Memphis The Broadway Musical (2011)
Memphis is set in the places where rock and roll was born in the 1950s: the seedy nightclubs, radio stations and recording studios of the musically-rich Tennessee city. With an original score, it tells the fictional story of DJ Huey Calhoun, a good ole' local boy with a passion for R&B music and Felicia Farrell, an up-and-coming black singer that he meets one fateful night on Beale Street. Despite the objections of their loved ones (Huey's close-minded mama and Felicia's cautious brother, a club owner), they embark on a dangerous affair. As their careers rise, the relationship is challenged by personal ambition and the pressures of an outside world unable to accept their love.
Following its unexpected Tony Award win for Best Musical in 2010, Junkyard Dog Productions decided to film the Broadway production on stage in hopes of creating positive word-of-mouth for both the New York production and the upcoming US tour.
Broadway Worldwide, which filmed previous Broadway musicals such as Jekyll and Hyde, Putting it Together, and Sophisticated Ladies, filmed the show live on stage at the Shubert Theatre in New York City in early January 2011 utilizing 12 HD cameras.
The film was released in the US for a limited theatrical release a few months later. It was the first time a Tony Award winning musical was broadcast to cinemas around the US while still playing on Broadway.
Memphis was eventually released on Blu-Ray and DVD from Shout! Factory, and was also featured on PBS' Great Performances series.
You can stream Memphis The Broadway Musical now!
Directing:
Release Date: 2011-04-28
- Don Roy King
- Runtime: 165