Broadway with Abe: Memphis

It’s not often that, amid all the movies and TV, I have the opportunity to see a Broadway show. I had that very rare chance this past Thursday night, as I saw the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Musical “Memphis.” This energetic play starts off with fantastic music and a whole lot of spirit, as the naïve and wacky Huey Calhoun wanders into an African-American bar in Memphis and begins breaking down racial barriers one awkward hillbilly comment at a time. Adam Pascal is a fantastic lead as the energetic and truly odd Huey, and he’s well-matched by the lovely Montego Glover as the object of his affection with quite the set of pipes, Felicia Boswell. James Monroe Iglehart steals every scene he’s in as Bobby, a janitor turned performer with superb dancing abilities. The music is fun and the story is great too, and this show never loses its rhythm for a minute.