalk, no elevators, etc.. It really parred the show down well and improved the flow and featured a notably smaller cast than the Broadway staging, hence what you noticed.
As far as differences between the first national tour and the current tour, they DID cut the automated show deck and rely on manual scene changed. The two traveling / rotating pillars have been completely designed to allow for a more flexible load in and stage space. I actually like these better from what I know and have scene. The set for "Radio" is now different.. I would wager better than it was before, but it seems to be notably close to the first national tour.
I hope to see it at some point. There are a few fantastic people in this cast that I know of from other shows they've done - Joey Elrose, D. Scott Withers, Keeley Beirne and Daniel Hines are all fantastic and I want to see what they bring to this. My only concern is Pat Sibley as Mama/Gladys, who is NETworks' go to character woman of a certain age and HAS been since their tour of the Nunn / Stroman Oklahoma. i can not tell you a single show where I have found her even passingly appealing.

The tour, as a whole, was a notable improvement. Not just a streamlined physical production that did not overpower the show, but a truly strong cast from top to bottom that breathed life into the show in a way that the leads on Broadway just *never* could.